Catalysts for industrial production applications

There are too many catalysts used in industrial production; you can refer to the industrial catalyst handbook. If the title were changed to “Talk about the catalysts you have come across, that would also work”； I have used copper, copper chloride, potassium chromate, tetrabutylammonium bromide, etc. Sometimes even some simple compounds can serve as catalysts, it depends on what purpose they are intended for.

The question posed by the original poster is a bit too unclear

Current Status and Development Trends of Production and Consumption in the Catalyst Industry 1. Overview of Production By the end of 2005, there were over a hundred catalyst manufacturers in China, with a production capacity of approximately 250,000 tons. Between 1997 and 2002, the annual average growth rate of catalyst production in China was 7.03%. In 2002, in China there were 19 manufacturers with a catalyst production volume of over 1,000 tons, and their combined output was 116,000 tons, accounting for 85.65% of the total production volume. Between 1998 and 2003, the annual average growth rate of catalyst production in China was 22.19%. In 2003, in China there were 20 manufacturers with a catalyst production volume of over 1,000 tons; their combined output was 139,000 tons, accounting for 85.68% of the total production volume. Between 2000 and 2005, the annual growth rate of catalyst production in China was 16.46%. In 2005, in China there were 22 manufacturers with a catalyst production volume of over 1,000 tons; their combined output was 177,000 tons, accounting for 84.86% of the total production volume. Breakthroughs have been achieved in China in traditional catalyst materials and reaction technologies that have been in use in the global chemical industry for over 80 years. The project \"Innovation and Integration of Amorphous Alloy Catalysts and Magnetically Stabilized Bed Reaction Processes\", developed over 20 years by China’s petrochemical scientists and engineers, drove breakthrough progress in the technology of the world’s chemical industry, and won the sole First Prize in the **Technical Invention Award in 2005. In the chemical industry, catalysts are fundamental, while reaction engineering is the basis. After American scientist Reney invented the crystalline form of Reney nickel catalyst in 1925, it has been in use to this day. This catalyst manufacturing process pollutes the environment, has low catalytic performance, and the batch reactors used with it have low reaction efficiency and present difficulties in separation. Since the 1980s, research on amorphous catalyst materials has been a hot topic internationally. However, due to the persistent technical challenges that have not been overcome, industrial application of such materials has not yet been achieved anywhere in the world. In the mid-1980s, driven by Academicians Hou Xianglin and Min Enze, research on amorphous alloys was made a priority in the basic research efforts of the Research Institute of Petrochemical Sciences. After more than a decade of research, scientists have finally overcome the challenges associated with amorphous alloy catalytic materials, such as their low specific surface area and poor thermal stability, enabling them to be used as practical industrial catalysts. The new magnetic stabilized-bed reaction technology also increases the space velocity by 5 to 10 times compared to traditional fixed beds; the volume of the equipment required is one-fifth that of fixed beds with the same processing capacity, catalyst consumption is reduced by about 70%, and the reaction process is greatly enhanced. In 2003, Sinopec’s Shijiazhuang branch built the world’s first industrial magnetic stabilized bed unit. Amorphous alloy catalysts and magnetic stabilized bed reaction processes have successfully replaced the previously expensive and resource-intensive foreign technologies and catalysts; the quality rate of the products has reached 100%, and the consumption of catalysts has also been significantly reduced. To date, 41 domestic invention patents and 4 foreign patents have been applied for for this technology, establishing a comprehensive protection framework for independent intellectual property rights. According to Zong Baoning, further research is being conducted to develop this technology, including laboratory studies on the production of liquid fuels from syngas, as well as transesterification and selective hydrogenation reactions in biodiesel production. This technology has the potential to become a key technique for producing alternative energy sources, enabling our country to hold a prominent position at the forefront of international academic and technical advancements. On June 8, 2005, Angier Process Technology (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. held its opening ceremony. Established as a result of the acquisition by Angier, a global leader in the catalyst industry, of Nanhua Catalyst Factory of Sinopec Group, a leading manufacturer of syngas catalysts in China, this new company will develop more products with improved performance to meet the demands of the global