In the 1980s and 1990s, there were as many as 1,000 small and medium-sized ammonia plants, equivalent to almost one ammonia plant in every county in the country. At that time, these small and medium-sized ammonia plants were the security of China’s agricultural production, but their energy consumption and pollution problems could not be underestimated.
In order to solve the above problems, the former State Planning Commission (now the National Development and Reform Commission) targeted Wei Kemei, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and his team, who had made outstanding contributions to the development and promotion of series of fertilizer catalysts, and in 1996, the National Engineering Research Center for Fertilizer Catalysts (hereinafter referred to as the Center) was established at Fuzhou University.
With decades of hard work, Wei Kemei’s team has always insisted on the close integration of basic research, applied research and industrial development. Because in their mind, it is the long-cherished wish to make the fields of fertilizer catalyst, desulfurization purifier and environmental protection catalyst stronger and bigger.
Energy saving and environmental protection is always the theme
The early days of the business were always hard but enjoyable. We were busy until we left school at night, and the iron gate was already closed, so the team members often climbed the door to go home. With the struggle of Wei Kemei’s team, three ammonia synthesis catalysts A110-3, A201 and A202 were successfully developed, all of which won the National Invention Award or Technology Progress Award.
These catalysts have been popularized and applied in hundreds of small and medium-sized ammonia synthesis plants across China, achieving extraordinary economic and social benefits.
Once, the leaders of the former Ministry of Chemical Industry suddenly approached Wei Kemei, and it turned out that the iron-chromium-based carbon monoxide high-temperature conversion catalyst, which was the most used in small and medium-sized ammonia production processes, contained the carcinogenic substance chromium, which had caused different degrees of harm to workers in some plants.
At that time, the use of this catalyst emitted more than 1000 tons of chromium per year. The possibility of developing a new catalyst to replace it touched the hearts of many front-line workers.
After receiving the assignment, Wei Kemei led a young R&D cadre to work on a new iron-based carbon monoxide high-temperature conversion catalyst. The researchers innovatively used natural minerals treated by hydrothermal method to replace part of the chromium in the catalyst, making the chromium dosage drop by two-thirds compared to the traditional catalyst.
The resulting B116 carbon monoxide high-temperature conversion catalyst was promoted for use in ammonia plants nationwide and won the second prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award.
However, they did not become complacent. After achieving the honor, they thought more about how to minimize the chromium pollution. Finally, the B121 chromium-free carbon monoxide high-temperature conversion catalyst, which is completely free of chromium pollution, was born in the laboratory. After that, it has been fully satisfied with the production needs after nearly 3 years of industrial application in Lianjiang Synthetic Ammonia Plant, Fujian.
“How to make fertilizer catalyst and auto exhaust catalyst together”
“How to make fertilizer catalyst with automobile exhaust gas?” When we first started the auto exhaust catalyst project, many people raised similar questions in front of Wei Kemei.
But in Wei’s view, it was obvious that if the catalyst research and development was focused on ammonia, the vision was limited. This idea became even stronger when he returned from a study trip to Japan in 1992.
Five years later, the domestic automobile industry was developing rapidly, yet most of the research institutes in China were still doing basic research and publishing papers on automotive exhaust catalysts. So, the Center decided to start the research and development of automotive exhaust catalysts.
CO is one of the three harmful gases that are not completely burned in the exhaust of automobiles. And the center developed a successful conversion catalyst to let CO and H2O react to produce CO2 and H2, which greatly reduces the pollution of the environment and the harm to human body by the toxic gas CO.
In this process, Kemei Wei led a group of young doctors to fight against the problem. From the coating nanomaterial of catalyst to the preparation synthesis method and heat treatment condition of nanocatalyst, the composite nanomaterial with high heat resistance and high oxygen storage was developed. Through the special preparation method, the active components of precious metals loaded in the coating material were highly dispersed and high temperature sintering was avoided, which finally gave birth to FD-type auto exhaust catalyst.
Last year, FD-type auto exhaust catalyst was tested in China FAW Group for Euro V standard and durability life test of 160,000 km was carried out. The test results show that the FD auto exhaust catalyst has fully met the above requirements and become the only auto exhaust catalyst in China that can compete with BASF (Germany), Johnson & Johnson (UK) and Umicore (Netherlands).
At present, FD-type auto exhaust catalysts are used in three FAW vehicles and other domestic mainstream vehicles in the Euro V test, in an attempt to achieve a larger scale localization of auto exhaust catalysts.
The integration and development of industry-academia-research-use is the way back
The engineering center should be restructured and co-established with large enterprises. This is not only a requirement of the National Development and Reform Commission, but also something that Wei has been mulling over for a long time.
Although there are many enterprises producing chemical catalysts in China, there are not as many as expected who are willing to sink their hearts into R&D. After several searches, Beijing Sanju Environmental Protection New Materials Co.
After several negotiations, this listed company, which specializes in hydrogenation refining catalysts and desulfurization purification, established a joint venture with the Center to establish Fujian Sanju Fuda National Engineering Research Center for Chemical Fertilizer Catalysts Co.
Nowadays, the road of industry-academia-research-application of the center is in full swing. Under the leadership of researcher Jiang Lilong, the center has developed a series of medium and high pressure sulfur resistant conversion catalysts for medium and high pressure coal gasification technology in a short period of time, and the performance of each index has reached or even exceeded that of a famous foreign brand, and the cost has also dropped significantly. The Center is now promoting the application of this catalyst in large ammonia enterprises.
In addition, with the development of fertilizer industry in the direction of large-scale, the Center and the joint venture company have also timely adjusted the R&D direction of fertilizer catalysts to the much-needed catalyst development and improvement for large ammonia plants.
“Pioneering, innovation, hard work and dedication are the philosophy of the Center’s staff.” Wei Kemei said that the center is actively organizing and implementing secondary innovation capacity building with the support of the National Development and Reform Commission
