Modern coal chemical industry identifies four innovation directions

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Modern coal chemical industry identifies four areas for innovation Author/Source: Sinochem News Network Date: October 16, 2020 Clicks: 6 At the 9th China International Coal Chemical Industry Development Forum held on October 14, Hu Qianlin, deputy secretary-general of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, outlined four areas for innovation in the modern coal chemical industry for the period of the 14th Five-Year Plan and beyond. 　　First, focus on the development of coal-based energy products to enhance **energy security. In the field of coal-to-oil conversion, emphasis should be placed on the production of ultra-clean oils and specialty oils. These products can supply cities where air pollution control is a priority with fuels that meet or exceed National VI standards. They can also serve as high-quality blending components to improve the quality of refined oils in refineries, as well as specialty fuels for industries such as aerospace. At the same time, efforts should be made to expand into downstream chemical products in order to achieve diversified development and improve the overall efficiency of resource utilization. 　　Second, develop production technologies for higher-value, premium, and differentiated products. In the field of coal-based olefins, it is necessary to develop new grades of polyolefin resins such as polyethylene copolymerized with α-olefins, ULDPE, propylene-butylene copolymerized PP, melt PP, and high-crystallinity PP. The industrial chain should be expanded by utilizing petrochemical technologies to produce ethylene and downstream products of propylene. Additionally, efforts should be made to make more comprehensive use of C4 resources in order to develop high-end downstream derivatives based on C3/C4. In the field of coal-based ethylene glycol production, it is necessary to continuously improve the quality of ethylene glycol products while also developing technical approaches that utilize dimethyl oxalate and dimethyl carbonate derived from coal to produce polyglycolic acid and polycarbon materials. 　　Third, emphasis should be placed on the graded and quality-based utilization of low-grade coal. The coal resources in the northwestern region of our country are mainly low-rank bituminous coals with excellent quality and high volatile matter content, and they are abundant in reserves. In the future, efforts should be focused on developing new pyrolysis techniques, such as catalytic pyrolysis and pressurized pyrolysis – advanced technologies that can improve the yield of tar and the efficiency of pyrolysis. New methods for processing coal tar to produce fine chemical products like phenol, pyridine, and carbazole, as well as techniques for hydrogenating all fractions of tar to obtain aromatics and alkyl oils, should also be developed. Additionally, technologies for the efficient and clean utilization of semi-coke need to be explored. 　　Fourth, actively develop technologies for the resource utilization of CO2. Using CO₂ as a raw material to produce high-value-added and bulk chemicals enables efficient conversion and recycling of carbon and oxygen resources, as well as extends the industrial chain associated with coal utilization. In the future, it is necessary to accelerate the development of technologies such as the hydrogenation of CO₂ to produce methanol, the reforming of CO₂ into syngas, as well as techniques for the targeted conversion of CO₂ into high-value products like carbonates, isocyanates, and cyclic polycarbons.