AgroPages-Eastlake High-Tech achieves ethephon micro-reaction industrialization, hazardous materials being only 1/1,400 of conventional process-Agricultural news

Shaoxing Eastlake High-Tech Ltd is in possession of the world's first 10,000-ton ethephon full process micro-reaction industrialization plant, comprising a volume of 45 liters and occupying a land area of 72 square meters.

The first 10, 000-ton ethephon full process micro-reaction industrialization plant

So far, the 10,000-ton plant has been running smoothly for over two years. Compared to the conventional tank reactor, the TCEP yield from the new plant is greatly increased to reach an international level.

Ji Guoyan, the board chairman of Eastlake High-Tech, said that the superiority of the plant lies in its technical capability to solve the high exothermic reaction-caused flammable and explosive problems, as well as the safety issues in the course of TCEP synthesis, having reduced the hazardous materials of reaction down to 1/1,400 of the conventional process. In the meantime, the risk of increased capacity running is accordingly decreased due to the use of modular construction.

Ji Sheng, the general manager of Eastlake High-Tech, added that due to the micromation of the reaction device throughout the process, the holding reaction material quantity in the device is less than 1/10,000 of the conventional process, which greatly reduces the danger of inflammable or explosive raw materials before reaction such as ethylene oxide. Due to the enhanced mass and heat transfer in microchannel, the controllability and efficiency of reaction are improved. While the reaction safety issue is fixed, the reaction time is also reduced from over 100 hours down to eight minutes and the number of process operators is cut down to 1/8 of the previous process.

Currently, there is a growing market demand for high-quality plant growth regulators. In the years ahead, Eastlake High-Tech will continue the optimization of its ethephon production facility using the micro-reaction technology to meet the market needs. Meanwhile, the company is prepared to use the micro-reaction technology to renovate its chlormequat production line.