China Has Become The World's Largest Producer And Consumer of Ethylene Oxide/Ethylene Glycol

Since the beginning of the 21st century, China has gradually become the world's largest consumer of ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol. The production of domestically produced ethylene oxide and ethylene glycol has increased significantly, and the import volume of ethylene glycol has also continued to grow. In China, with the completion and operation of a number of large-scale plants in China, China has become the world's largest producer of ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol, and China's ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol industry has made great progress.

In this development process, Shell's ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol technology has played a pivotal role in promoting and advancing the market. Today, we are honored to invite Mr. Chen Jun, an ethylene oxide catalyst technology expert from Shell, to share with us the development history of Shell's ethylene oxide technology and how it has become a leader in the industry.

A: OK. The application of Shell's ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol technology in China can be traced back to the early 1980s, when Shell's ethylene oxide catalyst was applied in the ethylene oxide unit of Liaoyang Chemical Fiber Plant. With the successful commissioning of the first domestic device using Shell process technology and catalysts in the early 1990s, namely the ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol unit of Fushun Ethylene Plant, the reliability and safety of Shell's ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol process technology The high performance, easy operation and excellent performance of the catalyst were quickly recognized by the domestic market. At the beginning of this century, two domestic plants using Shell's high-selectivity catalyst S-882 were put into operation, which also brought China's ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol production into the era of high-selectivity catalysts.

Q: At present, Shell's ethylene oxide process and catalyst have the highest share in the Chinese market (in terms of production capacity and loading volume). Looking at the development of global ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol technology, it can almost be said that without Shell's continuous investment in technology research and development and product innovation, there would be no ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol industry today. Can you tell us more about this development process?

A: In 1933, Shell scientists discovered that silver can catalyze the epoxidation of ethylene to produce ethylene oxide, thus changing the production route of ethylene glycol from the chlorohydrin method to the oxidation method. Subsequently, Shell was the first to adopt the The oxygen method replaced the air method, firstly using methane instead of nitrogen as a stabilizer, first using a water-cooled reactor instead of an oil-cooled reactor, and the first to develop a catalyst with high selectivity, and the catalyst selectivity was increased from 70 to 80% in one step. Raised to the level of 85~92%, the first catalytic hydration process was developed, which greatly reduced the generation of by-products, energy consumption and fixed asset investment. It can be said that each of the above major technological advancements has brought about a revolution in the ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol industry. To this day, Shell has formed a comprehensive ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol technology including four series of ethylene oxide catalysts and three representative process routes, maintaining a comprehensive range of ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol catalysts and process technologies. leading position.

Q: So what product series does Shell ethylene oxide catalyst have at present? Can you describe their respective characteristics in detail?

A: Shell's current four ethylene oxide catalyst series include high selectivity series, medium selectivity series, high performance series and high tolerance series. The high selectivity series are represented by S-889 and S-892, which are characterized by low silver content, high initial selectivity, slow performance decay under the operating conditions of low space-time yield and low CO2 concentration, and the reduction of ethylene under mild conditions. The best catalyst choice for unit consumption and CO2 emission reduction. The initial selectivity of the medium-selective catalyst is represented by S-891B, and the initial selectivity reaches more than 89%. It can withstand high space-time yield and high CO2 concentration. The temperature and selectivity in the latter half of the cycle are very stable. The traditional old plants designed based on high-activity catalysts all over the world use medium-selective catalysts produced by Shell without major modification of the CO2 system. The high-performance catalyst series is represented by S-895 and S-896. The performance decays slowly under high space-time yield and has the highest average selectivity in the cycle. It is the best choice for new large-scale installations to reduce investment and avoid engineering bottlenecks. , is also the best catalyst choice for capacity expansion and improvement of asset utilization. High tolerance catalysts can withstand high water vapor content and high space-time yield, and are used when the device has special needs.

Q: Shell's ethylene oxide process technology has always been leading the market. Can you talk about it?

A: Shell's ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol process includes traditional MASTER process, catalytic hydration OMEGA process and high-purity ethylene oxide process. These three processes are all used in China, plus the three catalysts introduced above. The family also has customer applications in China. China is currently the most competitive market for ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol processes and catalysts in the world. Every customer is facing one or another challenge. Shell's differentiated catalyst families and process lines can provide customers with customized, diversified I think this is probably the most attractive part of Shell's technology and products.

Q: As a market with the most development potential, what are the characteristics of Shell's technical service team deployed in China?

A: Shell started to set up a technical service team for ethylene oxide/ethylene glycol catalysts in China in 2011. At present, there are 7 full-time service personnel and a mobile laboratory in China, serving more than 20 key customers in China , the catalyst loading exceeds 60% of all devices in the Chinese market. The content of our technical services includes performance prediction and economic and technical evaluation of catalyst selection in the early stage, catalyst start-up and operation training, on-site technical guidance for catalyst filling, on-site guidance for catalyst start-up, treatment of abnormal catalyst conditions, and on-site technical support for analytical instrument problems , The analysis and evaluation of the catalyst after unloading has formed a complete set of technical service system to avoid the operation failure of the catalyst and ensure that the catalyst is in an optimal operating state. The Chinese team is also one of the most experienced teams in Shell's global ethylene oxide catalysts. Together with the customer, they will provide the most suitable solution for each new construction and each catalyst replacement.