China University of Petroleum (Huadong) and other institutions are working on “Development and Application of Key Catalytic Materials for the Catalytic Cracking to Produce Low-Carbon Olefins”; catalytic cracking enables the simultaneous conversion of heavy oil and waste plastics into low-carbon olefins

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Catalytic cracking enables the simultaneous conversion of heavy oil and waste plastics to produce low-carbon olefins. Compiled by our website, August 8, 2025. On August 8, 2025, the project \"Development and Application of Key Catalytic Materials for the Production of Low-Carbon Olefins via Catalytic Cracking\", carried out jointly by China University of Petroleum (East China), Shandong Jingbo Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Qingdao Huicheng Environmental Protection Technology Group Co., Ltd., and Hanyi Shenfei New Materials Co., Ltd., was awarded the second prize in the 2024 Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. On August 8, 2025, the project \"Development and Application of Key Catalytic Materials for the Catalytic Cracking to Produce Low-Carbon Olefins\", carried out jointly by China University of Petroleum (Huadong), Shandong Jingbo Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Qingdao Huicheng Environmental Protection Technology Group Co., Ltd., and Hanyi Shenfei New Materials Co., Ltd., was awarded the Second Prize in the 2024 Shandong Provincial Science and Technology Progress Award. Addressing the issues in the traditional petrochemical industry such as low yields of low-carbon olefins, high yields of methane and coke, as well as low efficiency in utilizing heavy oil resources and difficulties in handling waste plastics, this project has developed an innovative coupled catalytic cracking technology. This technology enables the simultaneous conversion of heavy oil and waste plastics to produce low-carbon olefins like ethylene and propylene efficiently, thus opening up new pathways for the production of chemical raw materials. In the petrochemical industry, low-carbon olefins such as ethylene and propylene are important basic raw materials, but their traditional production methods suffer from issues such as high dependence on raw materials and complex production processes. Meanwhile, with the widespread use of plastic products, the disposal of waste plastics has become a challenge in global environmental management. Our country generates a large amount of plastic waste every year, and traditional disposal methods such as landfilling and incineration not only waste resources but also pose risks of environmental pollution. Against this backdrop, starting in 2018, the project team focused on the resource utilization of heavy oil and waste plastics. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, they integrated technologies from the petrochemical and material recycling fields, and via three innovations, developed an efficient, environmentally friendly low-carbon olefin production technique. First, develop dual-functional composite catalysts to improve cracking efficiency. Through innovative synthesis methods, the team prepared a dual-functional composite catalyst with a unique pore structure and distribution of acidic sites. Based on a new synthesis method for multi-porous ZSM-5 with enhanced mass transfer, this catalyst is prepared through metal modification to create a dual-functional \"dehydrogenation–cracking\" catalytic material. It is capable of effectively reducing the activation energy for the cracking reactions of heavy oil and waste plastics, thereby promoting the adsorption, activation, and conversion of molecules on the surface of the catalyst. Experimental results show that this catalyst increases the yield of low-carbon olefins by 0.8–1.5 percentage points, while reducing the yields of methane and coke by 0.5 percentage points, performing significantly better than traditional catalysts. Second, optimize the coupled pyrolysis process to achieve synergistic conversion. The project team developed an advanced coupled pyrolysis process flow that precisely controls parameters such as reaction temperature, pressure, and residence time, enabling the simultaneous conversion of heavy oil and waste plastics within the same reaction system. By cleverly adjusting the ratio of the two raw materials, not only is the problem of uneven product distribution when waste plastics are pyrolyzed alone resolved, but the heat released during the pyrolysis of heavy oil is also utilized to supply energy for the pyrolysis of waste plastics, thereby reducing overall energy consumption. Calculations show that this process saves more than 15% in energy consumption compared to traditional methods, thereby significantly improving resource utilization efficiency. Third, establish a product separation and purification system to ensure product quality. To efficiently separate high-purity low-carbon olefins from complex pyrolysis products, the team developed a product separation and purification system that integrates technologies such as distillation, adsorption, and membrane separation. This system is capable of effectively removing impurities from the products, achieving purities of over 99.9% for ethylene and over 99.5% for propylene, thus meeting the stringent requirements for the production of high-end chemical products. At the same time, the system makes comprehensive use of by-products, further improving resource utilization and economic efficiency. To date, this project has been granted 1 U.S. patent and 20 Chinese patents, with 87 papers published. At the application level, this project has been put into industrial use at Shandong Jingbo Petrochemical Co., Ltd. The demonstration plant built there is capable of processing 50,000 tons of heavy oil and 10,000 tons of waste plastics per year, generating an additional output value of over 200 million yuan and an additional profit of more than 50 million yuan per year.