The “separated mixed alcohol process” is used to turn waste methanol and mixed alcohols into valuable resources

Currently, the company is the only one in the Northwest that produces high-carbon alcohols. The second phase of the project, which involves 100,000 tons per year of aromatic compound separation and 100,000 tons per year of esterification, was designed and built based on the aromatic compounds and acetic acid produced by various chemical plants in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base. It aims to further process the methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol produced in the first phase of Ruiyuan to generate valuable lipid-based products. Phase 3 is a 100,000 tons/year FTO synthesis by-product recovery project, which meets the supply needs of phase 2’s esterification process. The three projects follow the economic system of material recycling based on the cycle of \"resources – products – recycled resources\", which results in little to no waste being generated throughout the production and consumption processes, thereby contributing to the regeneration of resources and the sustainability of energy.

Currently, the company is the only one in the Northwest that produces high-carbon alcohols. The second phase of the project, which involves 100,000 tons per year of aromatic compound separation and 100,000 tons per year of esterification, was designed and built based on the aromatic compounds and acetic acid produced by various chemical plants in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base. It aims to further process the methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol produced in the first phase of Ruiyuan to generate valuable lipid-based products. Phase 3 is a 100,000 tons/year FTO synthesis by-product recovery project, which meets the supply needs of phase 2’s esterification process. The three projects follow the economic system of material recycling based on the cycle of \"resources – products – recycled resources\", which results in little to no waste being generated throughout the production and consumption processes, thereby contributing to the regeneration of resources and the sustainability of energy.

Zhang Jinghui, the person in charge of the project, told reporters that waste methanol and mixed alcohols are among the main hazardous wastes in the coal chemical industry. Just the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base generates around 200,000 tons of waste methanol and mixed methanol each year; there are also sources from surrounding areas such as Inner Mongolia, northern Shaanxi, and Yulin. By partnering with well-known domestic universities and employing the \"separated mixed alcohol process,\" enterprises can treat waste methanol and mixed alcohols to extract methanol, ethanol, propanol, and butanol, thus turning waste into valuable products and achieving an output value of around 1 billion.

Furthermore, companies utilize the ethanol, propanol, and butanol produced to create propyl acetate, an environmentally friendly solvent recognized in the market, through an acetate esterification process; this solvent is used in the printing of food and pharmaceutical packaging, as well as in high-end solvents and coatings. It is understood that the output value of propyl acetate has increased by 20%-30% compared to previous years, thereby extending the industrial chain of coal chemical projects in the Ningdong Energy and Chemical Industry Base, boosting economic output, and better meeting the goals of establishing a **circular economy park – thus advancing the development of a circular economy. After its establishment, the company can help alleviate employment pressures and contribute to the economic development of Ningxia.

Higher alcohols are also known as higher fatty alcohols. Chain-shaped saturated monohydric alcohols that contain colorless liquids with 12 or fewer carbon atoms are called lower alkyl alcohols, while saturated monohydric alcohols that are waxy solids with 12 or more carbon atoms are called higher alkyl alcohols. Advanced alcohols are stable in nature, resistant to oxidation; they remain stable under light exposure, are tolerant to acids and bases, do not absorb moisture, and possess good biodegradability and biological activity ； At room temperature, it exists in the form of a white waxy solid, powder, or flaky crystals; it is odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and edible, with a higher safety level than table salt ； Like most organic substances, it is insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents such as n-butanol, isopropanol, ether, chloroform, ethanol, benzene, petroleum ether, cyclohexane, propane, and methanol. The production of high-carbon alcohols abroad began in the 18th century, mainly through animal fats. In the early 19th century, the oxidation of n-alkanes was developed to produce higher-carbon alcohols. In the 1940s, Germany succeeded in producing higher-carbon alcohols using the carbonyl synthesis method. In 1961, the United States developed a new route to alcohols using the Ziegler process. There are mainly three routes for producing higher carbon alcohols: the oil hydrogenation method, the alkyl aluminum method, and the carbonylation method. Our country began small-scale production in the 1960s. In the 1980s, production facilities for high-carbon alcohols using natural oils, synthetic fatty acids, and olefins as raw materials were established in the country. In recent years, methods have been developed to synthesize high-carbon alcohols using ethylene and paraffin as raw materials. The main method for synthesizing high-carbon alcohols in our country is the natural fats and oils route.