Analysis of the reasons why HRS is difficult to promote in China
Thread Content
An analysis of the reasons why HRS is difficult to promote in China points mainly to risk factors; why is that? We can check Liu Shaowu’s \"Sulfuric Acid Operation Manual\" (2001), which provides a clear analysis of both the process flow and the materials used for the equipment. A search for \"HRS\" on foreign websites also yields information that is generally quite general regarding the process and equipment materials. So why isn’t that information made available? First, energy prices were low at that time; second, the investment costs were high; third, there was a fear of not mastering the techniques involved, and of damaging the reputation of either the company or the design firm. It’s possible that HRS is about to see a significant acceleration in its development. Why? Due to the high energy prices, what is meant by technical and economic feasibility is that if an investment project is profitable, it can proceed, even if there are risks involved. Zhejiang Xuanda took the first step in this field with high-temperature butterfly valves; now they aim to do the same with HRS. Whether they succeed or not, they deserve respect and careful consideration from their peers in China.
1. In China, the operation rate of sulfuric acid production plants is generally low; without HRS, starting and stopping the equipment has little impact on the sulfuric acid production facilities. However, once HRS is installed, such starting and stopping activities cause rapid corrosion of the HRS equipment, and if it becomes damaged due to corrosion after 1–2 years, it’s better not to use HRS at all. 2. The adoption rate of acid coolers in domestic sulfuric acid manufacturers is not high; some companies still use cooling tubes. Even among those that do use acid coolers (plate-type acid coolers, anodically protected stainless steel shell-and-tube acid coolers), their performance is not satisfactory, and they end up leaking acid and becoming unusable after a few years. 3. In some domestic sulfuric acid manufacturers (those producing acid from pyrite or flue gas), the utilization of medium-temperature waste heat is also poor; some even do not make use of such waste heat at all.
Could you analyze why HRS is not widely used in sulfuric acid plants abroad?
Xuanda’s DWHS has certain issues during operation, and its operational data is not made public; while this helps to keep their technology confidential, it hinders improvements and enhancements. Identify the problems that need to be addressed, and the entire industry should work together to find solutions.
Why can’t HRS gain traction abroad? In my opinion, it’s also due to poor technical and economic feasibility. Firstly, the promotion of HRS abroad also involved a process of selecting appropriate materials and improving the control systems; risk factors are key considerations for every business owner ； High costs of technology transfer are also a major factor that every business owner must take into consideration ； Most importantly, energy utilization abroad is not necessarily as strained as it is in China at present, which is why its adoption is not widespread overseas. At the same time, the respect for intellectual property rights abroad (mainly in Europe and the United States**) also means that many technology companies pay little attention to this field!
There are currently no issues with HRS technology in terms of material and process control; the key problem is finding a business owner willing to take the risks. Zhejiang Longsheng has rare business owners, but Zhejiang Xuanda is a machinery manufacturer, and the so-called experts it hired are mostly specialists in materials science. The accumulation of professional knowledge in any chemical engineering field is not something that can be achieved in a short time. Its drawback is the lack of people who understand the manufacturing process!
Demand for sulfuric acid abroad is already saturated; Japan and South Korea still export sulfuric acid to our country each year. Most of the sulfuric acid production facilities abroad were built in the 1970s and 1980s, with few new facilities being constructed, unlike in our country where many such facilities have been built in recent years. I remember that in 1997, when our company planned to build a sulfuric acid production plant with a capacity of 300,000 tons, even the South China Chemical Research Institute wasn’t sure about the feasibility of this project. So we took designers from that institute to Canada, the United States, and Japan to study foreign sulfuric acid production facilities. The 300,000-ton sulfuric acid plant we built back then reached the same level as similar facilities abroad; as a result, foreign plants were only being maintained and repaired, and there was no consideration of adopting HRS technology.
Our company’s situation is different; in previous years, the unreasonable prices for low- and medium-pressure steam used internally led to the fact that new projects in our various factories made use of more low-pressure steam and less medium- and high-pressure steam. Currently, there is an excess of low-pressure steam throughout the company, yet the company’s pipeline system does not allow such steam to be used (the pressure has been increased from 0.5 MPa to 0.8 MPa). Therefore, finding effective ways to utilize low-temperature thermal energy is the main reason behind our decision to adopt HRS!
The application of low-pressure steam is a prerequisite.
Foreign sulfuric acid production companies include not only Menomonee in the United States, but also Lurgi in Germany, Kemirtaş in Canada, Boliton in Sweden, as well as companies from Japan, Poland, and Russia. Competition is fierce among them, with each having its own strengths. Some foreign sulfuric acid production plants use low-temperature waste heat to generate hot water for industrial and domestic use, so they do not need to rely on HRS.
Does Zhejiang Xuanda really want to develop HRS? Is the steam pressure generated by HRS above 0.5 MPa? If it reaches 0.5 MPa, phosphoric ammonium plants using the slurry method will become the main users of HRS!
The promotion of HRS in the domestic market has a bright future, but the path is tortuous; repeated introductions are not advisable.