Status of import dependence of toluene in China and technical bottleneck of localization?

Analysis of China's toluene import dependence status and localization process in the technical constraints

In recent years, China, as an important global manufacturing base, the demand for toluene continues to rise. As an important basic chemical raw material, toluene plays an irreplaceable role in coatings, resins, solvents and other fields. China's toluene market has been highly dependent on imports for a long time, and there are still many bottlenecks in domestic technology. This paper will analyze the current situation of toluene import dependence in China and the challenges of localization technology.

1. toluene market demand and supply status

The demand for toluene in China continues to grow, with an average annual growth rate of more than 6%. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, China's toluene imports will reach 4.1 million tons in 2022, and its dependence on foreign countries will exceed 60%. This high dependence on imports not only increases the production costs of enterprises, but also poses a potential threat to national energy security.

From the supply side, the domestic toluene production capacity is limited, and the technical level of existing devices is uneven. Some devices adopt advanced technology imported from abroad, but there is still room for improvement in operation stability and energy consumption control. The new capacity is affected by both environmental protection policies and market expectations, and it is difficult to significantly improve domestic supply capacity in the short term.

2. Localization Technology Bottleneck Analysis

In terms of toluene production process, the reforming-alkylation method and methylbenzene route are mainly used in China at present. There is a gap between these process routes and foreign advanced levels in terms of production efficiency and product selectivity. For example, foreign advanced technologies can achieve higher conversion rates and better product distribution, while domestic technologies still need to be improved in these indicators.

Catalyst technology is the key to toluene production. At present, the advanced catalysts on the market are mainly in the hands of developed countries such as Britain and Germany. These catalysts have higher activity and selectivity, which can significantly improve the operating efficiency of the plant. In contrast, domestic catalysts still have gaps in performance stability and service life. Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences has made some breakthroughs in the field of toluene production catalysts in recent years, but large-scale industrial application still needs time.

3. Localization Breakthrough Path Discussion

In view of the above technical bottlenecks, the future needs to start from the following aspects: increase investment in research and development, focus on breaking through catalyst preparation technology; optimize the existing production process, improve the operating efficiency of the device; strengthen industry-university-research cooperation, and establish a technology sharing and transformation platform.

In the context of increasingly stringent environmental protection requirements, toluene localization technology also needs to take into account clean production and energy saving and emission reduction. Through the development of new catalysts and the optimization of process conditions, the reduction of pollutant emissions and the effective use of resources can be achieved, thereby reducing production costs and improving the competitiveness of enterprises.

The current situation of import dependence of toluene in China and the bottleneck of localization technology is a complex system engineering, which needs the joint efforts of the government, enterprises and scientific research institutions. Only by achieving a comprehensive breakthrough in toluene production technology can we effectively reduce the degree of dependence on foreign countries, ensure national energy security and promote the sustainable development of the chemical industry. In the future, with the progress of technology and policy support, domestic substitution is expected to gradually make substantial progress.