【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Equipment】From 1934 to 2024, Chinese scientists successfully developed a new type of propylene catalyst

Thread Content

Safety first. Prevention first: Let’s praise and encourage the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment. **********************【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available; feel free to join the discussions at https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum) ***************** On July 19, a groundbreaking research achievement by Tianjin University’s team in new energy chemistry was published as a cover article in the journal Science. The team successfully developed a new type of propylene catalyst that is cost-effective and environmentally friendly, laying a foundation in catalytic science for the sustainable development of low-carbon olefin production technologies. Propylene is one of the most produced chemical products in the world, as well as an important basic chemical raw material. The propylene industry holds significant strategic importance in the global petrochemical industry chain. In 2023, China’s propylene production was around 60 million tons, accounting for about one-third of the global total, with a total output value exceeding 600 billion yuan. Among the various propylene production technologies, the propane dehydrogenation process has become the mainstream due to its high economic efficiency and low dependence on oil. However, traditional propane dehydrogenation catalysts are made from scarce and expensive raw materials, and they cause severe environmental pollution, posing sustainability challenges for the industry. The next generation of propylene catalysts, which are more efficient, cheaper, and environmentally friendly, have become a technological advantage that the global chemical industry is competing to gain control over. Under the leadership of Professor Gong Jinlong, the New Energy and Chemical Engineering team at Tianjin University has proposed an innovative scientific hypothesis addressing the current use of precious metals or highly toxic elements in traditional propane dehydrogenation catalysts. This hypothesis suggests that oxides, which are inexpensive and environmentally friendly, can interact electronically with metals to facilitate the catalytic process. Following this approach, the team spent 5 years developing a titanium oxide-nickel composite catalyst. Titanium is abundant on Earth, in greater quantities than common metals such as copper, tin, lead, and zinc. China is one of the countries with the largest reserves of titanium resources in the world ； Global nickel resources are also very abundant. By controlling the degree of coverage of titanium oxide on the surface of nickel metal particles, the team was able to precisely regulate the electron transfer between titanium oxide and nickel. This approach improved catalytic activity while suppressing side reactions such as cracking and carbon deposition.