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[Chemical Knowledge]：MEG manufacturing methods and processes.

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MEG (ethylene glycol) is an important chemical raw material, which is widely used in polyester fiber, antifreeze, unsaturated polyester resin and other fields. In the manufacturing method of MEG, petrochemical route and biological route are two common methods. This article will detail these two manufacturing methods.

1. petrochemical route

petrochemical route is a process in which MEG is produced from petroleum through a series of chemical reactions. The process mainly includes the following steps:

1. Ethylene oxidation to generate ethylene oxide

ethylene and oxygen mixture, through the role of silver catalyst, reaction to generate ethylene oxide. The reaction needs to be carried out at high temperature and high pressure, and the temperature and pressure of the reactor need to be controlled to ensure the progress of the reaction and the selectivity of the product.

2. Hydration of Ethylene Oxide to Ethylene Glycol

Ethylene oxide and water are mixed and reacted to form ethylene glycol by the action of an acidic catalyst. The reaction needs to be carried out at a certain temperature and pressure, and the pH value of the solution and the concentration of the catalyst need to be controlled to ensure the progress of the reaction and the purity of the product.

through the above two steps, a relatively pure MEG product can be obtained. However, in the production process, factors such as the consumption of raw materials, the activity of the catalyst, and the maintenance of equipment need to be considered to improve the economic efficiency and environmental friendliness of production.

2. Biological Route
The
Biological Route is the process by which MEG is produced by microbial fermentation. Compared with the petrochemical route, the biological route has the advantages of a wide range of raw materials and environmental protection in the production process, and has gradually become a research hotspot in the field of MEG manufacturing. The biological route mainly includes the following steps:

1. Microbial fermentation

uses carbon sources such as glucose as nutrients for microorganisms, and converts carbon sources into MEG through microbial metabolism. During the fermentation process, the growth conditions and metabolic pathways of microorganisms need to be controlled to improve the yield and purity of MEG.

2. Product separation and purification

Through distillation, extraction and other separation technologies, MEG in the fermentation broth is separated from impurities to obtain a relatively pure MEG product. In the process of product separation and purification, factors such as product yield, purity and operating cost need to be considered.

At present, the technology of manufacturing MEG by biological route is not fully mature, and there are still some technical problems to be solved. However, with the continuous development of microbial engineering and separation technology, it is believed that the biological route will become the mainstream technology in the field of MEG manufacturing in the future.

In summary, the manufacturing methods of MEG include both petrochemical and biological routes. The petrochemical route has the advantages of easy access to raw materials and mature technology, but a large amount of waste and pollutants will be produced in the production process, which will cause greater pressure on the environment. The biological route has the advantages of a wide range of raw materials and environmental protection in the production process, but there are still some technical problems to be solved. In the future, with the continuous improvement of environmental awareness and technological progress, it is believed that the biological route will become the mainstream technology in the field of MEG manufacturing.

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