Sinopec Shanghai and East China University of Science and Technology solve the problem of long-term operation of alkylation units

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Shanghai Petrochemical and East China University of Science and Technology Solve the Problem of Long-Term Operation of Alkylation Units July 28, 2025 Recently, Shanghai Petrochemical and East China University of Science and Technology carried out joint research efforts, successfully overcoming the challenge of long-term operation of alkylation units. This led to an increase in the production capacity of these units, a further reduction in the sulfur content of the products, and an increase in the octane rating of the alkylated oils by approximately 0.3 percentage points. By the end of June, the unit had been producing high-quality alkylated oil continuously and stably, with the output of such oil increasing by approximately 75% on a year-on-year basis. 　　In 2020, Sinopec Shanghai introduced the stirred-tank alkylsulfonation process from DuPont and built a plant with an annual capacity of 400,000 tons for producing clean gasoline components; however, it faced serious operational difficulties. Through repeated testing of the raw materials and products, researchers found that trace amounts of sodium ions and methanol were present in the alkylated oil raw materials, which affected the reactivity of the reaction ； At the same time, the product also contains an uncommon type of sulfur that is difficult to remove using conventional desulfurization methods. 　　To address this challenge, Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical and East China University of Science and Technology formed a joint research team. The team led by Professor Bai Zhishan from East China University of Science and Technology leveraged their expertise to overcome challenges through innovative materials. They developed a fiber finer than a human hair, which cleverly \"spreads\" the oil clumps into \"oil pancakes\" a few micrometers thick, improving the efficiency of \"translocation\" and \"separation,\" thereby solving this problem at its fundamental level. In addition, they developed a new set of dry separation technologies that successfully addressed the second challenge related to product desulfurization. This technology was included in the **National Development and Reform Commission’s Green Technology Promotion Catalogue (2020)**, and it also won a silver award at the Geneva International Invention Exhibition. 　　During the major equipment maintenance in the summer of 2024, Sinopec Shanghai took immediate action to thoroughly address the problems that had accumulated and been identified over the years of operation. It installed a set of dry product separation equipment, and resumed production in September of that year, achieving continuous and stable operation. After the complete set of raw material purification equipment was put into use in March 2025, the plant was able to operate at full capacity.