In recent years, Yangzi Petrochemical's ethylene glycol plant continued to innovate and transform its production capacity, especially focusing on joint development of new technologies and new processes with universities and enterprises, and the application of new processes to production to tap potential, improve efficiency, and save energy and reduce consumption. Achievements have also created tremendous economic benefits for the company and have become a major benefit to the company.
Today, Yangzi Petrochemical's ethylene glycol plant ranks among the top 13 ethylene glycol companies in the country for its research, development and application of new technologies for energy conservation and consumption reduction. The deacetaldehyde resin jointly developed and produced by Jiangyin Organic Chemicals Factory became the first domestic enterprise to make the deacetaldehyde resin in China; the technology developed by Nanjing University of Technology in the “Experimental Study on Ethylene Sideline in Recovery of Tail Gas from Pressure Swing Adsorption” is not only It is the first in the country and it has world leading level. The renovation of No. 200 system in this year's overhaul, the first to use a new type of catalyst, has been a great success. According to statistics, this technology can save nearly 10,000 tons of ethylene raw materials each year. At present, the device is in full swing to promote the second round of expansion and transformation work. Three technical innovations "first", so that Yangzi ethylene glycol device has truly become a leader in the domestic counterparts.
Use new catalysts to reduce costs
Reducing production costs and increasing economic efficiency are the eternal themes of the device. In the production cost of ethylene glycol, the unit consumption of ethylene and oxygen accounts for 85-90% of the cost, and the unit consumption of the two depends mainly on the selectivity of the catalyst. Therefore, the core competition of the ethylene glycol plant is the competition of the catalyst. The selectivity of the catalyst directly determines the ethylene, oxygen consumption, overall energy consumption, and product quality of the unit product. At present, the catalysts used in domestic ethylene glycol plants mainly include high-activity catalysts and high-selectivity catalysts. What type of catalyst is used to achieve the best results has become the main goal of Yangtse ethylene glycol technology experts.
For this purpose, the Yangzi Petrochemical olefin plant set up a special research group to go through investigations, peer comparisons, and catalyst patents for feasibility analysis, demonstration, combined with the actual conditions of ethylene glycol plant production, the use of similar devices The risk assessment of the use conditions, selectivity, and yield of the new catalyst was performed. Finally, a new type of catalyst with good performance, high yield, and long life was selected. The update plan was approved by the company in 2006. In 2008, Yangzi Olefins Factory used reactor overhaul timing to replace the reactor catalyst. In the process of filling the new catalyst, the head of the plant's glycol plant project and the safety guardian fell three shifts and implemented 24-hour guardianship to strictly control the quality of the new catalyst. After the filling process, the ethylene glycol workshop organized measures such as measuring differential pressure, adjusting the height of the catalyst, installing inert balls and springs, and carefully concentrating on the quality of each link to ensure the successful completion of the new catalyst loading task. On May 10th, the plant was put into operation and the new catalyst was put into use. After several days of activation, the catalyst selectivity reached a predetermined value. In the following month, the catalyst started the conversion from high activity to high selectivity.
In the whole process of the catalyst trial operation, the sweat and sweat of the ethylene glycol workshop technology and operators were condensed. In order to allow the safe operation of the catalyst, members of the glycol driving technology team took turns in the central control room 24 hours a day, closely monitored operating parameters, and timely adjusted in case of fluctuations, ensuring that all operating conditions of the reactor were strictly set according to the set requirements. So far, the selectivity of the catalyst has reached a historically high value, and it is in a steady increase process, and the space-time yield of the catalyst also exceeds the set requirements. Its performance is significantly higher than the domestic catalyst with an average selectivity of only 78.2%. According to preliminary estimates, the use of new catalysts to produce the same product each year can reduce ethylene consumption by more than 8,000 tons. The economic benefits are significant, and it can extend the operating cycle of equipment and reduce maintenance costs.
Implement system transformation and tap potential
Actively implementing technological transformations and taking the road to tap potentials is the long-term development direction of Yangtse's ethylene glycol plant. Regardless of the process, equipment, or the use of reactor catalysts, every technological innovation has become the object of the inspection of the glycol plant manager, and the development of the production technology of the plant has been continuously promoted by the world leader. Great results. The adoption of a new formulation of activated carbonate absorbent has improved the effect of carbon dioxide absorption; some transformation technologies have created a similar precedent. In particular, after the reformation of the ethylene glycol 600 system, with the efforts of the employees of the glycol plant, it has created the best record of the same industry for three consecutive years with no unplanned parking. The capacity expansion of the No. 400 system increased the capacity of ethylene oxide products to 102,000 tons/year, ranking first in the country.
