The development of Chinese PVC industry and the utilization of mercury

According to the raw material and the technical route, PVC products can be divided into

acetylene-based PVC and ethylene-based PVC.

Acetylene-based route: Raw material (CaC2) VCM EDC PVC VCM PVC

Ethylene-based route: Raw material (Ethylene)

Imported EDC VCM

PVC

The development of Chinese PVC industry and the utilization of mercury

Until the end 2010, PVC capacity reached 20427 KT/yr (including P-PVC). And the

volume of producers was 94, and the average capacity was 217400 mt/yr. Among them,
the capacity of acetylene-based route was 16.52 million mt/yr, accounting for 80.9% of total capacity. Along with some large-scale units put into the production relying on the resource advantages in western and middle areas, the capacity proportion of acetylene-

based route was increasing continuously.

The development of Chinese PVC industry and the utilization of mercury

In the year 2009, the total output of PVC was 9,150,000 tons in China, and the output of

acetylene-based PVC was 5,800,000 tons, accounting for 63.4% of total output.
In the year 2010, the total output of PVC was 11,300,000 tons in China, and the output of acetylene-based PVC was above 8,000,000 tons, accounting for 70% of total output.

The development of Chinese PVC industry and the utilization of mercury

The reasons for developing acetylene-based PVC in China: The energy resource structure of lacking oil, poor natural gas and rich coal The route of ethylene-based PVC is hard to meet the needs of healthy development of Chinese PVC industry. The development of acetylene-based PVC industry goes into the better track. As a whole, the development of acetylene-based PVC industry fits to the situation of Chinese energy resource structure, fits to the objective requirement of development of domestic PVC industry and chlor alkali industry. Along with

the scale of domestic PVC industry increase, acetylene-based PVC has been the
backbone of domestic PVC industry.

The development of Chinese PVC industry and the utilization of mercury---The situation of mercury consumption

During the production process of acetylene-based PVC, the catalyst is made by chlorinated mercury with the carrier of activated carbon. The activity of catalyst will reduce due to mercury sublimation and catalyst poisoning. Finally, the catalyst needs to be changed, and the inactivated mercury catalyst would become waste catalyst mercury. At present, we mainly adopt chlorinated mercury catalyst in the process of acetylene-based PVC production. To solve the high mercury consumption of acetylene-based PVC industry and the mercury pollution resulted by mercury emission, it is the severe test that faced by industry and producers.

The situation of mercury reduction and emission for acetylene-based PVC industry

Facing with mercury emission of acetylene-based PVC industry, China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation(CPCIF), China chlor alkali industry association(CCAIA), some

PVC producers and catalyst producers did a lot of meaningful attempt and exploration on
pollution prevention side and got certain progress on the development and application of low mercury catalyst and mercury-free catalyst, and have preliminary package and working line on the mercury pollution control.

The situation of mercury reduction and emission for acetylene-based PVC industry

The work line of domestic mercury reduction and emission

Phase 1 The promotion of low-mercury catalyst and the reduction of mercury consumption The industrial test stage of solid mercury catalyst The basic R&D stage of mercury-free catalyst The promotion of solid mercury catalyst and the reduction of mercury consumption The pilot test and industrial test stage of mercury-free catalyst The promotion of mercury-free catalyst and mercury-free stage Phase 2 Phase 3

The promotion of low-mercury catalyst

The R&D and promotion of solid mercury The R&D and promotion of mercury-free catalyst

The situation of mercury reduction and emission for acetylene-based PVC industry

Mercury reduction and emission of acetylenebased PVC industry

The promotion and application

of low-mercury catalyst

The technology research of mercuryfree catalyst

Along with the industrial test, the application of low-mercury catalyst has just come into effect with some actual difficult problems among acetylenebased PVC producers.

After the technology research of research institutions and production enterprises, the R&D of mercuryfree catalyst got certain lab process, but still has certain distance with the industrial production.

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems Necessity

At present, mercury supply reduces year by year and the mercury pollution is more serious. So we need to control the emission and utilization of mercury. The necessity and importance of developing the R&D of mercury-free catalyst:

The lack of mercury resources would exert the influence on production

The pressure of performance on international convention The constraints from domestic policy

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The R&D development

The study of mercury-free catalyst started from 1970s. On 1990s, Nankai University selected the optimal catalyst that has similar activity and selectivity with chlorinated high mercury. However, due to the loss of the active component, mercury-free catalyst deactivated.

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The R&D development

The early situation

After the research between Tsinghua University and Xinjiang Tianye, it made mercuryfree catalyst and tested the activity. And the original activity will be 1/3 of chlorinated mercury catalyst and had certain reproducibility. However, due to the reason of coke and material loss, catalyst deactivated in the reaction and regeneration process. The solid-phase catalytic system researched by Sichuan University and Yibin

Tianyuan existed the fly temperature phenomenon and it was hard to control the
reaction temperature.

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The R&D development

The current research

In order to promote the R&D of mercury-free catalyst and the application of new technology, Industrial technology innovation strategy alliance of mercury-free catalyst composed by CPCIF, CCAIA, some acetylene-based PVC producers and research institutes founded in August 2010, which will "gas-solid method mercury-free catalyst

technology" and "gas to liquid mercury free catalyst method technology" as the
research projects of technology research and development.

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The R&D development

Nankai University Nankai University took the research of "gas-solid method mercury-free catalyst technology. On December 2010, Nankai University developed the related research of mercury-free catalyst together with Xinjiang Tianye. In addition, Nankai University also got significant progress on catalyst deactivation

regeneration and reutilization.

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The R&D development

Beijing Longzhida
Since March 2007, Beijing Longzhida Company started the R&D of gas to liquid mercury free catalyst. On the basis of gas to liquid mercury free catalyst research, Beijing Longzhida Company also developed the gas-solid method mercury-free catalyst.

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The R&D development

Xinjiang Tianye
In order to study the field of mercury-free catalyst deeply, Xinjiang Tianye developed the

long-term cooperative research with Tsinghua University, Nankai University etc. At

present, it has formed the platform of mercury-free catalyst research and the engineering test. Cooperated with Tsinghua University Cooperated with Nankai University Cooperated with Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The R&D development of mercury-free catalyst and the existed problems---The difficulties

The problems that exist in the R&D process of mercury-free catalyst The system exists the technical flaws

The technical requirements of supporting technology and the reactor

Technical and economic contradiction The pressure on time Huge funding gap

The suggestions of related policy

Strengthen the R&D input of mercury-free catalyst

Participate in international negotiations actively and strive for the time space for the domestic industry Increase the funding and policy support strength of national level

Enhance the promotion of mercury-free catalyst and control the process of mercury reduction and emission