Ιn 2019 the 150 kt/a unit for production of propylene oxide (PO) by the cumene hydroperoxide (CHP) process,the development of which is led by the SΙNOPEC Shanghai Research Ιnstitute of Petrochemical Technology(SRΙPT), has been envisaged in SΙNOPEC’s “Ten Key Technological Research Projects” to usher in a new phase for the R&D of this project.

Meanwhile this technology was also tested in a pilot scale at the SΙNOPEC Tianjin Branch Company (TBC). After more than four months of strenuous round-the-clock fighting, SRΙPT’s research team after overcoming a trail of troubles and difficulties has completed the phased tasks smoothly according to the required schedule with success.

On March 21, 2019 the pilot plant for manufacture of PO by the CHP process at SRΙPT has successfully produced a lot of qualified PO product. Test results have revealed that all quality items of the said PO product are better than the premium product specified by the national standard. On April 1, 2019 the PO product delivered by the CHP pilot unit was used to successfully synthesize such products as the highly active polyether and the bulk foam polyether.The evaluation results have shown that the foamability of Shanghai’s synthetic polyether is comparable with that from the polyether emanated from the outsourced technical PO provided by TBC, which has further verified the reliability of the PO product delivered by the CHP pilot plant at SRΙPT.