Chemical and engineering bases for green H2O2 production and related oxidation and ammoximation of olefins and analogues

Plastics, fibers, and rubber are three mainstream synthetic materials that are essential to our daily life and contribute significantly to the quality of our life. The production of the monomers of these synthetic polymers usually involves oxidation or ammoximation reactions of olefins and analogues. However, the utilization of the C, O, and N atoms in current industrial processes is less than 80%, which represents the most environmentally polluting processes for the production of basic chemicals. Through innovation and integration of catalytic materials, new reaction pathways, and reaction engineering, Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, Sinopec Co., Ltd. (RIPP) and its collaborators have developed unique H2O2-centered oxidation/ammoximation technologies of olefins and analogues, which has formed a ¥500 billion emerging industry and driven trillions of downstream industries. The chemical and engineering bases of the production technologies mainly involve the integration of slurry-bed reactors and microsphere catalysts to enhance H2O2 production, H2O2 propylene/chloropropylene epoxidation for the production of propylene oxide (PO)/epichlorohydrin (ECH), and integration of H2O2 cyclohexanone ammoximation and membrane separation to innovate the caprolactam production process. This review briefly summarizes the whole process from the acquisition of scientific knowledge to the formation of an industrial production technology by RIPP. Moreover, the scientific frontiers of H2O2 production and related oxidation/ammoximation processes of olefins and analogues are reviewed, and new technological growth points are envisaged, aiming at keeping China as one of the leaders in the development of the science and technologies in H2O2 production and utilization.