【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】Breakthroughs achieved in the domestic production of bisphenol A catalysts from 2007 to 2023
Thread Content
Ten years of rapid development in chemical technology – praise for China’s prosperity and strength. By contributing our ideas, we can foster more active participation from everyone. HaiChuan becomes even better with your involvement; we welcome everyone to join in the forum discussions. Everyone should pay attention to safety and know how to handle emergencies. ********************************************* On June 9, 2023, Kairui Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Kairui Environmental Protection”) announced at a media briefing held in Beijing that its KC122C bisphenol A (BPA) catalyst had been successfully used in the 240,000-ton/year BPA production facility operated by Zhejiang Petrochemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Zhejiang Petrochemical”) starting in March 2023, thereby ending the monopoly held by foreign catalyst manufacturers. At present, all sections of the equipment are operating safely and stably. In recent years, China’s BPA production has been increasing steadily. It is estimated that by 2025, China’s BPA production capacity will reach 7.5 million tons per year, of which Badger-process BPA plants account for around 50% of this capacity. The annual demand for non-supporting resin catalysts is estimated to be around 15,000 cubic meters; together with other supporting resin catalysts, the total amount of resin catalysts in use throughout the year is approximately 25,000 cubic meters. At present, aside from the 200-cubic-meter BPA catalyst produced by Kerry Environmental Protection that is in use at the Zhejiang Petrochemical plant, all others are imported. The KC122C type BPA catalyst features good reactivity, high catalytic activity, and high selectivity ； It has good mechanical strength, does not break after long-term operation, features a low pressure difference across the bed layer, and is resistant to high temperatures with strong thermal stability ； Advantages such as an appropriate particle size distribution and reduced pressure drop across the bed. As early as 10 years ago, Kerry Environmental Protection set out to focus on developing two different types of resin catalysts for BPA production: supported and unsupported BPA resin catalysts. Through pilot tests, scale-up tests, and side-line tests – with the side-line tests alone involving three trials in Germany and Thailand – the development process was carried out. To this day, it has been successfully put into operation at Zhejiang Petrochemical’s 240,000 tons per year BPA production facility – a true achievement that took a decade to accomplish.
Zhejiang Petrochemical owns over 120 refining and chemical production units, making it the world’s largest integrated refining and chemical enterprise. At present, Zhejiang Petrochemical operates two BPA production units, each with a capacity of 240,000 tons per year; the total annual production is therefore 480,000 tons. Both units utilize the American Badger process technology, and the catalysts are imported from abroad. After the KC122 catalyst was introduced into the Zhejiang petrochemical plants, parameters such as the yield, purity, and total organic impurities of the BPA product remained within normal ranges ； Based on the preliminary pretreatment of the catalyst and its performance after being put into use, the activity, selectivity, temperature resistance, and cleanliness of the KC122C catalyst are all on par with those of foreign catalysts. Affected by the international environment and the impact of the pandemic over the past three years, coupled with a surge in BPA production capacity in China, manufacturers facing the need to import catalysts generally encounter issues such as long delivery times, rising prices, and tight supply – there is even a risk of supply disruptions. By 2025, it is expected that China will have 21 Badger-process BPA production facilities, with a total capacity of 4.845 million tons per year, accounting for 64.5% of the industry’s total capacity. By then, the annual demand for BPA catalysts will reach 11,300–11,400 tons per year, representing a 113% increase compared to the end of 2022. The localization of BPA catalysts is of great significance—it completely breaks the situation under which the BPA catalysts used in the Badger process were entirely dependent on imports and subject to external control ； Facilitate domestic high-tech enterprises in achieving technological breakthroughs and realizing their own value ； Appropriately reduce procurement costs ； Shorten the supply cycle ； Significantly reduces the risk of supply dependency. As the first successful case of industrializing domestically produced catalysts in the Badger process BPA facility, it is set to change the supply and demand dynamics in the BPA and catalyst industries related to the Badger process, having a profound impact on the entire BPA industry. In the future, Kerry Environmental Protection will further improve the quality of its non-supported BPA resin catalysts, while continuing to develop supported resin catalysts in order to better meet the needs of domestic BPA production facilities for both types of resin catalysts. In addition, further cooperation will also be pursued with domestic research institutions and universities to develop the complete set of process technologies for BPA devices.
【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】The largest industrial wastewater zero-discharge project in China was completed and put into operation between 2007 and 2023: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3781125-1-1.html (Source: Huahai Chuanliu – Haichuan Network)
66666666666666
Ten years of rapid development in chemical technology – praising the prosperous and strong China of today