AIR: Towards a CO2-free, Sustainable, Ethylene Oxide Technology

AIR：迈向无二氧化碳、可持续的环氧乙烷技术

• 批准号: 1127765
• 负责人: Bala Subramaniam
• 金额: $ 21万
• 依托单位: University of Kansas Center for Research Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-08-01 至 2014-01-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1127765&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: AIR; Towards; CO2; free; Sustainable

Conventional ethylene oxide (EO) processes emit CO2 as byproduct (roughly 3.4 MM tons/yr) from the combustion of both the ethylene and EO, the elimination of which has been a major grand challenge in industrial chemistry for decades. In a NSF-funded project, an alternate technology concept that is 99% selective toward EO was recently demonstrated at the University of Kansas with no detectable CO2 formation. This alternate process is based on homogeneous ethylene oxidation with H2O2 at 25-40C and ~50 bars using methyltrioxorhenium (MTO) as catalyst. This proposal addresses the key barrier to commercialization, viz., the design and demonstration of a recyclable MTO catalyst. Both heterogeneous supports and bulky soluble polymers (capable of retention in solution by nanofiltration membranes) are being considered. Quantitative catalyst performance metrics (activity, selectivity and durability) for practical viability have been established through preliminary economic analysis and will guide catalyst design. Successful completion of the project objectives will result in novel, recyclable catalyst formulations for epoxidation reactions in general. The demonstration of a continuous ethylene-expanded liquid phase catalytic reactor will be the first of its kind. The project guidance from ADM (interested in epoxidation of vegetable oils), Evonik (a major H2O2 producer) and P&G (a major EO consumer) personnel increases the probability of project success and eventual commercialization. The proposed concept has the potential to result in significant conservation of oil and gas reserves (~13 million barrels crude oil/year) and reduction of carbon emissions as byproduct (3.4 million metric tons of CO2 each year). The application of this technology to mixed feeds containing ethylene and ethane will also result in significant energy savings associated with their separation required in conventional processing. The technical outcomes from this proposed work will be integrated into an ongoing course titled Development of Sustainable Chemical Processes, impacting both the undergraduate and graduate curricula.

传统的乙烷氧化物（EO）工艺从乙烯和EO的燃烧中排出二氧化碳作为副产品（约3.4毫米/年），几十年来，消除的消除一直是工业化学中的重大挑战。在一个由NSF资助的项目中，最近在堪萨斯大学（University of Nothing of Notable CO2组）展示了一个替代技术概念，对EO的选择性为99％。该替代过程基于在25-40C下用H2O2均匀的乙烯氧化，使用甲基三氧甲烯（MTO）作为催化剂。该建议涉及商业化的关键障碍，即可回收MTO催化剂的设计和演示。正在考虑异质的载体和笨重的可溶性聚合物（能够通过纳米滤膜保留在溶液中）。已经通过初步经济分析确定了实用生存能力的定量催化剂性能指标（活动，选择性和耐用性），并将指导催化剂设计。成功完成项目目标将导致新颖的可回收催化剂制剂，用于环氧化反应。连续乙烯膨胀的液相催化反应器的证明将是同类产品中的第一个。 ADM的项目指南（对植物油的环氧化感兴趣），Evonik（主要的H2O2生产商）和P＆G（主要的EO消费者）人员增加了项目成功和最终商业化的可能性。拟议的概念有可能导致石油和天然气储量的大量保存（约1300万桶原油/年），并减少碳排放量作为副产品（每年340万吨二氧化碳）。该技术在含有乙烯和乙烷的混合饲料中的应用也将导致与常规加工中所需的分离相关的大量节能。这项拟议工作的技术成果将纳入一个持续的课程，称为可持续化学过程的发展，影响本科和研究生课程。