【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】1389–2024: Development and Application of Catalysts for Methanol to Propylene Production and Energy-Saving Technologies

Thread Content

Happy New Year 2024 **********************【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum) ***************** The project titled “Development and Application of Catalysts for Producing Propylene from Methanol and Energy-Saving Technologies”, carried out jointly by Zhejiang University, the Coal Chemistry Industry Technology Research Institute of **Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry Co., Ltd., and the Olefins Division 1 of **Energy Group Ningxia Coal Industry, has recently won the First Prize for Scientific and Technological Progress from the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. This technology introduces a catalyst system with high yield, long lifespan, and resistance to fragmentation, based on the reaction-diffusion matching principle; it also features optimization techniques for the reaction and regeneration processes, as well as energy-saving techniques for multi-cycle thermal integrated separation sequences, thereby providing new \"Chinese core\" components for methanol-to-propylene plants. 　　It is reported that China’s propylene industry has a high degree of dependence on imported raw materials; therefore, the coal chemical route holds special strategic significance. In the coal-based propylene route, the fixed-bed methanol-to-propylene technology and its catalysts remain under the monopoly of foreign patent holders, making it urgent to carry out technological upgrades and achieve domestic substitution. 　　Backed by the **\"863\" project \"Development of Structured Nanomolecular Sieve Catalysts and Their Application in Methanol to Propylene Conversion\"**, this project has, through the development of systematic energy-saving technologies and domestically produced catalysts, pioneered catalyst technologies featuring high yield, long service life, and resistance to fragmentation, as well as optimization techniques for the reaction-regeneration process and energy-saving techniques for multi-cycle thermal integrated separation sequences. By installing domestically produced catalysts in methanol to propylene conversion plants, energy consumption and material usage have been significantly reduced. 　　Industrial application data show that this technology extends the catalyst’s service life by 60% per cycle, while reducing carbon deposition by 70%, enabling long-term operation within a load range of 70% to 130%. At the same time, the propylene selectivity over the entire cycle increased by 0.9 percentage points, the amount of process steam required was reduced by 25%, and the overall energy consumption per unit of product decreased by 10%. 　　It is reported that this technology has been successfully applied in 3 large-scale fixed-bed methanol-to-propylene plants; it holds two-thirds of the catalyst market share and continues to see steady growth, with an annual total production capacity for propylene reaching 1.5 million tons. While addressing the issue of catalyst fragmentation, this technology significantly improves catalytic performance, enabling long-term operation under high load conditions. Furthermore, this technology has passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, and it has been recognized as being at an internationally leading level overall.