【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】1746 – Chinese Academy of Sciences’ pilot plant for the utilization of thousand-ton-scale carbon dioxide to produce DMF

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Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available; feel free to participate in the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** The research team led by Academician Ding Kuiling from the **Key Laboratory of Metal-Organic Chemistry** at the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made a significant breakthrough in developing new methods for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide – a new pathway that transforms carbon dioxide into N,N-Dimethylformamide (DMF), a \"universal solvent\". On August 6, the project titled “Complete set of technologies, processes, and equipment for the utilization of CO2 to synthesize DMF” passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements by an expert committee in Beijing, with academicians such as He Mingyuan, Zhou Qilin, and *Zhen Feng participating in the evaluation. Experts unanimously agree that “this achievement is a first of its kind internationally, and the overall technology is at the world’s leading level.” 　　“Once completed, this project will be the world’s first industrial process to produce DMF from carbon dioxide as a raw material. ”Tang Yong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and director of the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told China Science News. 　　Building on years of research in catalytic hydrogenation, Ding Kuiling led his team to develop new metal-organic catalysts, enabling the chemical conversion of carbon dioxide – as a \"carbon resource\" – into common chemical raw materials such as methanol and DMF under mild conditions. This approach provides a \"green chemistry\" solution for the sustainable utilization of carbon dioxide. 　　This technology was developed through joint efforts by the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai Zhongke Lvcarbon Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., and Shandong Weijiao Holding Group Co., Ltd. The new process uses carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and dimethylamine as raw materials. The researchers have developed a new catalyst system, as well as a set of new technologies and equipment for the catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide into DMF. A pilot plant with an annual production capacity of 1,000 tons has been built, and it has been operating stably for over 1,200 hours. 　　The results of the 72-hour test organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation show that the operation is stable, with product purity exceeding 99.5%, selectivity greater than 99.97%, and a one-pass conversion rate above 59%. The catalyst consumption per ton of product is less than 0.65 grams, while the consumption of dimethylamine is 640.42 kilograms, hydrogen is 320.1 standard cubic meters, and carbon dioxide is 331.7 standard cubic meters. 　　It is reported that through the study of catalytic mechanisms and the molecular design of catalysts, researchers have overcome the limitation that it is difficult to achieve an optimal balance among selectivity, activity, and stability in homogeneous catalysts, thereby transforming the traditional processes that use carbon monoxide as a raw material. The core technology has been patented internationally and is available in the United States, Europe, and Japan. 　　Experts believe that the design of the reactor and key equipment in this project is innovative. Based on the \"two-fast-one-slow\" process of catalytic reactions and their cascade characteristics, researchers innovatively proposed a reactor design concept that combines injection and bubbling, and developed new core equipment for homogeneous catalytic reactors ； A high-precision temperature control system was developed to address the characteristics of these two exothermic reactions ； It integrates units and systems for degassing, dehydration, refining, and safety control, enabling flexible operation of the process and equipment as well as safe and stable performance. 　　At the same time, this technical process is reasonable and efficient. The new process features mild reaction conditions and is environmentally friendly ； High energy efficiency, with a conversion efficiency of 53.8% ； The comprehensive energy consumption per ton of product is 0.3064 tons of standard coal, while the waste gas emissions per ton of product amount to 6.67 standard cubic meters. No solid waste is generated, and zero wastewater discharge is achievable. 　　The evaluation committee believes that the completion of the world’s first pilot plant of this scale, capable of handling 1,000 tons, opens up new avenues for the utilization of carbon dioxide as a resource. Compared with the current industrial technologies that use carbon monoxide as a raw material, the new process features lower raw material costs and more abundant sources, with significant reductions in waste emissions. For industries and enterprises with excess hydrogen and carbon dioxide, this not only generates significant economic benefits but also reduces carbon dioxide emissions, offering an option to extend the industrial chain and enhance competitiveness.