【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】119–2023: The World’s First 10,000-ton-per-year Oil-Based Process for Producing Maleic Anhydride via Hydrogenation
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This post was last edited by Desert Fish on 2023-7-4 at 08:04. There has been significant development in chemical technology over the past decade; let’s praise the prosperity and strength of modern China. 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 discussions on this forum. It’s hot in July, so be careful to prevent fires. ********************************************* The large-scale production of succinic anhydride is hindered by stringent reaction conditions and high production costs, making it difficult to develop appropriate production technologies. At present, most domestic companies use pilot plants with a capacity of a few thousand tons; strict control over process parameters is required during production, which imposes very high demands on the safety of such facilities. Through extensive research and development efforts, Xukexin New Materials (Shandong) Co., Ltd. has recently achieved stable production of high-quality maleic anhydride with a purity of over 99.5%. The excellent quality of this product – characterized by high purity and a white color – marks the successful commissioning of the world’s first petroleum-based facility capable of producing tens of thousands of tons of maleic anhydride per year through hydrogenation. The first phase of Xukē New Materials’ project, with an annual production capacity of 10,000 tons of succinic anhydride and succinic acid, officially commenced production on May 31, achieving successful operation from the first attempt. On June 6, high-quality maleic anhydride products with a purity of over 99.5% were produced stably; the product quality was excellent, featuring high purity and a light color, with the highest purity reaching over 99.9%. At present, it has been operating stably for a month; the purity of the succinic anhydride produced remains above 99.5%, with a maximum purity of 99.9%, which is at the international leading level.
According to reports from Science and Technology Daily, Jiangnan University has informed them that the world’s first large-scale production facility for synthesizing maleic anhydride from petroleum-based succinic anhydride on a scale of 10,000 tons per year – a project carried out in collaboration between the research teams led by professors Dong Weifu and Wang Shibo from the School of Chemistry and Materials Engineering at the university and Xuke New Materials (Shandong) Co., Ltd. – has now entered the stage of commercial production. This marks a significant breakthrough in China’s technology and equipment for the low-cost, large-scale production of high-quality succinic anhydride and succinic acid, and it will provide strong support for the development of the green chemical new materials industry. Professor Dong Wei Fu explained that the project for producing 10,000 tons per year of succinic anhydride and succinic acid in its first phase began production on May 31, with a successful start-up on the first attempt. On June 6, high-quality maleic anhydride products with a purity of over 99.5% were produced stably; the product quality was excellent, featuring high purity and a light color, with the highest purity reaching over 99.9%. At present, it has been operating stably for a month; the purity of the succinic anhydride produced remains above 99.5%, with a maximum purity of 99.9%, which is at the international leading level. “Within one month of the commissioning of the production facility for this project, high-quality maleic anhydride and maleic acid products were obtained through highly efficient catalytic reactions at a rate of nearly 200 units per unit time. Both of these products are white crystalline solids at room temperature and normal pressure, and they are important chemical raw materials. ”Professor Wang Shibo said.
【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】Industrial demonstration plant technologies for kiloton-scale para-aramid production from 2011 to 2019: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-4213832-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Network)
It is understood that succinic anhydride and succinic acid are among the raw materials used in the synthesis of petroleum-based biodegradable polymers, such as polybutylene succinate (PBS). This biodegradable polymer has physical and mechanical properties similar to those of polypropylene (PP), and can be used as a substitute for PP in applications such as straws, disposable tableware, disposable hotel plastic items, and textile spinning. Electrolytic hydrogenation and autoclave slurry-bed hydrogenation processes are characterized by high energy consumption, severe corrosion, and difficulties in scaling up and operating continuously; they have long been the key obstacles hindering the rapid development of industries such as those involving biodegradable materials like PBS. The research team innovatively developed a highly selective fixed-bed liquid-phase continuous hydrogenation catalytic system for maleic anhydride, along with the key technologies associated with it, and implemented its industrial production and application at Xukewang New Materials (Shandong) Co., Ltd. “The efficient cleaning production process we have developed creates favorable conditions for the low-cost, large-scale production of high-quality maleic anhydride and maleic acid products, as well as for the widespread use of biodegradable materials such as PBS. It also lays a solid foundation for further rapid scale-up in the future. The first phase of Xukexin New Materials project verified the feasibility of 10,000-ton-scale technology. ”Professor Wang Shibo said. Wang Xin, deputy general manager of Ruxike New Materials (Shandong) Co., Ltd., said that in the next step, the two parties will accelerate the expansion of production capacity by constructing in Phase 2 a 200,000-ton maleic anhydride plant, a 100,000-ton PBAT (thermoplastic biodegradable plastic) plant, a 100,000-ton PBS plant, a 100,000-ton BDO (1,4-butanediol) plant, and a 100,000-ton succinic anhydride plant.