【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Engineering Technology】Catalyst Systems for the Production of Ethylene Glycol from Syngas under Various Operating Conditions from 2009 to 2023
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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 focus on safety and know how to handle emergencies. ********************************************* The “Catalyst System for Producing Ethylene Glycol under Complex Operating Conditions” project, developed independently by the Research Institute of Henan Energy Group Company, has passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Coal Industry Association. The assessment report issued by this association was received recently. The appraisal report indicates that this project has achieved significant breakthroughs in the two key catalyst technologies required for the production of ethylene glycol from syngas; it is innovative in nature, provides reliable technology for the continuous, full-load, and stable operation of ethylene glycol production facilities, and reaches an internationally leading level. “Ethylene glycol is a widely used chemical product, and catalysts are the core of the process for producing ethylene glycol from syngas; their performance directly determines the production capacity of the facility as well as the quality of the ethylene glycol produced. ”Jiang Yuanli, an expert in chemical engineering at Henan Energy Group Company, deputy chief engineer, and director of the Research Institute, explained that as early as 2010, the Research Institute of Henan Energy Group Company began working on the development of catalysts for ethylene glycol production. In 2018, the research results were put into industrial application within Henan Energy Group Company, addressing issues such as the high cost and low activity of synthetic catalysts used in ethylene glycol production facilities, as well as the tendency of hydrogenation catalysts to become powdered and their short service life. Jiang Yuanli explained that currently, the commercial catalysts developed for the mainstream domestic processes of producing ethylene glycol from syngas have strict requirements regarding the feed gas, a limited range of applicability, and poor suitability for other processes. Meanwhile, the ethylene glycol production process that uses industrial exhaust gases as raw material tends to cause catalyst deactivation, preventing the full utilization of valuable gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen present in the exhaust gases. This not only leads to environmental pollution but also affects the economic efficiency of enterprises.
“In response to this situation, we carried out research on the development of a complete set of catalyst technologies for producing ethylene glycol from syngas under various complex operating conditions, as well as its industrial application, based on the existing catalyst system. ”Jiang Yuanli said that through three years of dedicated technical research, the R&D team developed a new series of high-performance dimethyl oxalate synthesis catalysts of the DM type with low palladium content. These catalysts feature the combined action of electronic and structural promoters, super-dispersion, and controllable distribution of active components, thereby solving the problem of deactivation of the catalytic active centers. They also overcame technical challenges such as the easy loss and poisoning of precious metal active components, as well as low space-time yields of dimethyl oxalate. The R&D team has also developed a new generation of environmentally friendly EGGL series high-efficiency dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation catalysts with a unique copper-silicon texture, which improves the catalyst’s activity and lifespan; these catalysts can be used in industrial plants for producing ethylene glycol under various hydrogenation conditions. The conversion rate of dimethyl oxalate reached 100%, and the selectivity for ethylene glycol was over 99.1%. It is reported that between 2021 and 2023, the ethylene glycol catalyst newly developed by the Research Institute of Henan Energy Group was put into industrial use in ethylene glycol production facilities in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and other regions. Data from the long-term operation of the plant show that the newly developed ethylene glycol catalyst exhibits performance metrics that are superior to those of similar products available domestically and internationally. It not only reduces the production costs for companies involved in the production of ethylene glycol but also enables the industrial plant to operate at full capacity in a stable manner.
“In response to this situation, we carried out research on the development of a complete set of catalyst technologies for producing ethylene glycol from syngas under various complex operating conditions, as well as its industrial application, based on the existing catalyst system. ”Jiang Yuanli said that through three years of dedicated technical research, the R&D team developed a new series of high-performance dimethyl oxalate synthesis catalysts of the DM type with low palladium content. These catalysts feature the combined action of electronic and structural promoters, super-dispersion, and controllable distribution of active components, thereby solving the problem of deactivation of the catalytic active centers. They also overcame technical challenges such as the easy loss and poisoning of precious metal active components, as well as low space-time yields of dimethyl oxalate. The R&D team has also developed a new generation of environmentally friendly EGGL series high-efficiency dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation catalysts with a unique copper-silicon texture, which improves the catalyst’s activity and lifespan; these catalysts can be used in industrial plants for producing ethylene glycol under various hydrogenation conditions. The conversion rate of dimethyl oxalate reached 100%, and the selectivity for ethylene glycol was over 99.1%. It is reported that between 2021 and 2023, the ethylene glycol catalyst newly developed by the Research Institute of Henan Energy Group was put into industrial use in ethylene glycol production facilities in Shanxi, Inner Mongolia and other regions. Data from the long-term operation of the plant show that the newly developed ethylene glycol catalyst exhibits performance metrics that are superior to those of similar products available domestically and internationally. It not only reduces the production costs for companies involved in the production of ethylene glycol but also enables the industrial plant to operate at full capacity in a stable manner.
Ten years of rapid development in chemical processing equipment – praising the prosperous and strong China of today