On July 29, 2020 the project “Development of key technology for green production of methanol synthesis catalyst” undertaken by the SINOPEC Nanjing Research Institute of Chemical Industry (NRICI) has passed the review and evaluation of scientific achievements organized by the SINOPEC Science and Technology Division. The relevant experts attending the review and eveluation meeting have proposed to speed up the development of process design package (PDP) in a bid to push on its commercial application.In China the catalyst production factories generally discharge a large amount of wastewater containing various metal salts. The 2017 version of “Standard for Discharge of Pollutants from Peroleum Refining Industry” has for the first time set limits on total nitrogen emissions, and the wastewater generated in the course of catalyst production shall be treated to comply with the emission standard. In 2019 the SINOPEC Science and Technology Division has approved a project to study and develop the key process for green production of methanol synthesis catalyst, intending to separate and reclaim copper, zinc, and sodium cations and nitrate anions from the wastewater so that a close to zero discharge of sewage can be achieved in the course of preparation of the Cu-Zn catalyst.

NRICI has adopted specific filtration and adsorption methods in a laboratory scale to study the wastewater formed in the course of manufacturng the methanol synthesis catalyst, and then the research work has been performed in a 1.5 t/h pilot unit. The wastewter after being treated by this technology can be recycled as fresh water, in addition to recovering from wastewater the technical grade sodium nitrate product coupled with a 30 percent reduction of water consumption and an 18 percent decrease of steam consumption.