【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】2252-2025: Low-temperature catalytic decomposition technology using nitrous oxide to eliminate impurities in the adipic acid production process

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Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** Recently, Chongqing Huafeng Chemical Co., Ltd.’s technology for the low-temperature catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide during the production of adipic acid was included in the “List of Key Low-Carbon Technologies to Be Promoted (Fifth Batch)” issued by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and other agencies. This technology not only solves the problem of reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the global adipic acid industry, but also, through its innovative model of \"negative energy consumption and positive benefits\", serves as a benchmark example for achieving the country’s \"dual carbon\" goals by promoting simultaneous reductions in pollution and carbon emissions in the industrial sector. Low-temperature catalysis technology fills a gap. Adipic acid, as a key raw material for materials such as polyurethanes and nylon 66, has an annual global production capacity of nearly 6 million tons, with China accounting for over 60% of that amount. However, in traditional production processes, 0.27 to 0.30 tons of nitrous oxide (N₂O) are generated per ton of adipic acid produced; this gas is an \"invisible climate killer\" with a greenhouse effect 273 times that of carbon dioxide. Over the past 20 years, international chemical giants have monopolized the technology for the high-temperature catalytic decomposition of N₂O. Their catalysts are expensive and result in high operating costs, which have long hindered the industry’s progress in reducing emissions. As a result, domestic companies face the dual challenges of lacking technical standards and encountering patent barriers. 　　Chongqing Huafeng Chemical Co., Ltd., which is part of Huafeng Group, has an adipic acid production capacity of 1.5 million tons per year, ranking first in the world; it has also been recognized by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology as a champion product in the manufacturing sector. In response to the challenge of reducing N₂O emissions, Huafeng Chemical began working on technological solutions in 2013, collaborating with the Shanghai Huafeng Research Institute to establish a comprehensive system covering \"basic research, pilot testing, and industrial application\". 　　After three generations of technological advancements, the R&D team finally introduced the third-generation T-350 low-temperature catalyst in 2022. The activation temperature of this catalyst is 100°C lower than that of international mainstream technologies, dropping below 350°C; the decomposition rate exceeds 99%, the equipment investment cost is reduced by 60%, and an innovative waste heat recovery system has been integrated, making it the world’s first N₂O emission reduction process to achieve \"negative energy consumption and positive returns\". Taking an 180,000-ton/year adipic acid plant as an example, it handles 48,200 tons of N₂O per year, which is equivalent to a reduction of 13.15 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions. 　　In April 2023, this technology passed the appraisal organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The appraisal committee determined that this achievement represents the first industrial application of an independent technology for reducing N2O emissions in China’s adipic acid industry, filling a gap in such technologies for adipic acid production. It provides an important solution to support the **\"dual carbon\" strategy and the reduction of greenhouse gases other than carbon dioxide.