Text | China Science News, trainee reporter Sun Danning
Walking into the exhibition hall of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (hereinafter referred to as the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics), the first thing that catches your eye is a row of eye-catching big characters - innovation, concerted efforts, rigorous study, and the pursuit of first-class.
On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has also entered its 75th year. For the four words of "working together", everyone in Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has a lot of feelings, which has inspired generations of scientific and technological workers in the institute to create a number of epoch-making achievements. Methanol-to-olefins (DMTO) technology is one of them.
Olefins, which may sound unfamiliar, can be found everywhere in daily life, and are widely used in industry, agriculture and other fields. In the chemical industry, the mainstream method of producing olefins has always been petroleum as a feedstock. However, the basic national conditions of the mainland rich in coal and poor in oil and gas determine that olefin production must find another way.
In order to overcome this problem, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics bravely stood up, after three generations, before and after 40 years, persevered in the predicament, forged ahead in adversity, and finally moved from the laboratory to the modern factory, realizing the breakthrough of "zero" in the industrialization of coal-to-olefins in the world, creating an emerging strategic industry of coal-to-olefins in the mainland and leading its rapid development.
From the "hairy boy" who is looking for people to invest everywhere to the leader of coal-to-olefin technology, Liu Zhongmin, director of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, is both a witness and a witness, and he remembers every detail here.
"Whenever DMTO technology is mentioned, our team is proud. It's an honor to be a part of the process and witness the development of technology, as well as the rise of industrialization and industry. Liu Zhongmin said.
The scientific research team is at the construction site of the Shenhua Baotou project.
"Walking on two legs"
In the 70s of the last century, the world stage was changing. The international political landscape has evolved from the bipolar confrontation of the past to the direction of multipolarization. The global economic system has also been hit hard by two oil crises in a row.
The price of oil, known as the "blood of industry", has skyrocketed, climbing from $1.2 per barrel to nearly $40, causing massive inflation worldwide.
There are two main categories of petroleum products: one is oil used as an energy source, and the other is various organic products such as plastics. As an important type of plastic, the main monomer component of polyolefin is olefin, and its main production technology route has always relied entirely on petrochemical industry.
This has raised concerns about the sustainability of olefin feedstock sources in many countries, and they have begun to gradually explore the feasibility of coal as an alternative to oil. Many scientists believe that using coal or natural gas as raw materials to synthesize methanol and then use methanol to produce olefins is an effective method, and have successively launched scientific and technological research plans to replace oil with coal, hoping to seize the opportunity in this energy revolution.
After the reform and opening up, Chinese scientists are also actively exploring and beginning to tackle related scientific and technological problems. In 1981, the production of olefins from methanol was listed as a key project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics undertook this important task.
Coal-to-olefins are generally divided into "two steps", the first step is to synthesize methanol from coal, and the second step is to produce olefins from methanol. At this time, the first step has a relatively mature industrial technology, while methanol to olefins is still in the exploration stage, which is extremely challenging in the world.
In order to ensure national energy security, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics was determined to face the difficulties, and quickly mobilized two research teams led by two researchers, Chen Guoquan and Liang Juan, to jointly tackle key problems.
In 1983, Liu Zhongmin, who had just graduated from university, joined the research team with a vision of science. What he wants to do is to follow the research direction of his predecessors and continue the basic research on methanol to olefin reaction.
To convert methanol into olefins, the first challenge to be solved is to develop a suitable catalyst. The initial research mainly focused on the development of ZSM-5 zeolite catalyst and the development of fixed-bed process technology, and Dalian Chemical Institute established a larger research team on the basis of the above group, and completed the pilot test in 1993.
With the progress of research, breakthroughs have been made in the exploration of new catalysts. The use of the small-pore SAPO-34 zeolite catalyst has the potential to develop a new generation of more efficient technologies and apply them to fluidized bed processes. In 1991, with the support of the national science and technology project, the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics officially launched the research of this technology. At this time, Liu Zhongmin had just graduated from Ph.D., and under the leadership of the new team leader, researcher Cai Guangyu, he was responsible for the development of catalysts.
The research on SAPO-34 zeolite catalyst immediately entered the "fast lane". Experiments have shown that SAPO-34 zeolite catalyst can greatly improve olefin yield, is more stable, and has better prospects for industrial application than ZSM-5. The stability of SAPO-34 zeolite in the presence of high temperature water vapor is the decisive factor.
After synthesizing a pure sample of SAPO-34 molecule, the team came up with the idea of using X-ray diffraction to observe the changes in its skeleton structure during the desorption of water. They were then surprised to find that the skeletal structure of SAPO-34 was "reversible" after desorption of water – it was actually restored, indicating the stability of the zeolite and proving its potential for industrial applications.
In 1995, the team completed the 100-ton pilot test by adopting the new process method of converting syngas to olefins through dimethyl ether. This achievement won the special prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National "Eighth Five-Year Plan" Major Scientific and Technological Achievement Award.
