Clariant and Xiyuan joint development project

Source: China National Chemical News May 16, 2019

Sinochem New Network News May 7, Clariant announced that it will cooperate with Wuxi Xiyuan Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. to develop two new projects, using its jointly developed formaldehyde production technology to provide enterprises with high-performance FAMAX 200 DS catalyst innovative solutions Program.

The contracted customers of these two new projects are Shandong Yushiju Chemical Co., Ltd. and Shandong Sanfeng New Materials Co., Ltd. respectively. The annual production capacity of the two manufacturers is estimated to be 150,000 tons and 130,000 tons, respectively. Clariant revealed that the number of customers currently using this advanced technology has increased to six in the short term. The technical scheme of the project has been applied by Wuxi Xiyuan to three formaldehyde production plants in China and India. The fourth plant using this technology is located in Jiangsu Province. The plant is expected to begin operations in the second quarter of 2019, with a designed annual formaldehyde production capacity of 240,000 tons.

Zhang Jiatao, Chief Operating Officer of Shandong Yushiju Chemical Co., Ltd. said: \"In order to meet the growing domestic demand for phenol formaldehyde resins, we attach great importance to strengthening and simplifying operations to ensure that we always maintain a leading position in the industry. The advanced process and catalyst technology provided by Wuxi Xiyuan can help us achieve this goal.\"

Clariant FAMAX 200 DS is a new-generation formaldehyde catalyst that can help manufacturers achieve higher productivity and profitability. Compared with the traditional catalyst, the hollow cylindrical shape design of this generation of catalyst can reduce the pressure drop of 10%~15% in the catalyst bed. This special design allows manufacturers to flexibly reduce energy consumption under the same factory capacity conditions, or increase production capacity under the same energy consumption conditions. In addition, the iron/molybdenum-based catalyst contains advanced chemical components, which can improve the low temperature activity of the catalyst and allow it to operate at a lower cooling medium temperature, which further increases the production of formaldehyde. Because the catalyst can greatly reduce the formation of by-products, the final formaldehyde quality is also higher, and manufacturers can also benefit from it.

Wuxi Xiyuan is a domestic leader in the production process of direct oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde through fixed-bed catalytic reactions. The iron/molybdenum-based catalytic solution can bring many benefits. The company has focused its latest development strategy on the application of this technology in formaldehyde production. Wuxi Xiyuan and Clariant have cooperated for many years and established a strategic partnership in 2017 to promote formaldehyde production in China.