Sinopec enters the game!

Recently, Associate Professor Wang Bo from the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, China University of Petroleum (East China) signed an agreement on the development of a complete set of technologies for the production of adiponitrile by butadiene hydrocyanation with a refinery branch of Sinopec, officially launching the industrial application of this technology.

.
At present, this innovative production process of adiponitrile has completed the verification of a modular continuous small-scale industrial demonstration unit
.
After reviewing by experts organized by Sinopec, it was agreed to start the construction project of 10,000-ton industrial production equipment
.

This technology breaks through the technical barriers existing in catalytic system, reactor, separation and purification, equipment selection and so on
.
Compared with the existing adipic acid ammoniation method and acrylonitrile electrolysis method in the industry, this technology has significant advantages such as higher yield, lower cost, and environmental friendliness
.
At the same time, innovations and breakthroughs have been made in process technology, equipment, analysis and testing, and raw material preparation:

First, the original development of a complete prototype technology package for the production of adiponitrile by butadiene hydrocyanation with independent intellectual property rights, including the whole process technology, equipment design, process safety protection, online analysis and testing, etc.
The indicators have reached the best level of similar devices abroad, and have broken through the blockade of foreign patents
.

The second is to develop the technology of producing adiponitrile raw materials from acrylonitrile by-product hydrocyanic acid, which greatly reduces the cost of adiponitrile raw materials and turns waste into treasure
.

Third, combined with China's national conditions, developed a complete set of production technology for the production of hydrocyanic acid by ammonia oxidation of methanol, and invented the industrial online detection technology of hydrocyanic acid
.

Fourth, innovatively developed a highly active and highly selective metal-organic catalyst system for the reaction of butadiene and hydrocyanic acid to produce adiponitrile, which has achieved efficient recovery and recycling of the catalyst
.

Table 1 Comparison of production process of adiponitrile

Source: Chain Plastic Network

In the next two years, domestic adiponitrile will be put into operation in a centralized manner

According to statistics, the total global adiponitrile production capacity in 2020 will be 1.
796 million tons, mainly concentrated in INVISTA (1.
043 million tons/year), Ascend (400,000 tons/year), BASF (260,000 tons/year), China Feng Group (50,000 tons / year), Asahi Kasei (43,000 tons / year) five enterprises
.
These five companies are also equipped with downstream hexamethylene diamine and PA66 production units.
The produced adiponitrile and hexamethylene diamine are given priority to ensure their own supply.
Only INVISTA and BASF have some remaining adiponitrile products for sale
.

Among them, INVISTA owns the patented technology of butadiene method and has been producing adiponitrile for several decades, making it the largest adiponitrile manufacturer in the world
.
At present, its adiponitrile production capacity is 1.
04 million tons/year, which is distributed in the United States and France
.
In June 2020, its adiponitrile project with an annual output of 400,000 tons in Shanghai Chemical Industrial Park, China started construction, using its most advanced fifth-generation adiponitrile production technology, and is expected to be officially put into production in 2022
.

Ascend uses acrylonitrile electrolysis to prepare adiponitrile, with a current production capacity of 400,000 tons per year, located in the United States
.

In July 2019, Huafon Group built China's first industrialized 50,000-ton/year adiponitrile production unit by using the adipic acid method, which reached production and stable operation in October 2019.
So far, adiponitrile has been localized locally.
Achieved zero breakthrough
.
In 2021, another 50,000 t/a adiponitrile plant of Huafon Group will be commissioned.
The second phase of 100,000 t/a adiponitrile plant currently under construction is expected to be put into operation in 2022, and the third phase of 100,000 t/a adiponitrile plant is expected to be put into operation in 2022.
The nitrile plant is already under intensive design and is expected to be commissioned in 2023
.

At present, many domestic enterprises are deploying adiponitrile, and the next two years will be the stage of concentrated production of the project
.
The successive commissioning of these devices will provide sufficient raw material supply for the downstream industry of adiponitrile in China, especially the development of nylon 66
.

Table 2 Domestic production plan for adiponitrile production capacity under construction

In 2025, the domestic demand for adiponitrile will reach one million tons

Adiponitrile, the raw material of nylon 66, is similar to the localization process of caprolactam, the main raw material of nylon 6 more than 10 years ago, and it is expected to usher in a rapid expansion of consumption after localization
.
After Tianchen Qixiang's 200,000 tons/year adiponitrile and INVISTA Shanghai's 400,000 tons/year adiponitrile were completed and put into operation in early 2022 and mid-2022, respectively, the demand for nylon 66 in the civil, military, automotive and rail transit fields will be relatively high.
Great room for growth
.
In 2021, the apparent domestic consumption of nylon 66 will be 515,800 tons
.
It is expected that the domestic demand for nylon 66 will grow at a rate of 40% in the next few years.
In 2025, the domestic demand for nylon will reach 2 million tons, and the demand for adiponitrile will be about 1 million tons
.

