Chinese technique to squeeze low-carbon compounds from coal could be game-changer
- A new synthesis technique known as OXZEO doubled reaction yield for raw materials used in various industrial products
- Technique could reduce China’s reliance on petroleum for chemical production
The research has centred on olefins – also known as alkenes – a class of chemical compounds that serve as important raw materials in the production of various industrial products such as plastics, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and even spacecraft.
By harnessing a new synthesis technique, the research team said it was able to produce a light-olefin yield of 48 per cent, far more than the previously confirmed yield of less than 27 per cent.
Light olefins refer to olefins with fewer carbon atoms, such as ethylene, propylene and butenes.
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The traditional synthesis method, known as the Fischer-Tropsch process, believed to date back to the early 1920s, begins with converting coal into a mix of carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The gas mixture, called syngas, is then transformed into olefins. The conversion happens with the help of a specific catalyst – the key element in the process. However, the efficiency of such reactions has always been limited.