How to meet the requirements for the use of new catalysts for the low concentration control of carbon dioxide in reactive gases has become a problem that glycol managers have to consider. To solve the “bottleneck” problem of the small capacity of the original 200# carbon dioxide removal system, the expansion of the system will naturally become the main target of the ethylene glycol technician. However, the No. 200 system has no successful experience in transforming domestic counterparts. Is the use of additional equipment parallel processes? Or use a single-row process for capacity expansion? It is difficult for technologists who make ethylene glycol to choose. In order to ensure the scientific reliability of the program, a group of technical experts represented by Zhang Hui, Sun Jiaxing and other workshop leaders conducted extensive investigations and studies, conducted in-depth discussions with patent contractors, and conducted feasibility studies on the actual situation of the device in combination with the device. And risk identification assessment, and continue to improve and optimize. The transformation of the Yangzi olefin plant to maximize the use of the existing facilities and resources of the ethylene glycol plant, to optimize the design of the device for the transformation of the foundation to ensure that the technical indicators after the transformation to meet the requirements of the standard, the transformation project through the Yangtze olefins The close cooperation of the plant and Yangzi Engineering Company, the Yangtze Engineering Management Department and a number of construction units in the past eight months, the Yangtse ethylene glycol plant No. 200 carbon dioxide removal system has been completed, and with the successful launch of the glycol plant use.
In the days when the device was rebuilt, the technical experts of ethylene glycol went deep into the site every day to inspect the process, grasp the quality of the construction, ensure the progress of safety, and put a lot of hard work into the renovation. In order to ensure the smooth operation of the system and meet the design requirements of various indicators, the glycol workshop has compiled detailed operation manuals and emergency treatment plans, organized personnel to study, and also established a technical backbone optimization team to implement all-weather system 200. Monitoring, optimization of process operations, after more than a month of operational inspections, achieved significant results. On the one hand, the carbon dioxide concentration at the inlet of the reactor is controlled within an effective range, which effectively reduces the carbon dioxide emissions and reduces the impact on the environment. On the other hand, it creates the conditions for improving the selectivity of the new catalysts. Currently, the glycol reaction The catalyst's selectivity has increased by nearly 5 percentage points, a record high. The increase in selectivity means that raw materials consumed to produce the same ethylene glycol and epoxy products will be significantly reduced. According to preliminary statistics, the successful application of the technical measures not only enables the product's indicators to reach the standard of superior grade products, but also can create tens of millions of yuan each year, and the CO2 emissions of the device will be reduced by 16,000 tons per year. In addition, it can also lay the foundation for the future application of newer catalysts.
Using leading technologies to recover useful ingredients
Yangzi Olefins Factory attaches great importance to the development and application of new technologies, continuously increases the recycling of useful components in wastes and tail gas, and further reduces energy consumption and material consumption of the devices. In the past few years, Yangzi Olefins Factory has continuously developed new technologies and new processes with scientific research institutions and applied them to actual production to maximize energy conservation and emission reduction. Recently, Yangzi Olefins Plant and Nanjing University of Technology jointly developed the "Pressure Adsorption to Recover ethylene from Exhaust Gas of Oxidation Reaction System of Ethylene Glycol Plant" (abbreviated as "PSA Technology"), which passed the acceptance of the expert group of Sinopec Group Corporation. This technology has remarkable energy saving effect, has great promotion and application value, and once again serves as a leader in the same industry.
For a long time, the ethylene oxide vent gas and catalytic cracked dry gas of the ethylene glycol unit were directly sent to the combustion system for combustion, thus wasting valuable ethylene resources and contaminating the environment. Since 2004, with respect to the issue of tail gas recovery for ethylene glycol plants, Yangzi Olefins Plant has organized research and development in conjunction with Nanjing University of Technology to research and improve adsorbents and their industrial production technologies. In September 2007, the first set of pressure swing adsorption equipment in China was built, and the amount of exhaust gas adsorbed was as high as 350 cubic meters per hour. In the process of commissioning and running for up to six months, the ethylene glycol technicians of Yangzi olefin plant carefully optimized the parameters of the device and strictly controlled the operation procedures to ensure the qualified operation of all performance indicators. The industrial operating data show that the system has many advantages such as advanced technology, convenient operation, small device investment and low operating cost. Among them, the recovery rate of ethylene in exhaust gas is as high as 98%, and the removal rate of nitrogen and argon is as high as 92%. The study has greatly increased the utilization of ethylene resources. According to incomplete statistics, the annual ethylene recovery benefit reaches several tens of millions of yuan. From December 28, 2007, the equipment has been put into operation so far, and all economic and technical indicators have exceeded the contract parameters.
