【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】093-2018: Global’s first pilot-scale moving-bed unit for producing aromatics from methanol and toluene was successfully commissioned
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2023-6-18 at 09:37. Ten years of rapid development in chemical technology – praise for China’s prosperity and strength. This is just a starting point; more participation from everyone will make things even more lively. The forum becomes better with your involvement, so we welcome everyone to participate more actively in discussions and exchanges. Everyone should pay attention to safety and know how to handle emergencies. ********************************************* In October 2018, the pilot-scale mobile-bed project for the co-production of aromatics and low-carbon olefins from methanol and toluene, designed by Beijing Petrochemical Engineering Co., Ltd., was successfully commissioned. During operation, the plant functioned smoothly; the mobile-bed reactor achieved a high conversion rate, a high yield of p-xylene, efficient catalyst regeneration, and good coking control. All results met the expected standards.
The project was carried out at the Yan’an Petrochemical Plant, using a catalyst specifically designed for molecular sieve-type moving bed reactors and prepared on an industrial scale. It was put into operation for the first time on April 20 and operated for a total of 38 days. On September 23, the 72-hour on-site evaluation and calibration organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation was completed, and the results showed that the catalyst met the requirements of the moving bed process, with advanced technical specifications. The expert group agreed that the process design of the moving-bed industrial test unit was reasonable, and the reaction-regeneration system as well as the catalyst lifting and circulation system operated smoothly. It is understood that this technology allows for the installation of toluene-methanol alkylation units in existing or newly built aromatic compound PX production facilities; this enables an increase in PX production while reducing the costs associated with facility construction and operation ； On the other hand, a facility for producing p-xylene from toluene and methanol while simultaneously generating low-carbon olefins can be built independently; high-purity PX products can be obtained through crystallization separation, **simplifying the PX production process and reducing production costs. The success of this 10,000-ton industrial test project will lay a solid foundation for the rapid commercialization of this technology.
As the world’s first mobile-bed process technology for producing p-xylene from toluene and methanol while simultaneously generating low-carbon olefins, the company’s project team overcame numerous technical and equipment-related challenges during the engineering design phase. Through relentless efforts, this project resulted in the development of reactor and regenerator systems, electric heaters, as well as design software for mobile-bed radial reactors, all of which enjoy complete independent intellectual property rights (three related patents have been granted). These innovations enable the reactors and regenerators to operate under conditions of low pressure drop and high gas distribution uniformity, thereby ensuring a higher conversion rate of the raw materials used in the production of aromatics from methanol and toluene, as well as a higher selectivity for the target product, p-xylene. At the same time, the design of the internal components in the new type of reactors and regenerators makes equipment maintenance easier, and it also has a significant effect on preventing coking and reducing catalyst wear. At the same time, this project has developed a proprietary regeneration control system, creating a control system with independent intellectual property rights. This is of great significance for the development of the moving bed technology in China; it not only helps to narrow the gap between China and foreign countries in this technical field and solves the problem of localizing the catalyst continuous regeneration control systems for moving bed reactors, but also provides strong support for the practical implementation of related industrial projects.
Ten years of rapid development in chemical engineering equipment – praising the prosperity and strength of modern China
Thank you for sharing! :victory::victory::):):)