Discussion on the catalytic incineration treatment technology for maleic anhydride exhaust gases

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Currently, the production of maleic anhydride in China mainly relies on the benzene method and the butane method. The exhaust gases generated by the benzene method contain toxic and harmful substances such as benzene and carbon monoxide, while those from the butane method contain pollutants like butane and carbon monoxide. These emissions not only pollute the environment but also result in significant waste of energy. Traditional methods for purifying organic exhaust gases include washing, adsorption, condensation, and direct combustion. However, these methods often have drawbacks such as the potential for secondary pollution, low treatment efficiency, high energy consumption, and sensitivity to the concentration and temperature of the organic exhaust gases. Catalytic combustion technology is a mature industrial technique that has been applied in China on multiple occasions. The concentration of the off-gases from maleic anhydride makes it highly suitable for this catalytic combustion method; not only is no fuel required, but large amounts of steam are also generated as a by-product. This approach offers both environmental benefits and economic advantages, with the returns from it enabling the recovery of the equipment investment in a short period of time. Catalytic combustion is a typical gas-solid phase catalytic reaction. In this process, the catalyst reduces the activation energy of the reaction; thanks to the catalyst, organic waste gases can undergo flameless combustion at lower ignition temperatures, and are oxidized and decomposed into CO2 and H2O. Meanwhile, a large amount of heat energy is released, of which part is used to maintain thermal balance in the system while another part is used to produce steam as a by-product. Currently, catalysts are mainly precious metal catalysts, which exhibit high catalytic activity and a long service life, and have been validated on a large scale in industry.