Breakthrough achieved in the technology of converting bio-oils into fatty alcohols
Recently, the technology for the high-selectivity hydrogenation of bio-oils to produce fatty alcohols, developed by the team of Professor Zhao Yujun from the Chemical Engineering College of Tianjin University in collaboration with Liaoning Fine Chemical Industry Technology Development Co., Ltd., has passed the scientific and technological achievement evaluation organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. The expert committee unanimously believes that this innovation is highly innovative, with comprehensive technical indicators reaching the international leading level. It marks a key breakthrough in the manufacturing process of high-end natural fatty alcohols in China, laying the foundation for achieving self-control in this field.
Fatty alcohols are hailed as the "industrial food" of modern fine chemicals. Among them, natural fatty alcohols produced from renewable resources such as coconut oil and palm oil, due to their regular molecular structure, complete biodegradability, and mildness and non-irritation to the skin, have become the "green favorites" in the fields of cosmetics and care. The demand for fatty alcohols in China continues to grow, but the import dependence is high, and the core technology "blockade" issue urgently needs to be resolved. Developing efficient and low-carbon new production paths is not only the need of China's industrial development but also a frontier topic in global scientific and technological innovation.
In response to the industry's pain points, Zhao Yujun's team abandoned the old approach of following and imitating, and innovatively proposed a new theory of "cohesive-phase catalysis" from the theoretical source. They have created two core innovative achievements. Firstly, in the development of catalysts, the team revealed the core mechanism that the activity of copper-based catalysts depends on the synergy of dissociated hydrogen and activated ester groups. Through their original "carbon coating confinement" and "auxiliary agent modification" technologies, they achieved precise control of the surface interface structure of the catalyst, not only significantly enhancing the catalytic activity and selectivity, but also reducing the silicon hydroxyl groups on the carrier surface that are prone to be corroded by methanol, making the catalyst possess excellent resistance to methanol poisoning and high-temperature sintering capabilities, and significantly extending its service life.
Secondly, in terms of process design, the team developed a complete set of "medium-pressure condensed-phase oil hydrogenation" process technology. This technology overcomes the high energy consumption and safety risks inherent in traditional methods. Under mild conditions of medium pressure and low hydrogen ester ratio, it creates an efficient reaction environment, achieving a targeted and efficient conversion of fatty acid esters to fatty alcohols. This reduces the overall energy consumption and equipment investment from the very beginning.
Based on this, Zhao Yujun's team collaborated with Liaoning Fine Chemical Industry Technology Development Co., Ltd. to jointly tackle the challenges, developing key technologies for catalyst scale-up from kilogram to ton levels. They also constructed a pilot-scale trial device for the hydrogenation of bio-oil to fatty alcohol at a capacity of hundreds of tons. The device achieved continuous and stable operation for 1,000 hours. The data from an expert on-site assessment of 72 hours showed that the average conversion rate of the key raw material methyl laurate in the pilot device was greater than or equal to 99.59%, and the average selectivity of the target product lauric acid was greater than or equal to 99.69%. Each kilogram of catalyst could produce 309 grams of fatty alcohol per hour. After purification, the purity of the fatty alcohol was greater than or equal to 99.93%, and all quality indicators were superior to the national standard grade product indicators.
At present, this technology has completed the full-chain verification from laboratory research, prototype testing to hundreds-ton pilot production. Its technical maturity (TRL) has reached above level 7, and it has the foundation for industrialization promotion. The R&D team has begun to plan for a ten-thousand-ton industrial demonstration project and intends to expand the technology to higher carbon-chain products.
