Cheng Shibiao

Green production technology of caprolactam

Ideal of green chemistry is the reaction of atom economy and production of environment-friendly green products. This requires that every atom in the raw materials would transfer into the production, no production is of waste and by-products, and no usage of the poisonous and harmful materials. Practice the concept of green chemistry, Research Institute of Petroleum Processing successfully developed the green caprolactam production technology, to construct 200 kt/a plant. The innovation technology includes: TS-1 zeolite integration with single-vessel continuous slurry bed for cyclohexanone ammoximation; silicalite-1 zeolite integration with moving bed for cyclohexanone oxime rearrangement, and amorphous Ni alloy integration with magnetically stabilized bed for purification of caprolactam. Based on the commercial application results, the caprolactam production plant investment decrease 70%, operation costs decrease 10%, atom utilization rate increases to 90% from 60%, and essentially waste-free, respectively. Green caprolactam production technology produces great economic and social benefits, practices green chemistry concepts, and be a successful example of green chemistry.