I am internationally leading in high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology

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I am a world-leading author in high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology / Source: China Chemical Industry News, Date: April 24, 2019, Clicks: 51. On April 22, the China Coal Industry Association held in Beijing evaluation meetings for scientific and technological achievements related to “Key technologies and integrated systems for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis” as well as “Research and industrial application of catalysts for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis”. The appraisal expert committee, led by Xie Kechang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, unanimously agreed that the two innovations developed by Shanghai Yankuang Energy Technology R&D Co., Ltd. have passed the appraisal and possess an internationally leading technical level. 　　High-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis is regarded in the industry as a representative of advanced and cutting-edge coal chemical technologies. Sun Qiwen, researcher and director of the Key Laboratory of Coal Liquefaction and Coal Chemical Engineering, general manager of Shanghai Yankuang Energy Technology R&D Co., Ltd., and leader in the development of high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology, explained that this technology can convert coal into high-quality chemicals and advanced clean fuels, thereby enabling the clean and efficient utilization of coal. Unlike the low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology, which has already been widely industrialized in China, its synthetic products feature a narrow carbon number distribution and a higher content of olefins, particularly alpha-olefins. By employing advanced separation and deep processing technologies, it is possible to produce fine chemicals and specialty chemicals that are difficult to obtain through traditional petrochemical routes, thereby significantly improving the economic viability of coal chemical projects and the added value of their products. Previously, China had no core technologies or large-scale industrial projects in this field. 　　According to the reporter, in 2004, the team led by Sun Qiwen began research and development on high-temperature fixed-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology. In 2007, a pilot plant for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with an annual capacity of 5,000 tons was successfully commissioned after its first trial run. In June 2017, China’s first industrial demonstration plant for high-temperature fixed-bed Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with a capacity of 100,000 tons was constructed in Yulin, Shaanxi Province. In September 2018, this demonstration plant was successfully commissioned again, producing qualified products while operating safely, stably, over long periods of time, and at full capacity. Currently, Sun Qiwen is leading his team in making intense preparations for the construction of a large-scale industrial project for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. 　　At this appraisal meeting, the expert committee gave high praise to two scientific research achievements: the project \"Industrial Demonstration of Key Technologies and Complete Sets of Technologies for High-Temperature Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis\" developed key technologies and complete sets of technologies for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with independent intellectual property rights in China. These include catalysts for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as well as the industrialization technologies associated with them, a new type of fixed-fluidized-bed reactor for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, simulation software for the high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process along with an integrated optimization platform. Additionally, it encompasses the technology processes for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, which consist of catalyst activation procedures, the high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis process itself, and the distillation process for reaction water. As a result, China’s first industrial demonstration plant for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons was established. The overall process flow of the industrial demonstration unit is advanced and rational; its key technical parameters are superior to those of similar foreign units, reaching an internationally leading level. It provides reliable technical support for the design and construction of large-scale industrial Fischer-Tropsch synthesis units. 　　Another achievement is the \"Research and Industrial Application of Catalysts for High-Temperature Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis\" – key technologies for the industrial production of such catalysts, along with integrated systems, were developed. An industrial-scale production facility capable of producing 1,500 tons per year of these catalysts was established. The catalysts produced on an industrial scale exhibit high activity, good selectivity for the desired products, excellent resistance to impact and wear, and stable reaction performance. They were successfully applied in China’s first industrial demonstration plant for high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, showing outstanding economic performance indicators. These technologies provide a reliable method for the industrial production of catalysts for large-scale coal-to-liquid conversion plants using high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, with overall technical standards that are at the international leading level. 　　The expert committee recommends accelerating the construction of million-ton-scale high-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis industrial plants in our country, and actively promoting the industrialization of this technology.