【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】The green and low-carbon process for producing acetylene by using barium carbide as a substitute for calcium carbide coal, 279–2023

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Looking at the ten-year development of chemical technology, we praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. This is just a starting point to encourage further discussion among everyone; with your participation, things will become even more interesting. [Ten Years of Progress in Chemical 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. ----------------------------------------- Recently, a team led by researchers Zhao Hong and Jiang Biao from the Shanghai Institute of Advanced Studies, Chinese Academy of Sciences, used barium carbide as a substitute for calcium carbide as a key intermediate in the production of acetylene from coal. Through a cycle involving barium carbonate, barium carbide, barium hydroxide, and again barium carbonate, they developed a new process that enables the simultaneous production of acetylene and carbon monoxide with low energy consumption and minimal emissions. This process is expected to address the issues existing in the calcium carbide-based coal-to-acetylene process at its source, thereby enabling the redevelopment of a green and low-carbon process for coal-to-acetylene production. Currently, the calcium carbide process for coal-based acetylene production is the leading technology in the acetylene chemical industry. However, the high synthesis temperature of calcium carbide, along with significant emissions of waste gases and residues, make it a typical energy-intensive process that generates high levels of carbon emissions and pollution, thereby limiting the development of the calcium carbide industry and the acetylene-based chemical industries that rely on it. This work designed and implemented a new process for the co-production of acetylene and carbon monoxide based on a barium cycle. This process can convert various carbon sources such as coal and biochar into acetylene under mild conditions of 1450–1550°C, while producing high-purity carbon monoxide as a by-product. On this basis, a laboratory-scale barium recovery process was carried out, enabling the recycling of barium resources and reducing solid waste emissions. At the same time, this technology can convert various solid carbon sources, water, and carbon dioxide into higher-value acetylene and carbon monoxide in a more convenient, efficient, and environmentally friendly manner. It provides a new technical approach for transforming various solid carbon resources such as coal and biochar into useful chemicals, offering promising applications in coal chemical industry and the efficient utilization of biomass.