Experts said that the lack of supply of domestic adiponitrile makes the 'adiponitrile-hexamethylene diamine-nylon 66' industry chain highly monopolized by oligopoly
.
Relying on technological monopoly and blockade, foreign companies can easily control the high-end extension of China's entire nylon industry chain through the supply of adiponitrile, which seriously affects the economic benefits and international competitiveness of the industry
.

After the industrialization of adiponitrile in China, its production scale will be further expanded, the cost will be further reduced, and it will bring more import substitution space for PA66, further open up the application space of PA66, and the domestic PA66 industry may usher in a period of rapid development
.
According to industry estimates, the demand for adiponitrile and PA66 is expected to double in the next 2 to 3 years.
In the next 5 to 10 years, adiponitrile will reach a certain marginal production cost, and the demand for PA66 is expected to reach 4 million tons.
China may become the world's largest Adiponitrile-PA66 Market
.

2022 Adiponitrile Project News

On January 11, Henan Shenma Aidian Chemical Co.
, Ltd.
, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shenma Co.
, Ltd.
, planned to acquire the 500-ton/year direct hydrocyanation of butadiene to prepare adiponitrile technology held by Henan Zhongping Ziguang Technology Co.
, Ltd.
ownership
.
It is reported that the company is building a 50,000-ton/year adiponitrile project, which is expected to be put into operation in 2022
.

On January 21, Tianchen Qixiang announced that the adiponitrile project in Zibo, Shandong has entered the staggered period of intermediate delivery and trial production as a whole, and the bulk chemical raw materials required for production have entered the site
.
The designed production capacity of the first phase of the company's Zibo adiponitrile project is 200,000 tons, and the maximum production capacity is expected to reach 300,000 tons after process optimization
.

On February 14, the environmental impact assessment of INVISTA's Shanghai Phase III expansion project announced that five production lines will be built in the existing factory, with an annual output of 242,500 tons/year of PA66 polymer
.
It is reported that as of the end of January, the construction of the INVISTA nylon chemical adiponitrile production project in Shanghai Chemical Industrial Zone has been completed more than 90%
.
At present, the adiponitrile production base is about to carry out various equipment debugging, sprinting towards the goal of being officially put into operation in the middle of this year
.
After being put into production, INVISTA's adiponitrile production capacity will be as high as 470,000 tons/year
.

On February 14, the People's Government of Caofeidian District, Tangshan made a public announcement on the environmental impact assessment of Hebei Fuhai Runze Chemical Co.
, Ltd.
's 300,000 tons/year adiponitrile project
.

On February 16, Qicai Chemical disclosed its reply to the letter of concern from the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, and at the same time announced the product plan for the first phase of its high-end chemical new material industry chain project, including 20,000 tons/year of adiponitrile
.
The company uses its own technology to only launch 20,000 tons/year of adiponitrile, which is mainly produced on the same line with succinonitrile.
According to the market situation, the production capacity utilization rate is timely adjusted.
As an auxiliary product of succinonitrile, it also greatly reduces the project.
The investment risk is mainly for export in the early stage, and it will be used for hydrogenation to produce hexamethylenediamine in the later stage
.

On February 23, the adiponitrile-PA66 integration project of Fujian Yongrong Technology Holding Group has been launched, with a total investment of 16.
5 billion, and it is planned to be completed in 2023
.

On March 9, China Chemical announced that its Tianchen Qixiang adiponitrile project has entered the staggered period of mid-term delivery and trial production as a whole, and the bulk chemical raw materials required for production have entered the site
.
On March 22, the first phase of the acrylonitrile plant of Tianchen Qixiang nylon new material project invested and constructed by China Chemical in Zibo, Shandong was successfully started at one time, and the first batch of qualified products was produced, marking the domestic high-end nylon industry is far from realizing adiponitrile.
Localization and the formation of a complete nylon industrial chain system are one step closer
.

On April 22, the Ningdong Base Management Committee held a signing ceremony with Shaanxi Taifengshenghe Industrial Development Co.
, Ltd.
and Bozun Investment Group Co.
, Ltd.
The adiponitrile and downstream high-end new material projects with a total investment of 10 billion yuan settled in Ningdong
.