The development process of catalysts in China

The first catalyst production plant in China was the catalyst department of Yongli Asia Plant, which was renamed as Nanjing Chemical Industry Company Catalyst Plant in 1959. In 1950, it started to produce AI type ammonia catalysts, C-2 type carbon monoxide high temperature conversion catalysts and VI type vanadium catalysts for sulfur dioxide oxidation, and then gradually completed the production of various catalysts for ammonia industry. By 1984, more than 40 units had produced catalysts for sulfuric acid, nitric acid and ammonia industries.

In order to develop fuel chemicals, in the early 1950s, Petroleum Plant No. 3 started to produce molybdenum sulfide-white clay, tungsten sulfide-activated carbon, tungsten sulfide-white clay and pure tungsten sulfide and molybdenum sulfide catalysts for shale oil hydrogenation. 

In the early 1960s, China developed rich petroleum resources and started to develop industrial production of petroleum refining catalysts. At that time, petroleum catalytic cracking catalysts were first produced in Lanzhou Refinery, and the small ball silica-alumina catalyst plant was put into production in 1964. 1970s, China began to produce rare earth-X molecular sieve and rare earth-Y molecular sieve, and at the end of 1970s, in the catalyst plant of Changling Refinery, the production of co-gel method silica-alumina carrier rare earth-Y molecular sieve began, and later in the catalyst plant of Qilu Petrochemical Company, the production of high stacking ratio, wear-resistant semi. 

Since the 1960s, China has started to develop reforming catalysts, and in the mid-1960s, Petroleum Plant No. 3 started to produce platinum catalysts, and in the 1970s, it produced bimetallic platinum-rhenium catalysts and polymetallic reforming catalysts. In the area of hydrogenation refining, in the 1960s, Petroleum Plant No. 3 started to produce molybdenum-cobalt and molybdenum-nickel reforming pre-hydrogenation catalysts, and in the 1970s it started to produce molybdenum-cobalt-nickel low-pressure pre-hydrogenation catalysts, and in the 1980s it started to produce trilobal hydrogenation refining catalysts.

In order to develop the organic chemical industry, the production of iron-based catalysts for ethylbenzene dehydrogenation, mercuric chloride/activated carbon catalysts for acetylene plus hydrogen chloride to vinyl chloride, vanadium oxide catalysts for naphthalene oxidation to phthalic anhydride in fluidized bed, and skeletal nickel catalysts for hydrogenation were started in the late 50s and early 60s. 

By the 1980s, a variety of selective hydrogenation catalysts for refined olefins were produced, and microsphere oxide catalysts for the ammoxidation of propylene, loaded metal catalysts for the oxidation of ethylene and acetic acid to vinyl acetate, high-efficiency olefin polymerization catalysts, and honeycomb catalysts for the treatment of industrial waste gases were also produced.

Catalysts are widely used in various industries around the world, and there are great prospects for future development in the scientific and theoretical research of catalysts, development and utilization of clean energy, environmental protection and improvement of economic efficiency, as well as the management and protection of human living environment. In short, human survival and development, food, clothing, housing and transportation are inseparable from catalysts and their development.