syngas catalyst market, rapidly expand its market share, and strive to rank among the top three players in this field worldwide. Angie Company is listed among the top 500 global chemical companies according to Fortune magazine in the United States; it ranks first in the world in terms of catalyst sales, with annual revenue of nearly 4 billion dollars. Nanhua Catalyst Factory is a large-scale, long-established manufacturer of fertilizer catalysts in China, with an annual production capacity of 8,500 tons. Its annual output and sales volume amount to around 5,000 tons, generating sales revenue of approximately 100 million yuan. The enterprise offers a wide range of products, boasts strong technical capabilities, and possesses extensive experience in production, operation, and management. It also enjoys significant advantages in terms of location, environment, and policies. In line with Sinopec’s strategy for adjusting its industrial structure, Nanhua Company carried out the separation of core and auxiliary operations and restructured its catalyst factory, while Anger Company, after conducting extensive market research, expressed its intention to acquire Nanhua’s catalyst factory. Through its investigations, Nanhua Company became confident in Anger Company’s capabilities and future prospects, which led to this merger. Anger Process Technology (Nanjing) Co., Ltd. will carry out technical upgrades and investments in this factory to turn it into one of the global production bases for Anger Company’s Process Technology Department. Anger Company will develop new products to strengthen the position of the acquired catalyst plant in the global syngas catalyst industry, while introducing advanced modern management concepts and systems. 2 Import and Export Analysis: Between 1997 and 2002, China’s annual import volume of catalysts declined at an average rate of 1.51% ； The annual average growth rate of exports is 5.32% ； The average annual growth rate of net imports was -2.44% ； Between 1998 and 2003, China’s annual import volume of catalysts grew at an average rate of 4.96% ； The annual average growth rate of exports was 23.68% ； The annual average growth rate of net imports was –0.12% ； Between 2000 and 2005, China’s annual import volume of catalysts grew at an average rate of 6.14% ； The annual average growth rate of export volume is 42.25% ； The average annual growth rate of net imports was –25.44% ； In 2005, China’s catalyst imports decreased by 2.62 percentage points compared to 2004 ； Exports increased by 21.02 percentage points compared to 2004 ； Net imports decreased by 56.22 percentage points compared to 2004. In the past two years, Chinese catalysts have also begun to enter the international market. Currently, the product has been exported to countries such as Japan and Germany**, and patents have been obtained in China, the United States, and South Africa. Years of effort have enabled Chinese companies to go global and compete fairly on equal terms with international brands. 3. Analysis by Country of Import Table 1: Proportion of Imports by Country in 2005 (%) Nickel and its compound-based catalysts Precious metals and their compound-based catalysts Other catalyst carriers Unlisted reaction initiators, accelerants, and catalysts Countries of import for catalysts: 22 countries, 21 countries, 27 countries, 38 countries South Korea: 17.48%, 22.34%, 12.78% Indonesia: 17.12% Netherlands: 10.59%, 5.75% Germany: 10.09%, 6.66%, 6.14%, 10.35% United States: 8.46%, 32.96%, 57.14%, 18.19% Japan: 7.57%, 12.44%, 9.93%, 16.55% Taiwan, China: 6.35%, 6.44%, 8.84%, 20.00% Singapore: 6.13%, 2.63%, 3.18% Italy: 6.14%, 3.55% France: 5.20% Malaysia: 3.25% Canada: 3.07% Denmark: 1.54% Total: 83.79%, 95.43%, 95.04%, 87.66% 4. Analysis by Importer In 2005, there were 143 importers of nickel and its compound-based catalysts. The top 8 importers accounted for 63.89% of the total imports. Zibo Hengji Chemical Co., Ltd., Qingdao Dadong Electronics Co., Ltd., Shanghai Diyang Chemical Import & Export Co., Ltd., Beijing Haishunde Titanium Catalyst Co., Ltd., CNOOC Shell Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Shanghai Xinan Import & Export Co., Ltd., Shenzhen Baoan Foreign Economic Development Co., Ltd., and Mingxing Electronics (Guangzhou Nansha) Co., Ltd. ranked from 1st to 8th in terms of the volume of nickel and its compound-based catalysts imported in 2005; their respective shares of total imports were 17.13%, 14.52%, 8.21%, 6.90%, 5.30%, 4.63%, 4.00%, and 3.20%. In 2005, 14 of the top 25 importers of nickel and its compound-supported catalysts were manufacturing enterprises; only Beijing Haishunde Titanium Catalyst Co., Ltd. was a catalyst manufacturer. The remaining importers were companies in the electronics industry, chemical industry, fragrance industry, oil industry, and fine chemicals sector. Together, their imports accounted for 58.14% of the total imports of nickel and its compound-supported catalysts in 2005. The 71t natural gas conversion catalysts produced by Tianke Co., Ltd. are exported to Angi Corporation in the United States, one of the world’s top 500 companies, making Tianke Co., Ltd. the sole global supplier of conversion catalysts for Angi Corporation. It is understood that natural gas conversion catalysts are primarily used in the production of urea and synthetic ammonia products, and are widely employed in fertilizer manufacturing enterprises. Tianke Co., Ltd. has over 40 years of experience in producing conversion catalysts, and these products have previously been successfully exported to countries such as Japan and Yugoslavia. American company Anger sets extremely strict quality and technical standards for the conversion catalysts exported in this case; there are no precedents in China in terms of criteria such as strength and the range of catalyst content. 