In the expansion and reconstruction of the No. 200 system, the Yangzi olefin plant enhanced its tail gas recovery and treatment capacity. With the start of the reformed plant, ethylene glycol, methane, and other useful components of the ethylene glycol D-220 flash vent gas began to be recycled. According to the current recycling capacity, only ethylene can be recycled for thousands of tons per year, with an increase in efficiency of 10 million yuan, and the recycling capacity is three times that of the previous one.
Yangzi Petrochemical's glycol plant also makes a fuss about the recovery of steam condensate. With the continuous expansion and transformation of the device, the amount of vapor condensate in the system is continuously increasing, and its recovery value is becoming increasingly apparent. The Yangzi olefin plant is far-sighted, organized technical personnel to carry out research, and successfully developed a low-pressure condensate energy recovery project. The system was installed in April 2008 and officially put into use on May 16. After the test run, the recovery effect is good. 25 tons of condensate and 1.2 tons of steam can be recovered per hour. Not only saves the steam consumption of the device, but also increases the benefits by nearly one million yuan per year.
Scientific management continues to improve performance
Yangzi Petrochemical's ethylene glycol plant is an old model that has maintained 22 honors of “Company Benchmarking Workshop”. The ethylene glycol central control room also won the "Youth Civilization" in Nanjing and Jiangsu for many years. Science, strictness, refinement, and pragmatism have become the management style of this benchmarking workshop. Actively improving everything has become the principle of ethylene glycol's continuous pursuit of progress. In order to maximize the benefits of the device, the glycol plant is subject to the overall situation of the company. Through careful management and maintenance of the device, the overhaul of the planned 2007 will be postponed until 2008, while at the same time creating economic benefits for the company, it will also create reactor catalysts. Long-term running new record.
In order to ensure the safe, economical and long-term operation of the plant, the glycol plant actively uses PPP performance analysis methods to regularly analyze the activities of key indicators such as energy consumption, material consumption, cash operating expenses, product output, quality, and processing loss rate. To analyze the causes of deviations in time and take effective measures to correct errors. Since 2007, the UV value of ethylene glycol products has fluctuate. The workshop has set up a quality research team in time to apply the “brainstorming method” and “seven-step method for solving problems” to carry out investigations in various aspects such as process control and equipment operation. Quickly eliminate the impact, maintain the image of the product quality brand, and enhance the market competitiveness. Before the device was overhauled, facing the hidden dangers of the high vibration value of the circulating gas compressor in the core equipment, the ethylene glycol workshop set up a special special protection team, and associated scientific research institutions and equipment management departments conducted on-line analysis of key units to formulate special protection. Plans and emergency measures, organizational staff learning. With the meticulous care of the employees in the glycol plant, it was ensured that the installation was safe to operate until this year's overhaul.
The ethylene glycol workshop is devoted to effectively improving the overall quality of post employees. While strengthening the routine business knowledge training, it also conducts weekly one-on-one training activities. The organizing team leader conducts management experience exchanges, implements experience sharing, and supports each other. The goal of improvement. The workshop also carries out the “Youth HSE Demonstration Post” activity in the operational positions. Through the learning of the “Advanced DuPont Safety Concept” and the “Top Ten Safety Concepts” of the company, the employees consciously participate in the search for hidden dangers of the device, enhance their self-prevention ability, and fully promote the device. Safe production. In order to find and solve device problems in a timely manner, the ethylene glycol workshop has implemented the management system of “Japan Daily” and dispatched a workshop leader to solve the problem on site every day. It strives to handle minor problems and stays overnight. In place. At the same time, the workshop also strengthened vertical assessment and straight line management, ensured that there was someone in charge, and that someone was responsible for it, and made every effort to build a management team with strong execution and high quality.
In the face of the company's current performance dilemma, the ethylene glycol workshop in Yangzi actively engages in discussions on “What should we do in the face of difficulties?”. At the same time, it took the lead in carrying out the “three reductions and three festivals” campaign to reduce unplanned parking, reduce product processing loss, reduce pollution emissions and save electricity, save one drop of water, and save one piece of paper. Actual actions establish a good habit of conservation and cultivation, and truly achieve the goal of “holding both watermelon and sesame seeds”. The ethylene glycol plant also keeps a close eye on the sales of the product market, always pursuing the principle of maximizing the overall efficiency, rationally adjusting the output ratio of ethylene glycol and ethylene oxide products, not satisfying the conditions, obeying the overall situation, and achieving the prolificity. Prolific, the limited production limit.
It is the eternal pursuit of ethylene glycol for Yangzi Petrochemical to continuously improve the performance of the device and continue to write new brilliance.