500,000 tons/year project - Olefin Division No. 1 of Ningxia Coal Industry Subsidiary of State Power Corporation 

Ethylene industry

In modern petrochemistry, the ethylene industry is rightly called the “king of petrochemicals.” Its core is not only the classical pyrolysis of hydrocarbons, but also increasingly extensive integration into modern fine organic synthesis, new energy and the production of polymer materials, forming an industrial chain of colossal scale.

In this chain, water, mineral acids and traces of carbon monoxide (CO) pose the most serious threat, causing deactivation of expensive polymerization catalysts and blocking of cryogenic equipment due to ice formation. To ensure high operational reliability of the entire range of ethylene and unsaturated hydrocarbons production, extremely deep molecular-selective physical adsorption is required at all key stages: from the preparation of raw materials (ethanol from coal/biomass) and catalytic purification of synthesis products to the final drying of unsaturated gases and liquids.

Ethylene Industry - Coal to Olefins (CTO/MTO)

Industry technical priorities

In the chain of production of olefins from coal (CTO) or methanol (MTO), the purification of commercial olefins is a critical step to ensure the stable operation of subsequent stages - polymerization and other petrochemical processes.

Ethylene and propylene produced using coal technology may contain the following microimpurities:

• Moisture (H₂O)

• Alcohols and other oxygenates

• Polar impurities

These impurities have a negative impact on polymerization processes, the stability of catalytic systems and quality control of the final product.

Taking into account the continuous and highly loaded operating mode of CTO/MTO installations, adsorption materials must simultaneously provide:

• Highly selective drying;

• Deep cleaning from alcohol impurities;

• Long-term cyclic stability;

• Resistance to thermal, hydrothermal and mechanical stress.

Hengye Microcrystalline Materials has developed specialized products for olefin purification processes:

• Molecular sieve HYG03C for drying olefins;

• HYAX360 adsorbent for removing alcohols.

These products are designed to deeply purify olefin streams and improve product quality consistency.

Key customer criteria when choosing adsorbents

Large coal chemical enterprises and olefin producers pay primary attention to the following aspects when choosing adsorbents:

1.High efficiency of olefin drying

Residual moisture in olefins has a critical influence on subsequent polymerization processes and catalytic reactions.
Evaluation criteria:

• Dynamic adsorption capacity;

• Achievable drying depth;

• Efficiency of cyclic regeneration.

HYG03C is designed specifically for olefinic environments and provides consistent, deep moisture removal.

2.Selective control of alcohol and oxygenate content

In CTO/MTO processes, the formation of microimpurities of alcohols and other oxygen-containing compounds is possible.
Adsorbent HYAX360 due to selective adsorption provides:

• Control of the content of alcohol impurities;

• Reducing the influence of oxygen-containing components;

• Increasing the purity of commercial olefins.