“What are the technical prospects of \"methanol fluidized catalytic cracking for propylene production\"?

The “methanol fluidized catalytic cracking to produce propylene” technology independently developed by Tsinghua University – is the core technology the catalyst or the reactor?

If anyone knows the details of this technology, please explain it

Personally, I believe the prospects for the \"methanol to propylene\" technology are promising. However, Tsinghua University’s \"methanol fluidized catalytic cracking to propylene\" technology has not yet been tested, and the performance metrics that can be achieved through industrial trials – such as energy consumption and propylene selectivity – will determine whether it is superior to Lurgi’s MTP technology for future applications. It’s worth looking forward to.

The core of the methanol-to-propylene technology is, of course, catalyst technology. As for reactors, there are essentially fluidized bed reactors and fixed-bed reactors. There’s nothing complicated about it. The prospects of the methanol-to-propylene technology depend on its propylene selectivity. If methanol could be completely converted into propylene, then theoretically 1 ton of propylene can be produced from 2.3 tons of methanol. In fact, methanol to propylene is carried out in high-temperature reactors, and there are many types of reactions; the reaction products include propylene, ethylene, methane, ethane, propane, butylenes, butane, pentenes, etc. In the actual operation of industrial plants, an acrylene selectivity of 70% is already considered quite good. In other words, 1 ton of propylene can be produced from every 3.3 tons of methanol. The higher the selectivity for propylene, the lower the energy consumption of the plant, the more significant the economic benefits will be, and the better the prospects for its application. The energy consumption of the device is, in fact, an assessment of the overall level of efficiency. Since the reaction for producing propylene from methanol is an exothermic reaction, the heat released in this reaction is constant. Therefore, the level of overall energy consumption of a device is determined by the degree of advancement of the physical processes chosen in its process design. That is, the rational selection of the subsequent treatment process for methanol to propylene. Such as cryogenic treatment, rapid cooling compression, absorption and desorption, distillation, etc. This post was last edited by 1681818 on 2008-3-16 15:04.]

Now we know. In more advanced MTP industrial plants, 1 ton of propylene can be produced from every 3.3 tons of methanol. The overall energy consumption of an MTP unit should be 1 ton of standard oil per ton of propylene processed; this energy consumption includes steam, electricity, and fuel gas, with 1 ton of standard oil corresponding to 3536 kWh of electrical energy consumption ； This is equivalent to 2,000 yuan per ton of standard oil; the energy consumption associated with 1 ton of standard oil is equivalent to that of 13.16 tons of low-pressure steam, which corresponds to 1,300 yuan per ton of standard oil. It is also equivalent to the energy consumption of 1.43 tons of standard coal per ton of standard oil. Equivalent to 1,000 yuan. Overall, the energy consumption cost per ton of standard oil is around 1,500 yuan. The depreciation of the facility and other expenses are calculated at 15% of the total investment in the facility per year. An 1.8 million-ton methanol-to-propylene plant produces 540,000 tons of propylene. The price of methanol is calculated at 2,500 yuan; the cost of raw materials is 8,250 yuan per ton for propylene. The energy consumption cost or power cost is 1,500 yuan per ton. The total investment in the facility is estimated at 3.5 billion yuan, with depreciation costs of around 1,000 yuan per ton of propylene. By-products: Since the selectivity for propylene is only 70%, 30% remains as other hydrocarbon by-products, which are mainly fuel gas, liquefied gas, and hydrocarbons heavier than liquefied gas. The price of fuel gas is low, the price of liquefied gas is high, and the price of heavy hydrocarbon by-products should be lower than that of liquefied gas. A selling price of 3,000 yuan for the by-product is likely a high estimate. The price of propylene is 10,000 yuan per ton. So the sales revenue is 10,000 + 3,000 × 3/7 = 12,800 yuan per ton of propylene produced. The cost of producing propylene is 8,250 + 1,500 + 1,000 = 10,750 yuan per ton of propylene. An 1.8 million-ton methanol-to-propylene plant can generate a gross profit of 1.1 billion yuan. If the price of methanol reaches 3,100 yuan per ton, then the gross profit achieved will be close to 0. The most sensitive factor is the fluctuation in methanol prices. If 1.8 million tons of methanol production facilities are built in remote coal-producing areas such as Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, the cost of methanol can be effectively controlled; therefore, constructing propylene production facilities from methanol in these areas offers considerable economic benefits. However, in these remote areas, the selling price of by-products is significantly reduced, while the operational costs of the equipment offer a greater competitive advantage. It is too risky to build such facilities in regions with high methanol consumption, such as East China, South China, and North China. This post was last edited by 1681818 on 2008-3-16 15:07.]

Catalysts and reactors are equally important and exist together; the reactor is designed based on the properties of the catalyst and its performance requirements. 1 ton of propylene can be obtained from every 3.3 tons of methanol; the amount of ethylene produced and how to recover it are issues that deserve consideration, as otherwise it will affect the economic viability.