Discussion on the operation of the acetic acid hydrogenation to ethanol plant
Thread Content
The 10,000-ton capacity acetic acid hydrogenation (direct or indirect) plants owned by Seralis, Tangshan Zhongrong, Jiangsu Feixiang, and Supor have all been put into operation. Those who are aware of the actual situation there are invited to share information on their operational status, so we can discuss it together.
It is reported that the world’s first industrial demonstration plant for producing xylene via toluene methanol methylation (MTX) with an annual capacity of 200,000 tons has been built and put into operation. Could those who are aware of the situation provide some details?
People from the Shanghai Petrochemical Research Institute say that this technology has not yet reached a level suitable for industrial application.
The platinum catalyst used in Seralis’ process for the direct hydrogenation of acetic acid to produce ethanol is expensive, and the manufacturing process has required numerous shutdowns for adjustments. The catalyst for the direct hydrogenation of acetic acid to ethanol developed by the Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Technology has withstood 10,000 hours of testing, and the 100,000-ton production process package developed in collaboration with Shanghai Engineering Company is now mature
Tangshan Zhongrong Technology Co., Ltd.’s plant with a production capacity of 15,000 tons per year for acetate production – via ethyl acetate hydrogenation and ethanol – has been in operation for over 2 years; it runs stably, often at or slightly above full capacity. Its production cost is 1,500 yuan per ton lower than that of traditional grain-based methods, as well as current non-grain-based methods.
I wonder if there are any professionals familiar with the Thorpe acetic acid hydrogenation process? I would like to ask whether Supor uses heat transfer oil or boiling water for hydrogenation