This year, Liu Zhongmin became the team leader. He was deeply touched by the evaluation of the results: "That year, we applied for the first prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, but we were awarded the special prize, which is rare in the previous science and technology awards, which shows that the judges highly recognized our achievements." ”
Reduced prices for oil
Just as everything was moving forward steadily, the international situation had changed dramatically.
"In 1997, the international price of a barrel of crude oil fell to about $10. If the methanol to olefins production process is still used, the cost is too high in comparison. Liu Zhongmin recalled.
Finding enterprises to cooperate in industrial experiments was the most urgent need of the team at that time. However, the situation faced by coal-to-olefins has made most enterprises not enthusiastic about the project of replacing oil with coal to produce olefins, and the follow-up scientific and technological research projects applied by the team have lost the application channels due to the adjustment of relevant institutions.
They have lost count of how many places they have gone and how many companies they have contacted, Sichuan, Gansu, Heilongjiang, Shanghai...... As long as there is hope, we will run all over the country, hoping for joint development with enterprises, only seeking cooperation, not returning, but in the end there is no result.
The cooperation negotiation with a large state-owned enterprise is the closest to success. By supplementing a large number of experimental data and feasibility reports, the two parties finally have the eyebrows of cooperation. However, due to the adjustment of business managers and different perceptions of technology, the project eventually died. The relevant technical person in charge of the company slapped the table with tears after learning the news, and everyone in the research team deeply regretted it.
The shortage of scientific research funds has put the development of the team in a greater predicament. Should the effort to replace oil with coal continue?
After careful consideration, Liu Zhongmin believed that the positioning of syngas to olefins technology at that time had changed from "strategic urgency" to "strategic reserve", and technology promotion and industrial testing would be a protracted battle, but no matter how difficult it was, it must not be given up. "It's like a marathon of endurance. ”
In order to tide over the difficulty of being overstretched, the old experts in the institute came up with an idea for Liu Zhongmin - to "borrow" some money from the hospital.
Liu Zhongmin seized the opportunity of the leaders of the Chinese Academy of Sciences to visit the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, reported the progress and difficulties of the project in person, and successfully obtained a special funding of 1 million yuan. In 1998, relying on the 1 million yuan, Liu Zhongmin led the team to further study the reaction mechanism of the methanol to olefin process, improve the catalyst amplification and process technology, and find the opportunity for further amplification test.
More than 700 days of restless sleep
In 2004, the international oil price rebounded, and the development of methanol to olefins once again ushered in opportunities.
Shaanxi Province is rich in coal resources, suitable for the development of coal instead of oil industry, and has been actively seeking relevant technical cooperation. At first, the local government wanted to find a foreign company, but the technology owned by this company had not yet undergone industrial testing, and the proposed technology usage fee was extremely high. The leaders of the Shaanxi Provincial Government learned that the technical route of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics had reached the world's leading level, so they immediately decided to be funded by Shaanxi state-owned enterprises and jointly completed the industrial test with the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and Luoyang Petrochemical Engineering Company to promote the process of industrialization.
In August of that year, an industrial test plant with a total investment of 86.1 million yuan and an annual methanol processing capacity of 16,700 tons started construction in Huaxian County, Shaanxi Province (now Huazhou District, Weinan City). The team "set up camp" at the chemical plant and began the all-important industrial trial.
"To be honest, I was very apprehensive at the time. "The industrialization of DMTO is the first practical test of technology, and whether it is successful or not is related to the smooth and healthy development of China's emerging strategic industries of coal-to-olefins, and to the scientific research reputation of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, which will inevitably have a wide range of international influences." ”
The construction site was selected in a corner of the fertilizer plant, adjacent to the sewage treatment tank, and the test plant was well built, but the surrounding basic conditions were relatively simple. There is a flare on the unit outside the dormitory window, and if it continues to burn, it means that the unit is functioning normally. Liu Zhongmin always gets up after sleeping for a while to see if the torch is lit, and only after confirming that it is okay does he dare to lie down and continue to sleep, "If the torch is not lit, it means that there is a problem, and it must be solved quickly." In addition, there are many blasts and mines in the vicinity, and the sound of artillery firing is also terrifying."
As the head of technology, Liu Zhongmin is most worried about safety. "With more than 100 people and a 36-meter-high installation, there can be no problem with any of them. ”
There is a detailed division of labor in the team, some people are responsible for analyzing and debugging the instrument to ensure that the analysis data is timely and accurate, and someone is responsible for the process, climbing several times every day on the device dozens of meters high, checking the equipment and managing the process. It was the middle of winter, and the device stood in the open area, and the comrades in charge of the process climbed up and down, and had a first-hand experience of the cold wind, but they soon formed an engraved memory of hundreds of control points such as reactors and operating valves, and were more confident in the next step of the test.
In this way, after more than 700 days and nights of hard work, they finally ushered in an exciting moment. In May 2006, the industrial test of methanol to olefins was declared successful, and reliable data for the design and construction of large-scale equipment were obtained.
Subsequently, the team and Shenhua Group reached a cooperation intention to build a million-ton industrial plant in Baotou, becoming the first "practitioner" of coal-to-olefin industrialization.