5 Analysis of Provinces and Cities for Imports Table 2: Import Proportions by Province and City in 2005 (%) Catalysts with Nickel and Its Compounds as Supports Catalysts with Precious Metals and Their Compounds as Supports Other Support Catalysts Unlisted Reaction Initiators, Accelerants, and Catalysts Provinces and Cities 16 19 25 24 Shandong Province 36.10 Guangdong Province 25.56 31.58 17.69 38.51 Shanghai Municipality 17.66 24.96 17.37 17.86 Jiangsu Province 12.92 9.63 Liaoning Province 28.15 Top Eight Provinces and Cities for Consumption 97.31 97.12 92.18 92 6 Analysis of Export Destinations Table 3: Proportions of Catalyst Exports by Destination in 2005 (%) Catalysts with Nickel and Its Compounds as Supports Catalysts with Precious Metals and Their Compounds as Supports Other Support Catalysts Unlisted Reaction Initiators, Accelerants, and Catalysts Export Destinations 13 22 34 58 United States 55.81 18.83 9.01 Taiwan Province of China 15.09 31.02 South Korea 13.06 2.67 9.99 Japan 84.38 12.13 Germany 7.05 Sudan 14.67 12.37 Malaysia 15.13 7 Analysis of Provinces and Cities for Exports Table 4: Proportions of Exports by Province and City in 2005 (%) Catalysts with Nickel and Its Compounds as Supports Catalysts with Precious Metals and Their Compounds as Supports Other Support Catalysts Unlisted Reaction Initiators, Accelerants, and Catalysts Provinces and Cities 7 12 19 25 Sichuan Province 36.47 Liaoning Province 32.93 12.96 Jiangsu Province 24.60 84.18 12.53 9.93 Jilin Province 5.58 Shanghai Municipality 4.73 Beijing Municipality 38.05 21.75 Gansu Province 13.77 Inner Mongolia 27.49 8 Analysis of Consumption Structure The average annual growth rate of China’s apparent consumption of catalysts from 1998 to 2003 was 17.57% ； Between 2000 and 2005, the apparent annual consumption of catalysts in China increased by 12.67%. Kaolin is a layered clay mineral whose structure consists of layers of Si-O tetrahedra and layers of Al-O octahedra stacked on top of each other. The layers can be easily separated from one another or intercalated with other small molecules, resulting in clay intercalation compounds that endow layered clays with excellent catalytic activity. The School of Light Chemical Engineering at Guangdong University of Technology studied the preparation method of a new inorganic aluminum ion/kayalite composite catalyst. The optimal preparation conditions were as follows: an aluminum trichloride aqueous solution with CALCL3 = 0.2 mol/L was mixed with a sodium hydroxide aqueous solution with CNAOH = 0.1 mol/L in a volume ratio of 1.0:5.0; the mixture was kept at 95°C for 48 hours, after which kayalite was added and stirred for 3 hours. The precipitate was then filtered out, washed and dried, and finally calcined at 700°C for 3.5 hours. The resulting composite catalyst can achieve an esterification rate of up to 96% in the synthesis of dioctyl phthalate. Table 5: Apparent consumption of catalysts in China from 2000 to 2005
Year: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Apparent consumption, 10,000 tons: 11.7, 15.3, 16.2, 18.4, 19.3, 21.3
Annual consumption growth rate, %: 74, 30, 6, 14, 5, 11
Domestic self-sufficiency rate, %: 83, 87, 84, 88, 95, 98

Table 6: Applications of catalysts in various industries in China in 2005
Industry name, Catalyst usage, 10,000 tons, Percentage share
Oil refining industry: 11.5, 53.99
Petrochemical products: 1.62, 7.61
Ammonia synthesis: 5.53, 25.96
Others: 2.65, 12.44
Total: 21.3, 100

The Shanghai Petrochemical Research Institute has recently introduced a new type of acrylonitrile catalyst called SAC-2000. This new catalyst features a low reaction temperature, a high catalyst load, high yields of propylene and nitriles, and is more environmentally friendly. Currently, this catalyst has been used industrially in the 9,000 t/a acrylonitrile plant at Takahashi Petrochemical’s chemical plant. The results show that with this catalyst, under reaction conditions of 430°C temperature, 0.14 MPa pressure, and a catalyst load of 0.09, the acrylonitrile yield reaches 81%–82%, with a consumption of around 1.04 units per unit of product. (In current industrial plants, the yield is typically 78%–79%, and the acrylonitrine consumption is around 1.10 units per unit of product.) With the same COD level, wastewater discharge is reduced by 20%. The acrylonitrile yield of this catalyst is superior to that of the advanced foreign catalysts currently in use on the market, and its