Package Technology for Manufacture of PO via HPPO Process Developed by SINOPEC Passed Calibration Tests at Full Load

On April 11―15, 2018 one of the ten key projects envisaged in the plan of the SINOPEC Corp. ―“The package technology for manufacture of 100 kt/a propylene oxide via hydrogen peroxide oxidation process(HPPO process)” ―which has been jointly undertaken by the SINOPEC Research Institute of Petroleum Processing(RIPP), the SINOPEC Changling Branch Company and other relevant units, has successfully implemented the calibration tests of the said commercial unit under full load, with all calibration indicators (including the material consumption, the energy consumption, the conversion rate, and the selectivity) exceeding the design targets along with the product quality which is better than the requirement for premium quality grade.

The special catalyst for this technology is one consisting of the hollow titanium silicate zeolite serving as the active ingredient, which has been granted the State Invention Award. This special catalyst after having successfully operated for around eight thousand hours has demonstrated its excellent performance along with a stable catalytic activity. Propylene oxide (PO) as the third largest category of propylene derivatives after polypropylene and acrylonitrile is an important means for manufacturing high add-value products from propylene to yield polyether polyol, propylene glycol, and various nonionic surface active agents. Currently China mainly adopts the chlorohydrination process and the co-oxidation process for manufacture of PO. The chlorohydrination process is to be obsolescent because of severe pollution,whereas the co-oxidation process suffers from the complicated process technology and the constraints of co-products. The HPPO process can achieve the highly efficient, green and environmentally friendly manufacture of PO with high selectivity, the successful development of which will bring about improvements in the technique for production of propylene oxide.