【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Engineering Technology】Pilot-scale fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis plant with a capacity of 300 tons per year, 1984–2020
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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. HaiChuan becomes even better with your involvement; we welcome everyone to join in the forum discussions. Be careful with fire risks as the heat increases in July. ********************************************* In November 2020, the fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology developed by the Beijing Institute of Low-Carbon Clean Energy of **Energy Group (hereinafter referred to as the Institute) successfully passed a 72-hour testing phase on a pilot plant with an annual production capacity of 300 tons. The performance indicators of this technology met international advanced standards. The results of the 72-hour calibration show that the oil production per hour per ton of catalyst is greater than 0.14 tons, the overall selectivity for oil exceeds 90%, and the selectivity for the by-product methane is less than 6%. The main technical product is high-melting-point FTO wax, which accounts for over 75% of the oil content; the drip melting point of the crude wax product exceeds 110°C. Based on the pilot test results, using the fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology developed by the Low-Carbon Research Institute, the consumption of synthesis gas feedstock per ton of oil produced is less than 5,700 standard cubic meters, and more than 75% of the resulting oil products are high-melting-point Fischer-Tropsch waxes. Currently, the price of domestic No. 70 wax on the market is over 7,500 yuan per ton, while the price of imported No. 105 wax exceeds 15,000 yuan per ton. Even at the current low oil prices, the economic viability of the fixed-bed cobalt-based technology developed by the Low-Carbon Research Institute remains outstanding. The high-melting-point crude wax produced by the fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO technology of the Low-Carbon Institute can be separated with high yield into high-end waxes such as Type 105 and Type 115, possessing extremely high economic value; this can break the monopoly of foreign companies on China’s high-end wax products. After 5 years of technical research and development, the cobalt-based FTO technology team at the Low-Carbon Institute has successfully developed a fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO synthesis technology whose main product is high-melting-point wax, with all key performance indicators reaching international advanced levels. The success of the fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO technology has opened up a new technical route for producing high-value chemical products from coal. It holds great significance for the clean, efficient, and high-value utilization of coal in China, and it will further enhance China’s overall capabilities in the field of coal indirect liquefaction, as well as boost the competitiveness of this technology within the coal chemical industry.
In February 2021, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation organized experts in Beijing to conduct an evaluation of the scientific and technological achievements related to the \"Fixed-bed cobalt-based FTO synthesis catalyst for producing high-melting-point waxes, along with a 300 t/a pilot-scale production system,\" developed by the Beijing Low-Carbon Clean Energy Research Institute of the Energy Group. The appraisal committee unanimously agreed that the fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology developed by the Low-Carbon Institute is highly innovative, operates at an international advanced level, and has broad application prospects; they recommended accelerating its promotion and adoption. ““The fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology for producing waxes with high melting points” is a new technology developed by the Low-Carbon Research Institute for the production of high-value chemicals from coal. It represents the latest achievement in research efforts aimed at advancing coal chemical technology in the directions of higher sophistication, greater diversity, and lower carbon emissions. This technology is suitable not only for the high-value conversion and utilization of large-scale coal feedstocks, but also for the conversion of smaller-scale feedstocks such as coke oven gas, calcium carbide furnace off-gases, coalbed methane, and biomass-based syngas. The high-melting-point paraffin aromatics produced using this technology have extremely low levels of metal impurities (at the ppb level), and the products meet food-grade standards. Such high-melting-point wax products are widely used in the processing of polyolefins and PVC, as well as in hot melt adhesives (such as EVA waxes), dyes, inks, cosmetics, electronics, and the aerospace industry. Furthermore, this high-melting-point wax can be further processed to produce heavy lubricants used in fans and heavy machinery, as well as food-grade white oils and other products. Technology boasts the dual advantages of high added value for products and a long industrial chain.
The fixed-bed cobalt-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology used to produce such high-melting-point waxes has long been monopolized by foreign companies, which do not transfer this technology to domestic firms. The coal chemical technology R&D team at the Low-Carbon Institute has made breakthrough innovations in new cobalt-based catalysts and core reaction process technologies. They have successfully developed a complete set of technologies, enabling the scale-up of the catalysts from the laboratory to industrial-scale facilities, and completed pilot tests using a 300 t/a pilot plant. Pilot test results show that the syngas consumption per ton of product using this technology is less than 5,700 m3, the drip melting point of the crude wax product is above 110 °C, and the wax oil ratio in the product is greater than 5.0. The core catalyst in terms of technology exhibits strong resistance to fluctuations during the production process, low selectivity for the by-product methane, and high selectivity for waxes with high melting points. The technology has reached international advanced levels in key indicators such as raw material utilization rate, wax product selectivity, and space-time yield. The breakthrough in the development of this technology will provide a new approach for the clean, efficient, and high-value utilization of raw materials such as coal and coke oven gas in China, and it will also further enhance China’s overall technical capabilities in the field of coal chemical technology.
【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】China’s First 1,000-ton “phase-change” carbon dioxide capture industrial facility from 2015 to 2020 https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-4201911-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Network)