【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】The first domestically produced ethylene oxide reactor was assembled on-site in Jilin from 1986 to 2012

Thread Content

Looking at the development of chemical engineering technology over the past decade, we praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. By sharing our insights, we encourage more people to participate and make the discussion more lively. With you here, HAICHUAN becomes even better. [A Decade of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment] – Continuous updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html. It is important to enhance quality awareness and promote high-quality development. ----------------------------------------- This may be historical information, but having a comparative perspective based on history helps us better understand the progress that has been made. In June 2012, the 500-ton ethylene oxide reactor for Jilin Bohai Petrochemical Co., Ltd., which was developed by China National First Heavy Machinery Group Corporation, went through various key stages such as shell assembly, pipe installation, and pressure testing. Now, the head assembly phase has been completed, and the reactor is in the final heat treatment stage. The entire assembly process is expected to be finished by mid-July, after which it will be delivered to the client for installation on-site. Ethylene oxide, also known as oxirane, is an important intermediate in organic synthesis and is widely used in various fields such as laundry, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and the automotive industry. In recent years, due to the rapid development of downstream industries, the demand for ethylene oxide has increased significantly. However, due to the relatively small scale and production capacity of ethylene oxide manufacturing facilities in the country, China’s current production of ethylene oxide falls short of demand. Therefore, to meet the growing demand in the domestic market, the scaling up of ethylene oxide production facilities in our country will become a trend. In order to break the reliance on imports for ethylene oxide reactors, China National Heavy Machinery Corporation carried out a series of research efforts and manufactured the first such device – the Henan Shangqiu ethylene oxide reactor/gas cooler – thereby achieving localization of the technology for producing ethylene oxide reactors. The Nuclear Power and Petrochemical Division has manufactured this 500-ton reactor for Jilin Bohai Petrochemical Co., Ltd.; it is the core equipment for its ethylene oxide production project. It features a large size, complex manufacturing processes, high precision requirements, and substantial work involved in installing the internal components. There are as many as 8,847 heat exchange tubes, and each one of them must be surface-polished, making the work on site extremely demanding. Under the leadership of project manager Mi Chengzhi, the Jilin ethylene oxide on-site welding team overcame harsh conditions such as heavy snow and cold in winter, strong winds in spring, a shortage of personnel, and inadequate equipment, and successfully completed key tasks such as shell welding, pipe installation, and pressure testing with high quality. The on-site manufacturing of the shells and internal components fully demonstrated our company’s manufacturing capabilities and level of on-site welding skills. Its successful implementation and completion will provide our company with valuable experience in expanding into the market for large-scale on-site welding projects involving ethylene oxide, laying a solid foundation for this endeavor.