EO (Ethylene Oxide) Plant

Ethylene Oxide (EO) is a versatile chemical raw material primarily used to produce ethylene glycol (a key component in manufacturing polyester fibers and antifreeze), and serves as a core intermediate for surfactants, ethanolamines, and glycol ethers. Additionally, EO is widely employed in the medical field as a low-temperature sterilizing agent for heat-sensitive medical devices, in agriculture as a fumigant to control stored-product pests, and in industrial applications for oilfield chemicals and solvent production. Recent advancements have expanded its use into bio-based biodegradable materials and carbon capture technologies, highlighting its growing potential in green chemistry.

Applications of Ethylene Oxide (EO):

Chemical intermediates: Produces ethylene glycol (for polyester fibers and antifreeze), surfactants, and ethanolamine derivatives.
Medical sterilization: Serves as a low-temperature gas sterilant for heat-sensitive medical devices.
Agricultural fumigation: Eliminates pests and mold in stored grains and tobacco.
Industrial applications: Manufactures oilfield chemicals (e.g., demulsifiers, corrosion inhibitors) and industrial solvents (for coatings and inks).
Emerging materials: Synthesizes bio-based biodegradable plastics (e.g., polyglycolic acid, PGA) and participates in CO₂ conversion technologies.
Other fields: Used in pharmaceutical intermediates, textile auxiliaries, and sterilization of food packaging materials.

Introduction

Ethylene oxide is an organic compound with the chemical formula C2H4O. It is a toxic carcinogen that was previously used to manufacture fungicides. Ethylene oxide is flammable and explosive, and is not easy to transport over long distances, so it has strong regional characteristics. Widely used in industries such as washing, pharmaceuticals, printing and dyeing. In the chemical industry, it can be used as a starting agent for cleaning agents.

Process Characteristics

Efficient Catalytic System
- Utilizes a silver (Ag)-based catalyst with promoters such as rhenium (Re) and barium (Ba), significantly enhancing selectivity (above 90%) and stability while suppressing carbon deposition and sintering.
- Catalyst lifespan extends to 2-3 years, reducing replacement frequency.
Precise Reaction Control
- Fixed-bed multitubular reactor design combined with a molten salt circulation cooling system ensures precise temperature (200-300°C) and pressure (1-3 MPa) control.
- Oxygen concentration strictly maintained below 8% to inhibit over-oxidation side reactions.
Circular Economy Design
- Unreacted ethylene and oxygen are recycled after CO₂ removal (via alkali washing or membrane separation), with inert gases periodically purged to minimize raw material consumption.
- Reaction heat is reused for feedstock preheating, achieving 15-20% energy savings.
Safety and Environmental Protection
- Diluents (methane/nitrogen) are added during feedstock mixing to avoid explosive limits (ethylene concentration maintained at 5-30%).
- EO-containing wastewater is treated via steam stripping or biodegradation, while CO₂ emissions are captured and repurposed (e.g., for urea production).
Mature Separation Technology
- Three-step purification (water absorption, desorption, and distillation) ensures EO purity exceeds 99.9%.

Process Advantages

High Selectivity and Cost Efficiency
- Main reaction selectivity reaches 90-95%, minimizing CO₂ byproducts and improving raw material utilization. Ethylene accounts for 60-70% of costs, ensuring strong economic viability.
Enhanced Safety
- Explosion-proof designs (rupture discs, real-time gas monitoring) and diluent usage effectively mitigate explosion risks.
Environmental Sustainability
- Advanced treatment of wastewater and exhaust gases meets strict emission standards (e.g., <1 ppm EO in wastewater), aligning with green production practices.
Optimized Energy Consumption
- Energy integration (waste heat recovery, steam-driven compressors) reduces total energy consumption to 2.5-3.5 GJ per ton of EO.
Proven Industrial Reliability
- Mature technology with standardized equipment (e.g., Incoloy 800 alloy reactors) and operational parameters, ideal for large-scale industrialization.
Flexibility and Scalability
- Compatible with novel feedstocks (e.g., bio-based ethylene) and upgradable through digital controls (AI-driven O₂/C₂H₄ ratio optimization).

Advantages Over Alternative Processes

Compared to Chlorohydrin Process: Eliminates chlorine-containing wastewater pollution and reduces energy/material consumption.
Compared to Electrochemical Methods: Offers higher technical maturity, larger production capacity, and cost competitiveness.

The ethylene oxide production process centers on efficient catalytic oxidation, combining high selectivity, safety, environmental compatibility, and cost-effectiveness. Continuous optimization through circular resource use and energy integration makes it the optimal choice for industrial EO production.

Our advantages on EO plant designing lies in:

● Having experience in engineering design for over a hundred types of chemical plants, as well as one-stop EPC engineering services.

● Engineering design experience in two sets of ethylene oxide plants, as well as one-stop service experience in EPC engineering.

● Senior experts with 29 years of professional experience in ethylene oxide plants.