Pursuing the mass-production technology for coal-based ethylene glycol

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Pursuing the Goal of Mass Production Technology for Coal-Based Ethylene Glycol Author/Source: Date: 12-19-2017 Clicks: 15 Ethylene glycol is a key ingredient in polyester fibers (polyester) and mineral water bottles in daily life; China’s consumption accounts for over 50% of the world’s total. However, the country’s self-sufficiency level in this regard remains low, with a dependence on imports of nearly 70%. In recent years, the Key Laboratory of Coal-to-Ethylene Glycol and Related Technologies at the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has focused on the technology of using coal to replace petroleum ethylene in the production of ethylene glycol, achieving industrialization for the first time in the world. Yao Yuangen, director of the Key Laboratory of Coal-to-Ethylene Glycol and Related Technologies at the Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences, told a reporter from China Science News: “We focus on **major needs and the forefront of global coal chemical technology development, working on the research and development of coal-to-ethylene glycol and related common technologies in order to guide the direction of international progress in this field.” ； Develop new technologies for the expansion of coal-based ethylene glycol production as well as for product diversification, in order to make efficient use of China’s abundant coal resources to produce high-value bulk chemicals and fine chemicals. ” Leading the technology for coal-based ethylene glycol production: China’s resource profile is characterized by a shortage of oil and gas, but relatively abundant coal resources. Ethylene glycol is a strategic basic raw material in the chemical industry, with a market volume second only to that of ethylene and propylene. The Key Laboratory of Coal-to-Ethylene Glycol and Related Technologies was established in December 2010, evolving from the Applied Chemistry Research Center of the Fujian Institute of Physical Sciences and the technical research group for coal-to-ethylene glycol production. In this year’s evaluation of 34 key laboratories in the field of materials and engineering at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, this laboratory was rated as Class A. Currently, the production of ethylene glycol relies heavily on petroleum resources, resulting in high energy consumption and costs. For over 40 years, the technology for producing ethylene glycol from coal has remained a challenging issue for research worldwide. Since the 1980s, the Fujian Institute of Physical Chemistry has been carrying out laboratory research on coal-based ethylene glycol production technology, and in 2009 it was the first to achieve industrialization of this technology. Yao Yuangen said, “Seven years since the establishment of the laboratory, three research areas have emerged, including next-generation coal-based ethylene glycol technology, technologies related to coal-based ethylene glycol, and fundamental catalysis research.” ” It is understood that the first-generation coal-based ethylene glycol production technology requires a large amount of precious metals, its selectivity and stability need further improvement, the proportion of high-quality ethylene glycol produced is low, and it has relatively high energy consumption. In terms of the next-generation coal-based ethylene glycol technology, the laboratory has developed three entirely new core catalysts and optimized the process flow and product purification methods. At present, China’s technology is already quite mature, but Yao Yuangen also mentioned that there are still issues regarding market acceptance for the application of these products, especially in the polyester industry. He said, “Some companies are reluctant to use ethylene glycol made from coal; the inherent perceptions in the industry make them doubt the quality of such products. But time will prove everything – we have a clear cost advantage and have already met the technical standards for **high-quality products**.” ” “In collaboration with Sinopec Luoyang (Guangzhou) Engineering Company, we have developed many process technologies that have led to a significant reduction in energy consumption and a substantial improvement in economic efficiency; the production cost per ton of ethylene glycol has dropped from 5,000 yuan to 4,000 yuan. When the new generation of technologies is developed, market prospects will be better. ”Yao Yuangen explained. At the same time, the laboratory has also achieved remarkable results in the research and development of technologies for producing methyl formate from coal. According to survey data from 2015, the annual demand for methyl formate in China is around 1.3 million tons, with a market value of approximately 10 billion yuan. However, China’s production capacity is low, resulting in high production costs. Yao Yuangen said, \"In the past, the industrial production technology for methyl formate was monopolized by the German company BASF. We have developed a gas-phase synthesis technology using syngas, which possesses complete independent intellectual property rights.