Coal-based Syngas to Ethylene Glycol Technology (SEG® technology)
Early stages of SEG® development originated from HighChem business parner, UBE Industries Ltd. Since 1980s, UBE Industries Ltd. has played a leading role in the development of process technology for coal-based syngas (obtained through coal gasification, biomass gasification, coke oven gas conversion, natural gas conversion, shale gas conversion, and other methods) to dimethyl oxalate and dimethyl carbonate.
UBE has been operating the only 10,000 ton/yr DMC/DMO joint production facility in the world for more than 20 years using syngas as starting raw material.
With technical support from UBE Industries, HighChem completed the process development of dimethyl oxalate hydrogenation to ethylene glycol in collaboration with industry partners including East China Engineering Science and Technology Co., Ltd., (ECEC)and Zhejiang Realsun Chemical Co., Ltd.
The world's first set of SEG® production unit—Xinjiang Tianye 50,000 ton/yr syngas to ethylene glycol facility started up successfully in early January 2013 in Xinjiang, China, and as of June 2017, the unit has been running for 53 months, meeting the standards of safety, stability, long-term operation, full-load capacity, and quality excellence.
Market prospects of coal to ethylene glycol
Looking at current market situation in China, there are great potential and opportunities for market expansion in the application of SEG® technology. The production and supply of ethylene glycol in China is limited. In 2016, ethylene glycol consumption in China was 13.55 million tons (12.55 million tons for polyester and 1 million tons for non-polyester products), and the accumulative import volume was 7.57 million tons, which accounted for 56% of the total demand. China's heavy dependence on the import of ethylene glycol is projected to be an on-going trend for many years to come.
Process flow diagram of SEG® technology
SEG®technology is based on the chemical reaction of carbon monoxide and hydrogen generated in coal, shale gas, coal combustion exhaust, natural gas, and other substances to produce ethylene glycol. The reaction can also make effective use of exhaust gas stream generated during the production of carbides and steel.
SEG ® Technology Features
- As the inventor of the gas phase CO synthesis dimethyl oxalate, UBE has more than 30 years of industrialization experience.
- High reaction selectivity and high product purity.
- UBE has a unique technology for handling the explosive important intermediate MN to achieve the intrinsic safety of the device.
- Few byproducts (DMC/DMO <2%)
- Highly active carbonylation and hydrogenation catalysts and high reaction efficiency
What We Offer
- Commercialized technology with more than four years of fully operational experience.
- Commercialized catalyst production and performance with proven track records.
- Continuous efforts in optimization of existing technologies.
- Comprehensive transfer package including the support in sales of products.
HighChem Technology Transfer& Licensing
In addition to SEG®, HighChem serves as a transfer & licensing agent for many other syngas based technologies from Japan and China.
- New route of ethanol synthesis
- Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology
- Glycol ether fuel (STO) technology
High-efficiency capsule catalyst for one-step synthesis of ethanol from syngas (Patent pending in China)
- One-step synthesis of ethanol from syngas
- Catalyst life is more than 3000 hours
- Selectivity of ethanol is above 80%
- The STY of ethanol is above 320 g/kg-cat‧h
Fischer-Tropsch synthesis technology uses synthesis gas (obtained through coal gasification, biomass gasification, coke oven gas conversion, natural gas conversion, shale gas conversion and other ways) as raw material to synthesize clean liquid fuel dominated by straight-chain alkanes and free of sulfur and nitrogen.
HighChem has been committed to the research and development of FT catalysts. HighChem Tokyo Research Center collaborated with University of Toyama on the research and development of new FT catalyst, which is magnified and optimized by HighChem Shanghai Laboratory and Nantong Laboratory, and is finally industrially produced by HighChem Nantong Catalyst Factory, to realize the upgrading of the catalyst.
Reaction mechanism
nCO+2nH2 = ( CH2 )n + nH2O
Technical advantages
- Compared with traditional co-precipitation and supported iron-based catalysts, the newly developed high-performance supported catalyst improves the space-time yield.
- The development of new pore structure catalyst improves the conversion rate and selectivity of the catalyst.
As a multifunctional composite fuel additive integrating multi-effects, economy, and safety with high efficiency, glycol ether can comprehensively improve the petroleum-based, coal-based diesel quality. It is tailor-made to the technological characteristics of SEG® technology. By changing the use of the byproduct methanol in the SEG® process, HighChem further develops coal-based liquid oxygenated fuel technology for producing glycol ether through a one-step reaction.
Features of glycol ether oxygenated fuel:
- Good miscibility with diesel that requires no transformation of gas turbine system
- Two-component system, flexible deployment of the cetane number
- Significant reduction in soot and carbon monoxide emissions
- Significant reduction in diesel pour point
- Green and environment friendly without secondary pollution
- 25% to 30% can be added to diesel.
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