PVA mercury emissions are thunderous raindrops are large
The global effort to eliminate mercury pollution is taking concerted actions. The international call for ban on mercury is getting louder and louder. Domestic mercury emission reduction laws and regulations are intensively introduced and mercury resources are decreasing. The situation facing the large consumer of mercury in the calcium carbide process polyvinyl chloride industry is very serious. Some experts said that China's calcium carbide process polyvinyl chloride industry is in a critical period of survival. What is gratifying is that over the past year or so, through the concerted efforts of all parties, the calcium carbide process polyvinyl chloride industry has achieved positive results in promoting the application of low-mercury catalysts and the research and development of non-mercury catalysts, raising the level of mercury pollution prevention and control. This is the information that the reporter obtained from the meeting of the leaders and expert groups of the mercury pollution prevention and treatment work in the PVC industry under the calcium carbide process held in Beijing on March 4. From January 24 to January 28 this year, the second meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee for the International Mercury Convention organized by the UN Environment Programme was held in Chiba, Japan. The meeting called for the first intergovernmental negotiations held in Stockholm, Sweden, last June. The instruments produced were discussed and the articles in the instrument were analyzed. Although there are no conclusive opinions on this negotiation, the direction is very clear. The requirements for the exploitation of mercury resources, the trade and circulation of mercury products, and the use of mercury processes will be very strict. According to the relevant arrangements, the United Nations Environment Programme will also organize three meetings and will form a global legally binding mercury instrument in early 2013. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the prevention and control of mercury pollution and proposes to focus on the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution during the 12th Five-Year Plan period. At the end of 2009, the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other eight departments jointly issued the "Guidelines on Strengthening the Prevention and Control of Heavy Metal Pollution". In May 2010, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology released the “Comprehensive Mercury Pollution Prevention and Control Plan for the Calcium Carbide Process PVC Industry†to specify the specific technical solutions and implementation methods for eliminating the mercury contamination of polyvinyl chloride in the calcium carbide process. In January 2011, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued the "Circular on Strengthening the Prevention and Treatment of Mercury Pollution in the Production of PVC by the Calcium Carbide Process and Related Industries." It is proposed that by the end of 2015, calcium carbide process PVC manufacturers should all use low-mercury catalysts; 60 days after the date, newly-built, reconstructed or expanded calcium carbide-based PVC production projects must use low-mercury catalysts; existing calcium carbide-based PVC production facilities shall not be reconstructed or expanded before replacing high-mercury catalysts with low-mercury catalysts; At the same time, it is proposed that calcium carbide process PVC manufacturers should actively adopt advanced production technologies and mercury pollution prevention and control technologies, increase technological transformation and reduce mercury emissions. In February 2011, the State Council approved the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan†for comprehensive prevention and control of heavy metal pollution to specify the targets for heavy metal pollution prevention and control. At present, China's annual mercury consumption accounts for 30% to 40% of the world's total, of which calcium carbide used in the calcium carbide process accounts for 60% of the country's mercury. On the other hand, due to the constraints of China's resource structure, the predominance of PVC production with calcium carbide cannot be changed. This determines that the calcium carbide process polyvinyl chloride industry has become the most important area for the future implementation of the international mercury convention. In the face of exceptionally severe domestic and international situations, under the active support of the relevant government departments and scientific research institutes, universities, and enterprises, over a year's time, the calcium carbide process polyvinyl chloride industry has achieved mercury reduction. Positive progress. At the meeting of the leading group and expert group of mercury pollution prevention and treatment work in the PVC industry, Zhou Xianhui, deputy secretary-general of the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation and head of the mercury pollution control expert group, introduced the establishment of the petrochemical association last year. Leading group and expert group for mercury pollution prevention and control, and established the overall thinking and concrete promotion plan for mercury emission reduction. In order to strengthen the cooperation between industry, universities, and research institutes, increase the research and development of mercury-free catalysts, and strive to achieve a breakthrough in the field of mercury-free catalyst as soon as possible, in August last year, the mercury-free catalyst industry technology innovation alliance formed by scientific research institutes, universities, and leading enterprises was established. In December of the same year, the Innovation Alliance held a seminar in Tianjin. Experts discussed the issues related to the research and development of mercury-free catalysts, and determined the direction of research and cooperation. At the same time, the promotion and application of low mercury catalysts have made positive progress. In 2010, the order quantity of low-mercury catalysts has exceeded 2,200 tons, and the sales volume has reached 1,500 tons, which is 2.59 times of that in 2009, and the proportion of use manufacturers and each company has increased. In order to guide the prevention and control of mercury pollution in the industry and provide technical support to the relevant authorities in the country, the Petrochemical Federation and the China Chlor-Alkali Industry Association jointly developed the “Pipeline-based PVC Pollution Prevention and Control Plan for PVC Industryâ€, and proposed to actively phase out high-mercury catalysts and moderately develop low-mercury mercury. Catalysts, accelerating the mercury prevention and control of mercury-free catalysts. The basic ideas and techniques of the "Planning" have been listed in the "Twelfth Five-Year Plan" for comprehensive prevention and control of heavy metal pollution. Under the entrustment of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Petrochemical Federation and the Chlor-Alkali Association produced the “Planning for the Implementation of Cleaner Production Technologies in the PVC Industryâ€, the “Comprehensive Mercury Pollution Prevention and Control Program for the Calcium Carbide Process PVC Industry†and the “Enhancement of the Calcium Carbide Process for the Production of Polyvinyl Chlorideâ€. And related industry mercury pollution prevention work notice." At the same time, the organization formulated the "Standard for Low-Ignition Catalyst Products" and completed the preparation of the "Guidelines for Cleaner Production Audit of the PVC Industry". It is also in the process of compiling the "Universal Design for the Treatment of Mercury Pollution in the Production of PVC by the Calcium Carbide Process and the Recovery and Utilization of Mercury Resources." 》 This has played an important role in promoting mercury emission reduction from many aspects such as policies and technologies. However, in view of the current unabated situation in China's PVC project, the industry experts expressed concern that the existing PVC production capacity has been able to meet domestic demand, the new project needs not only to consider coal, electricity, salt, but also should Consider the issue of mercury resources. Experts called for the relevant departments to strictly control the new projects for the sustainable and healthy development of the PVC industry. Dovin limited , https://www.dovinmachines.com