\" Thanks to technological advancements, the production cost of methyl formate has been reduced by 30%, dropping from 4,300 yuan per ton to 3,200 yuan per ton. ” Through the collective efforts of the laboratory, in 2013 it won the First Prize of the Fujian Provincial Natural Science Award; the team working on coal-based ethylene glycol production technology received the Award for Outstanding Contributions from the Wang Kuan-cheng Team for the Transfer and Application of Scientific and Technological Achievements of the Chinese Academy of Sciences ； In 2015, the laboratory was recognized by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Chinese Academy of Sciences as an advanced collective of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The path to transforming innovative research technologies: When the reporter interviewed Yao Yuangen, he was working at the pilot production facility in Guizhou. He said, “For 3 years, I have spent almost 10 months each year in Guizhou. It feels like I’m ‘interfering’ with local life here, but every member of our team works hard and happily in the mountains, driven by the same goal – to bring the next generation of coal-based ethylene glycol technology to industrial application.” ” The laboratory has a solid technical foundation in coal-based ethylene glycol production, but progress has stalled at the pilot scale stage for a long time. It was not until 2006 that the laboratory saw a turning point. Back then, the Institute of Materials Structure reached a tripartite agreement with Shanghai Jinmei Chemical New Technology Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Danhua Group Co., Ltd., to carry out pilot tests at Danhua Group. Yao Yuangen said, “Pilot testing is an essential step for technologies to move from the research stage to industrial application, and it requires relatively large amounts of capital investment.” However, in the past, research funding came from **grants, and there was a clear shortage of investment during the pilot production phase. ” We worked together with enterprises to address the funding issues related to pilot testing. In 2005, \"the companies were very interested in our technology; they signed contracts within two weeks, and two sets of pilot testing facilities were built right away.\" In 2009, the world’s first coal-to-ethylene glycol demonstration project with an annual production capacity of 200,000 tons was put into operation in Tongliao City, Inner Mongolia, with an initial investment of 2 billion yuan. Looking back on this successful transformation of scientific research into practical applications, Yao Yuangen said with emotion, \"We embraced the spirit of ‘not waiting, not relying on others, and not asking for help’. By taking the initiative to collaborate with enterprises and adopting a model that combines scientific research, technological expertise, and capital, we were able to achieve such results.\" ” Building on previous successful experiences, in December 2016, the laboratory signed cooperation agreements for a pilot project for second-generation coal-based ethylene glycol production with Guizhou Xinchun Energy Co., Ltd. and the People’s Government of Xingren County, as well as a cooperation agreement for a project to produce 600,000 tons of coal-based ethylene glycol per year in Xingren County. Yao Yuangen said, “To bring a technology to industrial application, many talents are needed. In addition to our R&D team, there is also a need for professionals in areas such as management, technology, engineering, and design.” If you want to get the factory running, many people who understand the equipment are needed, and that is precisely the power of teamwork. ” Working with enterprises is not always smooth, and Yao Yuangen also faces frustrating moments. He said, “Enterprises and research institutions have different perspectives; the ultimate goal of enterprises is to make profits, and some even seek to monopolize technology, so conflicts and differences are inevitable.” In such situations, we must maintain close communication and seek common ground while respecting differences; otherwise, it will be difficult to continue working together. ” The future development prospects are promising. The Key Laboratory of Coal-based Ethylene Glycol and Related Technologies is a young team; among its 55 members, 39 are under 40 years old. Yao Yuangen said, “We adhere to the principle of ‘attracting people through entrepreneurship and retaining them through career opportunities,’ and embrace the laboratory spirit of ‘harmonious development, fair competition, encouragement of innovation, and leapfrog progress’ to support researchers in their work.” ” At present, the laboratory’s instruments and equipment are fully capable of conducting tests and analyses in areas such as phase analysis, structural analysis, surface properties, and evaluation of catalyst performance for new types of catalysts; there are over 100 sets of important instruments and equipment in total. Yao Yuangen said that both the Fujian Institute of Physics and Materials Science and the laboratory have provided a platform and opportunities for young researchers. He said, “There are 120 people at the pilot plant in Guizhou, of whom over 20 come from the Institute of Physical Chemistry. The work here is completely different from that in the laboratory. Through these ‘on-site experiences’, we have trained a group of technical and managerial professionals who are capable of solving practical problems.” ” In 2017, the laboratory successfully secured funding for two key research and development projects: “High-efficiency preparation technologies for ester monomers and green solvents used in environmentally friendly coatings” and “Multiphase nanocatalytic materials and engineering applications for high-value fine chemical products”. These projects aimed at further developing new industrialization techniques related to coal-based ethylene glycol production. Yao Yuangen said, “At present, the technology for producing ethylene glycol from coal is facing fierce technical competition; several technologies, both domestic and foreign, are already quite mature. We must continue to innovate in order to maintain our technological advantages.” ” Yao Yuangen said that a provincial-level engineering laboratory is currently in the planning stage, with the goal of developing it into a **-level engineering laboratory. \"Within two to three years, we will make every effort to advance the industrial demonstration of a new generation of coal-based ethylene glycol production technology on a scale of 600,000 tons, with production starting by 2020.\"