【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】The internationally pioneering \"green industrial production process for anisole\" was approved between 2011 and 2019

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Ten years of remarkable progress in chemical technology – praise for the prosperous and strong China. This is just a starting point; more participation from everyone will make things even better. HaiChuan becomes more wonderful with your involvement; we welcome everyone to take part in discussions on this forum. Everyone should focus on safety and know how to handle emergencies. ********************************************* On April 26, 2020, the “green industrial production process for anisole” developed by the Shaanxi Coal and Chemical Technology Research Institute was evaluated as a scientific achievement in Xi’an, by the Shaanxi Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. Experts believe that this benzyl ether production process, which uses the green methylating agent dimethyl carbonate as a substitute for the highly toxic dimethyl sulfate, is advanced in terms of technology, features efficient catalysts, and is environmentally friendly; it represents a first of its kind on the international stage and holds a leading position. To address the problems associated with the current production process of anisole, such as the high toxicity of dimethyl sulfate as the methylation reagent, the associated safety risks, as well as the generation of large amounts of solid waste and wastewater containing high levels of salts, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and toxins, the Shaanxi Coal Research Institute has developed a production process for anisole that uses the environmentally friendly reagent dimethyl carbonate instead of dimethyl sulfate. This approach not only eliminates the risks related to high toxicity, but also eliminates the need for solvents and alkalis, resulting in a 97.5% reduction in solid waste emissions. The appraisal committee, headed by Ma Xiaoxun, a professor at Northwest University, concluded that this technology uses the green methylation reagent dimethyl carbonate to replace the highly toxic dimethyl sulfate, develops a new type of efficient catalytic system, and creates a complete new process for industrial production. Moreover, the process flow is short, with no wastewater generated. The product conversion rate, selectivity, quality, and emissions of waste substances all reach advanced levels, enabling the green and safe production of anisole. A responsible official from the Shaanxi Coal Research Institute explained that this is part of a major scientific and technological project in Shaanxi Province undertaken by the institute, namely the research and development of an environmentally friendly process for synthesizing a series of methyl aromatic ethers using phenolic compounds as raw materials. In July 2014, the Shaanxi Coal Research Institute initiated pilot-scale research on the synthesis of anisole. In December 2018, an industrial testing platform with a capacity of thousands of tons was established in Huazhou, Weinan. A successful trial run was carried out in January 2019, and by April 2020, more than 530 tons of anisole had been produced; the quality of this product met all the customer requirements.