【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】The world’s first CO purification unit for blast furnace gas came online in 1673–2013

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Happy May Day 2024! Safety first. Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering 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) ***************** On October 14, 2013, news came from Hualing Steel Pipe Co., Ltd. in Hengyang, Hunan – the company, in collaboration with Beijing Peking Pioneer Technology Co., Ltd., had built the world’s first industrial facility for purifying CO using pressure swing adsorption technology for blast furnace gas. This facility has been operating safely and steadily for over 100 days now. Its processing capacity is 67,000 standard cubic meters per hour, and the purity, yield, and cost of the CO produced meet or exceed the expected targets. This is the first time in the global steel industry that CO gas has been successfully purified on a large scale and efficiently from blast furnace gas, which is of great significance for achieving zero emissions of blast furnace gas, significantly improving energy efficiency, and reducing carbon emissions. 　　It is said that blast furnace gas from steel plants theoretically has high economic value, but it is very difficult to utilize it effectively. Hualing Henggang Steel Company is China’s second-largest specialized manufacturer of seamless steel pipes. Previously, blast furnace gas was used by mixing in some natural gas to increase its calorific value, for use in the heating furnaces for steel rolling. After the implementation of the pressure swing adsorption project for purifying CO from blast furnace gas, Hualing Henggang Steel Company sent the 17,500 standard cubic meters per hour of CO produced by purifying 67,000 standard cubic meters per hour of blast furnace gas directly to the heating furnaces. This CO had a purity of over 70% and a calorific value of 8,800 kJ per standard cubic meter; it could replace 33.82 million standard cubic meters of natural gas per year (equivalent to 38,000 tons of standard coal), which is one-fourth of the company’s original natural gas consumption. At the same time, the device’s comprehensive energy consumption index is also excellent. Based on the actual operation status, and after deducting the operating costs of the facility, this project can help Hengsteel save approximately 29,000 tons of standard coal per year, generating direct annual revenue of over 25 million yuan. Furthermore, the CO in blast furnace gas can be enriched to a purity of over 99%, serving as a raw material for chemical products and thereby further increasing the added value of blast furnace gas. 　　According to Zhang Jiaping, general manager of Beida Pioneer Company, the company has been dedicated over the years to developing pressure swing adsorption technologies and processes for CO separation, with the efficient copper-based CO adsorbent PU-1 as the core component. This approach enables the efficient separation of CO from nitrogen-rich gas mixtures, and the technical parameters such as the purity of the CO in the output gas, the yield, and the production cost are among the best in the world. In 2012, Peking University Pioneer reached a cooperation agreement with Hualing Henggang Steel Company to jointly build a CO purification unit for blast furnace gas. Beida Pioneer has successfully developed unit purification technologies for various impurities in blast furnace gas, as well as targeted integrated separation processes; in collaboration with Henggang Steel, it has fully overcome the technical challenges associated with separating CO from blast furnace gas. In early June 2013, the pressure swing adsorption unit for purifying CO from blast furnace gas was successfully commissioned and put into operation. 　　It is reported that, given the excellent operational performance of the facility and its significant benefits in terms of energy savings and increased revenue, Beida Pioneer and Hualing Henggang have already begun work on the construction of the second phase. The successful commissioning of the blast furnace gas CO purification project will help Hengsteel’s energy structure gradually move toward greater autonomy, stability, and rationality.