overall performance exceeds that of other advanced catalysts of the same type available today. Based on the current scale of High Chemical Company’s acrylonitrile production facilities, this catalyst can enable the production of over 800 tons more acrylonitrile per year, resulting in an additional revenue of 700,000 yuan. The new low-temperature active steam pre-conversion catalyst CN-31, developed by the Southwest Chemical Engineering Research and Design Institute, was successfully put into use at Sinopec’s Shanghai Gaqiao plant in August 2003, marking a complete resolution to the catalyst lifespan issue that had long plagued the company. With the development of China’s petrochemical industry, hydrogen production and ammonia synthesis plants that use naphtha as a raw material, as well as processes for urban gas production, have been put into use. However, naphtha has a high aromatic content, which causes carbon buildup to occur easily on the conversion catalyst; its service life is only 6 to 13 months, severely limiting the long-term operation of the plant. To address this technical challenge, the Southwest Research Institute began researching light oil pre-conversion catalysts in the 1980s, innovatively changing the primary conversion process to a secondary one: advanced hydrocarbons are first converted into methane-rich gas at low temperatures, and then methane is further converted into carbon oxides and hydrogen at high temperatures. The CN-14 light oil pre-conversion catalyst developed by this institute has been installed in full-scale units at the aromatics plant of Shanghai Petrochemical Company. However, the CN-14 is designed for light oils with a density of 0.64–0.69 g/cm3; when a company’s production capacity increases and the proportion of high-carbon components in the feed oil rises, it becomes difficult to meet the changing operating conditions. To address this issue, the Southwest Chemical Research Institute and Shanghai Shikou Gas Company jointly developed a new pre-conversion catalyst, CN-31. Following pilot tests, process condition experiments, and scale-up efforts, mass production was carried out based on successful field trials at Shidongkou. The Research Institute of Yangzi Petrochemical Co., Ltd. has recently successfully developed cobalt acetate and manganese acetate catalysts for PTA (pure terephthalic acid) production. As assessed by the relevant departments of Sinopec Group, this catalyst exhibits low consumption, excellent quality, and significant economic benefits after being used in production; it is at an advanced level in China and will have a substantial impact on reducing the production costs of PTA plants in our country. 9 Development Trends: The Ministry of Science and Technology released the list of projects supported by the 2003 Technological Innovation Fund for small and medium-sized technology-based enterprises; the project titled “Development of DDS desulfurization catalysts”, submitted by Boyuan Industrial Co., Ltd. in Yongfeng County, Jiangxi Province, received funding from this fund. It is reported that **a total of 124 projects were supported that year, with a total funding amount of 81.8 million yuan**. The DDS desulfurization technology and its corresponding series of DDS desulfurization catalyst products are the results of research conducted over more than a decade by Dr. Wei Xionghui from the School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering at Peking University. This achievement represents a completely new wet biochemical desulfurization technology and product that has been developed through improvements and enhancements, based on the Chinese invention patent No. ZL99100596.1 for the \"Iron-alkaline solution catalytic method for gas desulfurization, decarbonization, and decyanation\" and the Chinese invention patent (application no. 02130605.2) for the \"Biochemical iron-alkaline solution catalytic method for gas desulfurization\". Since its first successful industrial trial in 1997, this technology has developed rapidly. It has now been successfully applied in the desulfurization processes of industrial feed gas at nearly a hundred large and medium-sized ammonia synthesis plants as well as other types of chemical enterprises. It features stable operation, high desulfurization efficiency, and low overall operating costs, thereby generating significant economic and social benefits for these enterprises. In recent years, foreign catalysts have entered the Chinese market in large numbers due to their excellent performance; currently, ethylbenzene dehydrogenation catalysts from three international companies—Southern Chemical Group, Shell, and BASF—are being used in numerous styrene production facilities across the country. Unlike in the past, these well-known brands have reduced the high prices of their products and provided the necessary technical support to determine the most suitable catalysts for use, based on the characteristics of the respective devices. It is undeniable that domestic catalysts differ in performance from foreign products to some extent, which is closely related to the investment made by research and production