Cradle to Gate
Identity ID
14ba7bd3784143a9a0c940f447026d9b
Materials
Associated ID
07c826b9-cb54-4b44-af71-21ef07f76ae6
Included activities starts
Included activities ends
Description
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a co-product generated during the coal-to-methanol-based ethylene glycol production process and can be used for cooking, heating, and as automotive fuel. The dataset includes primary raw materials, auxiliary materials, energy inputs, and waste outputs from the production process. Environmental burdens associated with production equipment, factory infrastructure construction, and equipment maintenance are excluded from the system boundary of the dataset. The life cycle inventory is compiled from data derived from multiple sources. The process chain for producing LPG from coal-based methanol includes coal powder gasification, purification, methanol synthesis, distillation, olefin separation, olefin cracking to ethylene, ethylene oxidation to ethylene oxide, and ethylene oxide hydration to ethylene glycol.
Activity Description
The process flow for producing liquefied petroleum gas from coal-based methanol includes coal powder gasification, purification, methanol synthesis, rectification, olefin separation, olefin cracking for ethylene production, ethylene oxidation for ethylene oxide production, and ethylene oxide hydration for ethylene glycol production.
Process Description
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is a fossil fuel, like petroleum and natural gas. LPG is a mixture of various low-boiling-point gases produced during the petroleum refining process and does not have a fixed composition. Its main components are butylene, propylene, butane, and propane. Its primary applications are in the following areas: cooking, heating, and automotive fuel.
Time period
2020
2026
Geography
China
Macroeconomic value
Business-as-Usual
Data validation
Yes
Technology
Current Technology
Technology comment
The specific process includes: (1) pulverized coal gasification to produce raw synthesis gas, which undergoes sulfur-resistant partial conversion via Co-Mo catalytic process, followed by cold methanol washing for sulfur recovery with liquid sulfur as a by-product. (2) The purified synthesis gas is processed through low-pressure methanol synthesis units (e.g., Lurgi process), methanol distillation columns, and hydrogen recovery units to produce methanol; the methanol is then separated into olefins via MTO (methanol-to-olefins) technology, and the olefins are cracked to produce ethylene. (3) Ethylene is oxidized to produce ethylene oxide, which is then hydrated to produce ethylene glycol.