I would like to learn about the market situation for 1,2-propanediol and 1,3-propanediol in China

Propylene is hydrated to produce 1,2-propanediol, and dimethyl carbonate transesterification yields propanediol as a by-product. The raw material for producing polyethers is propylene oxide, not propylene glycol. Methods for preparing 1,2-propanediol and 1,3-propanediol Date: 2008-05-29 | Inventors: T. Hasse; A. Niehe; D. Az; H. Krank; W. Gick Address: Hanau, Federal Republic of Germany Overview A method for producing 1,2-propanediol and 1,3-propanediol simultaneously from glycerol, comprising the following reaction steps: (a) Passing a gaseous glycerol-water mixture containing 10% to 40% (by weight) of glycerol at 250°C to 340°C over an acidic solid catalyst with an H↓[0] value (Hammett acidity function) of less than +2, thereby dehydrating glycerol to form an aqueous solution containing acrolein and 3-hydroxypropanal, followed by condensing the resulting gas stream into the aforementioned aqueous solution; (b) Hydrating the acrolein contained in the condensed product stream to 3-hydroxypropanal, by treating the condensed product stream from step (a) at 20 to 120°C in the presence of a conventional acidic hydration catalyst using well-known methods; and (c) Catalytically hydrogenating 3-hydroxypropanal and 3-hydroxypropanone contained in the aqueous solution from step (b) to yield 1,3-propanediol and 1,2-propanediol, by separating the reaction solution from step (b) from unreacted acrolein, then hydrogenating the reaction solution using a conventional hydrogenation catalyst in a well-known manner, and finally separating the reaction mixture from step (c) through distillation. A method for producing 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol from crude starch raw materials. Source: Beijing Institute of Science and Technology Information, 200510011959 1710086 100084, P.O. Box 100084-82, Haidian District, Beijing. Tsinghua University: Liu Dehua, Cheng Keke, Liu Hongjuan, Lin Rihui, Hao Jian. A method for producing 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol from crude starch raw materials – This invention provides, in particular, a method for producing 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol from crude starch raw materials, and it falls within the field of bioprocess engineering. High-concentration glycerol fermentation broth is continuously obtained by fermenting crude starch raw materials using yeast cells. The glycerol fermentation broth is filtered, and the cells obtained from this filtration can be used directly in the next batch of glycerol fermentation; the filtrate serves as a substrate for producing 1,3-propanediol as well as for fed-batch substrate addition. Fermentation is carried out via a bacterial process of anaerobic followed by aerobic fed-batch fermentation, with a nitrogen source being added during the fermentation process. At the end of fermentation, 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol are separated and purified through steps such as desalination, distillation, and vacuum distillation to produce the final product. Two high-value products, 1,3-propanediol and 2,3-butanediol, are obtained simultaneously, and the concentrations of these two compounds in the fermentation broth are increased through processes such as cell recycling and fed-batch feeding. Its advantages are: it effectively reduces production costs and improves production efficiency.

The previous post should refer to the production of 1,2-propanediol via the hydration of propylene oxide.

Here is some information on the production of 1,3-propanediol; I hope it will be helpful to you. Abroad: Company name, Production capacity (10,000 tons/year), Production method, Location – Degussa: 5 tons/year, Hydrogenation of acraldehyde; Shell: 7.26 tons/year, Ethylene oxide; Louisiana. Joint venture between DuPont and Degussa: 0.91 tons/year, Hydrogenation of acraldehyde; DuPont Tate&Lyle: 4.5 tons/year, Biological fermentation; Tennessee. DuPont Tate&Lyle: 1.6 tons/year, Biological fermentation (capacity expanded in the second quarter of 2011); Tennessee. Total: 19.27 tons/year. As of 2010, the global production capacity for 1,3-PDO was 20.27 tons/year. The production methods include: the acraldehyde method, the ethylene oxide method, and the microbial fermentation method. It is mainly in the hands of Shell, Dow Chemical, and DuPont. Analysis of domestic 1,3-PDO production capacity: Company name, Production capacity (tons/year), Production method. Shandong Zouping Mingbo Chemical Co., Ltd.: 6,500 tons/year, Ethylene oxide method; Heilongjiang Chenneng Bioengineering Co., Ltd.: 2,500 tons/year, Biological fermentation method (Tsinghua University technology); Henan Tianguan Enterprise Group: 1,000 tons/year, Biological fermentation method (Tsinghua University technology); Shanghai Demao Chemical Co., Ltd.: Biological fermentation method (DuPont technology); Shanghai Petrochemical: Acrolein method (proprietary technology); Anhui Lixing Chemical Co., Ltd.: 10,000 tons/year, Biological fermentation method (currently in pilot stage, with a plan to reach 10,000 tons/year). In addition, Shanghai Demao Chemical Co., Ltd. claims to be able to produce 1,3-propanediol with a purity of over 99.8% using biological methods, and its factory is located in Anhui. The main application areas of this product are pharmaceutical synthesis and the cosmetics industry, but its production capacity is not known.

Correction: I have called to confirm that Zouping Mingxing does not use the ethylene oxide method, so please stop spreading such false information in the future.

So what specific manufacturing process does this company use? How is the yield?