organizations. However, as domestic research on p-ethylbenzene dehydrogenation catalysts gains momentum and more investment is directed toward it, this gap will gradually narrow. It is reported that institutions such as the Shanghai Petrochemical Research Institute and East China University of Science and Technology have invested in the development of testing equipment, which enables comprehensive performance testing and evaluation of catalysts, thereby aiding in the improvement of their performance. Domestic catalyst manufacturers can compete with foreign ones in several ways: (1) by taking advantage of domestic production to reduce catalyst production costs and thus outcompete them in terms of price. (2) Make full use of geographical advantages to provide comprehensive after-sales and technical support to domestic users, addressing practical issues that arise during application. (3) Based on the requirements of the styrene production facility, the most suitable catalyst is provided (for example, when the market price of styrene is high, a catalyst with a high conversion rate and slightly lower selectivity is used to maximize output), thereby generating greater economic benefits. (4) Explore technical cooperation among various research and development institutions to narrow the gap between domestic and foreign catalysts as soon as possible. From 2003 to 2005, China’s styrene production capacity is set to increase by over 1 million tons, and the demand for ethylbenzene dehydrogenation catalysts will double compared to the current level. Domestic catalyst manufacturers should seize this favorable opportunity to introduce their catalysts into more production facilities. In this way, it avoids putting the field of ethylbenzene dehydrogenation catalysts at the mercy of others ； Furthermore, economic benefits can be generated by producing catalysts. Driven by the needs for development and environmental friendliness, the industrial sector has made significant efforts over the past decade to develop solid acid catalysis as a substitute for stoichiometric chemical catalysis and liquid acid-base catalytic reactions. Processes such as alkylation catalyzed by aluminum trichloride are also gradually shifting toward zeolite catalysis. These new catalytic processes improve both selectivity (through shape control or diffusion control) and conversion rate, thereby yielding higher yields. Since the 1990s, the petroleum refining and chemical industry, especially the fine chemicals sector, has made extensive use of zeolite catalysis, with zeolites such as HZSM-5, mordenite, zeolite, LMCM-22, MCM-41, and ZSM-12 being employed. Complex tools such as template agents and hydrogel synthesis enable a better correlation between the pore size of zeolites and their molecular kinetic diameter; by utilizing modern computational techniques, scientists can make greater progress in the development of zeolite catalysis. Over the past decade, zeolite catalysis has been widely applied in industrial production, and it is expected to maintain an annual growth rate of 10% over the next decade. New catalytic processes are transforming the landscape of traditional large-scale chemical manufacturing. A recent prime example of the application of zeolite catalysis is the propylene oxidation process using TS-1 zeolites from DOW, ENICHEM, and BASF. This process was applied in a 200,000 t/a production plant in 2006, replacing the ARCO/Lyondell PO/SM process.

I want to ask about the classification of industrial catalysts

This is the classification method for catalysts in China; the methods abroad are similar. I. Catalysts for petroleum refining 1. Catalytic cracking catalysts 2. Catalytic reforming catalysts 3. Hydrocracking catalysts 4. Hydrofining catalysts 5. Alkylation catalysts 6. Isomerization catalysts II. Inorganic catalysts 1. Desulfurization – hydrodesulfurization and sulfur recovery catalysts 2. Conversion – natural gas conversion, refinery gas conversion, light oil conversion catalysts 3. Shift reaction – high (medium) shift, low shift, sulfur-tolerant wide shift catalysts 4. Methanation – syngas methanation, city gas methanation 5. Ammonia synthesis catalysts 6. Ammonia decomposition catalysts 7. Primary and secondary hydrogen conversion catalysts 8. Sulfuric acid production catalysts 9. Nitric acid production catalysts 10. Sulfur recovery catalysts III. Organic chemical industry catalysts 1. Hydrogenation catalysts 2. Dehydrogenation catalysts 3. Oxidation – gas-phase and liquid-phase catalysts 4. Ammonia oxidation catalysts 5. Oxychlorination catalysts 6. CO+H2 synthesis – synthetic alcohol and F-T synthesis catalysts 7. Acid-catalyzed reactions – hydration, dehydration, alkylation catalysts 8. Olefin reactions – oligomerization, polymerization, disproportionation, addition catalysts IV. Catalysts for environmental protection 1. Catalysts for treating nitric acid exhaust gases 2. Catalysts for treating internal combustion engine exhaust gases 3. Purification – catalysts for removing trace amounts of oxygen or hydrogen 4. Nitrogen production catalysts V. Other catalysts

The columns are a bit messy; I hope this helps you