CNPC Guangxi Petrochemical achieved an increase in efficiency of 7.4 million yuan in the first month after putting the plant into operation, by using the light gasoline etherification process

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On December 24, 2015, the 500,000-ton-per-year light gasoline etherification unit of Guangxi Petrochemical Company had been in operation for a full month. Preliminary calculations showed that at an feed load of 70% of the design value, the unit was capable of converting methanol at full capacity, resulting in an immediate increase in profits of 7.4 million yuan that month. This facility utilizes the catalytic distillation etherification technology developed by Kerry Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., and is equipped with KC116-BD type catalytic distillation elements (module catalysts). Using refined gasoline as the raw material, it enables the reactive olefins with carbon numbers 4 to 7 present in the gasoline to react with alcohols to produce corresponding ethers. Once in operation, it will convert nearly 60,000 tons of methanol into such ether products each year, which are then blended into the overall gasoline supply of the plant. After etherification, the octane number of light gasoline can be increased by nearly 2 units; the olefin content in light gasoline drops from 62.5% to 27%, and its vapor pressure decreases by 21.4 kPa, thereby reducing the difficulty of formulating National V gasoline. Since the etherification unit came online on November 23, 2015, the operators at Guangxi Petrochemical have carefully studied and explored ways to optimize the operating conditions. By taking into account the properties of the raw materials and the content of active components, they adjust the alcohol washing ratio appropriately in order to maximize the conversion rate of the unit. While ensuring that the dienes meet the required standards, they reduce the consumption of fresh hydrogen to maintain the lowest possible hydrogen usage for the unit. At the current gasoline market prices, the conversion of methanol into gasoline enabled Guangxi Petrochemical to save 7.4 million yuan in its first month of operation of the etherification plant. In 2008, Kerry Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd. developed the KC116-BD module etherification catalytic distillation element with independent intellectual property rights. It is mainly used as a packing in the catalytic distillation tower for the etherification of light gasoline, to achieve deep conversion of light gasoline in the feedstock and the separation of the products. Compared to KC116, KC116-BD has the advantage of high efficiency and energy savings. In the catalytic gasoline/light gasoline etherification process technology developed by Kerry Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., the overall conversion rate for the etherification of C5 tertiary alkenes is ≥95%, while the conversion rate for C6 tertiary alkenes is ≥50%. After blending the etherified light gasoline with heavy gasoline, the olefin content in the FCC full-range gasoline is reduced by 10 percentage points; the octane rating of the etherified gasoline increases by more than 1 unit, and its vapor pressure decreases by 25%~29%. Additionally, 4% of the low-value methanol is converted into high-value gasoline, thereby increasing the yield of gasoline. The main patented technologies include: a catalytic process for the etherification of light gasoline fractions, an etherification catalyst for light gasoline and its preparation method, a resin catalyst with high exchange capacity and its preparation method, etc. :)