【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】2025 – Domestic development of a benzonitrile hydrogenation process along with high-performance catalysts was successful for the first time

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This post was last edited by “Fish Swimming in the Desert” on February 20, 2025, at 14:21. Kudos and encouragement to China’s chemical technology and equipment industry for its achievements! Your participation in the discussion serves as the greatest motivation. ********************** [Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Equipment] This is a continuously updated compilation post; all are welcome to join the discussion: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** On February 18, it was reported that the benzonitrile hydrogenation process and its accompanying high-performance catalyst, independently developed by CNOOC Tianjin Research & Design Institute Co., Ltd. (abbreviated as CNOOC Tianjin Institute), have been successfully put into operation in the external market. A benzonitrile hydrogenation plant with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons has been operating stably for one month now, marking the first successful application of this technology in China. The benzylamine and dibenzylamine produced by this device are two high-value fine chemicals that find wide applications in drug synthesis, rubber and plastic additives, as well as analytical testing. The synthetic routes include the benzyl chloride addition method, benzyl chloride amination method, benzaldehyde amination method, and benzonitrile hydrogenation method. Among these methods, the hydrogenation of benzonitrile offers advantages such as few side reactions, high atom efficiency, and a high yield of benzylamine; it is therefore the most cost-effective and suitable process route at present. Most domestic companies use traditional batch reactor processes for production, which are inefficient and carry a high risk level, posing significant challenges to companies in terms of cost reduction and efficiency improvement. In this application, the fixed-bed continuous hydrogenation technology developed by CNOOC Development Tianjin Institute is used to replace the traditional batch process in reactors; the conversion rate of benzonitrile exceeds 99.9%, while the selectivity and overall yield of the products increase by approximately 2% each. The catalyst exhibits excellent hydrogenation performance, good resistance to ammonia, and a long service life. The installation operates in a highly automated and stable manner, and it is possible to adjust the ratio of benzylamine to dibenzylamine produced according to market demands. This approach fills the technical gap in China regarding the continuous production of benzylamine and dibenzylamine from benzonitrile through hydrogenation, thereby helping enterprises reduce costs and improve efficiency. In the future, CNOOC Development Tianjin Institute will continue to rely on technological innovation to drive industrial innovation, keep advancing the development of hydrogenation technology platforms for fine chemicals, ensure autonomy and control over key technologies, and accelerate the cultivation and development of new forms of productive capacity, thereby contributing to the green, low-carbon, and high-quality development of China’s chemical industry.