In 2010, Shenhua Baotou's 1.8 million tons/year methanol-to-olefins industrial unit was successfully commissioned, realizing the industrialization of coal-to-olefins for the first time in the world.
The news of the success immediately reached Zhang Tao, then director of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, who temporarily interrupted the strategic seminar of the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics and read out the good news on the spot, and the audience burst into warm applause.
At the subsequent celebration meeting, many comrades of the team shed tears, from the industrial test site to the industrial site, after 6 years of wind and rain, everyone knows the bitterness and bitterness behind it......
In January 2011, the DMTO technology of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics officially entered the stage of commercial operation. As a result, Continental took the lead in achieving a breakthrough in the core technology and industrial application of methanol to olefins.
Shenhua Baotou 1.8 million tons of coal-based methanol to 600,000 tons of olefin project.
The "baton" is still being passed
After the successful industrial production, the team didn't stop there.
"Transform the generation, develop the generation, and look forward to the generation. "This is the strategic deployment of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics for DMTO technology research. Liu Zhongmin described that the research and development of coal-to-olefin technology is like a relay baton, and as an intermediate transmitter, he has the obligation and responsibility to lead the team to move forward.
Subsequently, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics further developed the second-generation technology of DMTO, which produces more olefins, and successfully completed the industrial test. This technology refines the components heavier than C4 in methanol-to-olefin products, and its olefin yield is increased by more than 10% compared with the first-generation technology, which greatly reduces the raw material cost of olefin production.
In 2015, the world's first methanol-to-olefins second-generation (DMTO-II.) industrial demonstration plant was successfully started. This is of great significance for the mainland to give full play to the advantages of coal resources, alleviate the tension of oil resources, and develop a new coal chemical industry of coal-to-olefins.
This year, the technology of methanol to produce low carbon olefins from Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics won the first prize of the National Technological Invention Award, and Liu Zhongmin walked on the podium of the Great Hall of the People and received this heavy national honor.
"This is the country's recognition of the direction of coal chemical industry, the recognition of our technological progress, what the country needs, we must insist on doing. Liu Zhongmin couldn't hide his excitement.
In 2020, DMTO made a major breakthrough in the research and development of its third-generation technology, doubling the amount of methanol processed in a single industrial unit to 3.6 million tons per year, thanks to the use of next-generation catalysts and innovative design of reactors and processes. Subsequently, this achievement was successfully transformed in Ordos, Inner Mongolia and Ningdong, Ningxia, promoting the transformation of coal resources from "fuel-based" to "raw material-based", and the transformation of products from "general processing" to "high-end manufacturing", and promoting the optimization of regional industrial structure.
Recalling the journey of the DMTO team, Liu Zhongmin was full of emotion. In the past 40 years, the long and arduous process of research and development and application has been integrated into the unremitting pursuit of three generations of scientific and technological personnel of Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics.
The success of DMTO technology is the result of joint efforts inside and outside the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, which reflects the advantages of the combination of government, industry, academia and research. With the development of DMTO, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics is also exploring a new model of scientific research organization - the establishment of the first institutionalized "group" in the institute. The purpose of such a "big team" is to promote the "sincere cooperation" and "seamless connection" of basic and applied research and the sustainable development of technology, and concentrate on doing great things. This brand-new exploration has promoted the rapid progress of basic research results to the stage of technology development and industrialization, and has also cultivated a group of basic research talents and engineering and technical talents who focus on "application".
A group of young researchers also joined Liu's team. According to them, the most important feature of the team is to use their respective expertise to work together. As the "young generation" who developed the third generation of DMTO technology, they always firmly believe that only continuous progress in technology can lead the development of the industry, and what they want to do is not only inheritance, but also innovation.
Many enterprises have "bonded" with Dalian Chemical Institute because of DMTO, and Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum Group is one of them. Since the cooperation, the two units have jointly achieved a series of scientific and technological achievements, built a number of industrial demonstration projects, and realized the efficient transformation of scientific research achievements. The industry-university-research cooperation model of enterprise demand-research institute R&D technology - cooperation for the transformation of achievements has truly realized the agglomeration of innovative elements such as people, finance, and materials.
Up to now, Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics has signed 32 sets of technical implementation license contracts for methanol-to-olefin series technology, with an olefin production capacity of 21.6 million tons per year, accounting for one-third of the country's current olefin production capacity, and 17 sets of industrial plants have been put into operation, with an olefin production capacity of more than 10 million tons per year.
In Liu Zhongmin's view, the development prospects of DMTO are far more than that. He believes that with the development of economy and society, the country's demand for olefins will further expand. After the young members of the team take over the "baton", they will continue to optimize the technical route, carry out large-scale industrial applications, further realize the clean and efficient utilization of coal resources, alleviate the tight supply of petroleum resources, promote the high-end, diversified and low-carbon development of the mainland coal chemical industry, and contribute more to the upgrading of the mainland's energy and chemical industry and the realization of the "double carbon" goal.
The world's first 10,000-ton methanol to olefins technology industrial test device. Courtesy of Dalian Chemical Institute