● Excellent methanol synthesis catalyst MegaMax®800 achieves increased production within 24 hours of operation
● The product reduces the consumption of synthesis gas at a lower temperature while increasing the methanol alcohol production and carbon conversion rate
● The product can play an effective role in various methanol alcohol production technology processes
On September 20, 2018, Clariant, the world's leading specialty chemical manufacturer, announced that its MegaMax® 800 methanol synthesis catalyst has been successfully put into production at the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) -owned CNOOC methanol plant in Hainan.
CNOOC Group is China's largest offshore oil and gas producer. Its subsidiary, CNOOC Petrochemical Co., Ltd., is a large-scale enterprise specializing in the production of chemical fertilizers and chemical products. Its second-stage methanol plant in Hainan-based Mediterranean Petroleum Jiantao Chemical Co., Ltd. uses the DAVY ™ methanol production process, which was put into operation in 2010 with an annual output of up to 800,000 tons. This plant recently used Clariant's MegaMax® 800 catalyst and was successfully commissioned on June 28, 2018.
Compared to the catalysts used in the plant in the past, MegaMax® 800 catalysts have significantly improved various key performance indicators in the early performance operation phase. Within 24 hours of being put into use, the production of methanol increased by about 25 tons (an increase of 1%), and the amount of feed gas was reduced by 2%. The increase in output is largely due to the improvement of the catalyst temperature distribution in the catalyst bed, and the temperature of the air inlet and the hot spot has been greatly reduced. In addition, the operating pressure of the drum is greatly reduced compared with the past, and at the same time, the conversion rate of the unit amount of the catalyst is also significantly improved. MegaMax® 800 also reduces operating circuit pressure and promotes a small increase in steam production.
Stefan Heuser, Clariant's senior vice president and general manager of the catalyst business unit, said: "We are very satisfied with the results of the MegaMax® 800 in the CNOOC petrochemical methanol plant. With over 45 years of methanol synthesis experience, our catalyst products Applicable to a variety of process technologies, it can provide excellent activity and selectivity for production plants of different sizes to achieve optimal methanol production. It is an ideal solution for customers seeking to improve profitability, flexibility and safety. "
Compared with the previous-generation catalyst, the specially designed MegaMax® 800 catalyst can increase the production capacity by 40% and maintain product performance at low temperatures. The product also improves carbon conversion and methanol production, while reducing syngas consumption. Depending on the design of the production equipment and process conditions, a methanol plant using MegaMax® 800 can increase its capacity by up to 10%.
Another major advantage of the MegaMax® 800 catalyst is its higher selectivity. In general, in order to make up for the decline in catalyst activity, the reaction temperature needs to be increased, which causes by-products to increase with run time. MegaMax® 800 catalysts maintain high selectivity throughout their useful life, thereby significantly reducing the generation of specific by-products. The catalyst product has excellent stability and high resistance to poisoning, thereby providing the durability required for severe daily production and avoiding abnormal conditions in production.
In addition to MegaMax® 800, Clariant's ReforMax® 210 LDP and ReforMax® 330 LDP steam reforming catalysts are also used in the second and first phase methanol plants of CNOOC Jiantao Chemical Co., Ltd. Under high load operating conditions, the service life of the ReforMax® series catalysts can now be extended by an additional year, while maintaining excellent performance with high productivity and low pressure drop.