【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】1850–2024: China’s first pilot-scale plant for producing MMA using the ethylene carbonylation process was built

Thread Content

Safety first. Prevention first – let’s give praise and support to the achievements in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】Regular updates and summaries are available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** On May 31, 2024, reporters learned from the CNOOC Research Institute of Chemical Engineering and New Materials (hereinafter referred to as CNOOC RICEM) that the pilot-scale production facility for manufacturing methyl methacrylate (MMA) using the ethylene carbonylation method, developed by this institute, has begun operations in Yan’an, Shaanxi. It has already produced qualified methyl propionate intermediates, laying the foundation for the full-scale implementation of this production process. 　　It is reported that this facility is the first pilot-scale plant in China to utilize the ethylene carbonylation method for the production of MMA on an industrial scale. It is a corporate-level research project of CNOOC, and it was also submitted as a project under China’s Shaanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology’s “Revealing Challenges and Assigning Tasks” program, in collaboration with Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Yan’an Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Yan’an Energy Chemical). The successful commissioning of this device will help our country acquire cutting-edge production technologies in this field and overcome key bottlenecks, holding significant practical importance and economic benefits. 　　MMA is an important organic chemical raw material and chemical product that can be used in industries such as automobiles, instruments, and coatings. Currently, the mainstream production processes for MMA include the traditional propylene cyanohydrin method, isobutylene oxidation method, and ethylene carbonylation method. Among them, the ethylene carbonyl esterification method features inexpensive and readily available raw materials, a short production process, and low equipment investment; it represents a green, clean, and economical processing route, and is currently recognized as one of the most cost-effective and promising technologies. However, since this technology is held by foreign companies and not transferred, there has been a gap in domestic development and application. 　　Starting in 2022, the CNOOC Materials Science Institute took the lead, in collaboration with CNOOC Petrochemical Engineering Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Petrochemical Engineering) and Yan’an Energy Chemicals, in carrying out research efforts to develop palladium-based catalytic systems for carbonyl esterification with low temperature and high selectivity, as well as alkali catalysts for the gas-phase condensation of aldehydes and esters. This led to the establishment of a production process for MMA using ethylene, methanol, carbon monoxide, and formaldehyde as raw materials, through a two-step procedure. The MMA pilot plant is designed with a capacity of 400 tons per year, and includes sections for raw material purification and carbonyl ester production, gas-phase condensation of aldehyde esters, product separation and purification, as well as storage areas for raw materials and products. During the preliminary stage of the project, more than 4,000 hours of pilot-scale evaluation tests were conducted; the catalyst demonstrated good activity and stable performance, meeting the requirements for pilot production. 　　The successful development and application of this technology provide technical support for the high-value utilization and differentiated development of resources such as dry gas or ethylene in the downstream refining and petrochemical industries of CNOOC, thereby facilitating the transformation, upgrading, and high-quality development of these industries.