Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics (DICP) has developed an industrial process for producing isopropanol (IPA) by direct hydration of propylene with completely independent intellectual property rights. Besides the excellent product quality, the process is also featured by the environmental amicability, high efficiency and low consumption.

A special resin catalyst, which has the characteristics of good heat-resistance, water-resistance, mechanical strength and activity, is developed for the direct hydration of propylene. On the other hand, DICP develops a novel propylene hydration process with the advantages of low temperature, moderate pressure and high propylene conversion. Furthermore, the novel techniques, including the novel trickle-bed reactor, staged feeding of propylene, water chilling etc, are used to resolve the problems of temperature-runaway and catalyst sinter.

The process performances are as follows: one-way propylene conversion, 75%; steam consumption, ≤3.2 t/t (IPA and Diisopropyl ether); catalyst lifetime, ≥8000 hours.

DICP licensed the IPA technology firstly to Shandong Hi-tech Chemical Ltd inDongying, Shandong Province, China.This unit, with a capacity of 30,000 MTPA, was constructedand successfully commissioned in 2005. The second commercial IPA unit with a capacity of 50,000 MTPA, was licensed to Zhejiang Xinhua Chemical Ltd in Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, China, and started up in 2012. The above two units has been successfully running till now. In 2020, DICP also licensed the IPA technology to Jiangsu Kailing Chemical Ltd to build an IPA unit with acapacity of 50,000 MTPA in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, China.