Sinopec: New 30,000 Tons/Year mPAO Industrial Facility Project

Recently, the Ecological Environment Bureau of Maoming City announced the acceptance of the environmental impact report for the new 30,000 tons/year mPAO industrial facility project by China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation Maoming Branch.

Metallocene polyalphaolefin (mPAO) is a high-end synthetic lubricating oil base oil produced by the polymerization of alpha-olefins using metallocene catalysts. Compared to conventional synthetic polyalphaolefin (cPAO), mPAO has advantages such as high viscosity index, high shear stability, low volatility, and low toxicity. It has gained wide market recognition, and the demand in the market continues to rise.

For many years, the Maoming branch company has been dedicated to the research of high-end lubricants. In the context where there is no precedent for the industrialization of ultra-high viscosity index mPAO technology in China, they formed a joint team with relevant units to fully carry out technical research. In January 2022, they successfully established the first domestically built pilot plant for synthetic lubricating oil mPAO with independent intellectual property rights (3000 tons/year). The mPAO products produced have an ultra-high viscosity index, a low pour point, and good shear stability, which can meet highly demanding usage conditions and are applied in important fields such as wind power, aerospace, maritime, military, and high-speed trains.

To meet the market demand for mPAO and based on the successful experience of the 3,000-ton/year mPAO pilot plant, it is necessary to construct a large-scale industrial production facility with a capacity of tens of thousands of tons.

Compared to traditional poly-alpha-olefins (PAO), the use of metallocene catalysis allows for structural control, resulting in metallocene poly-alpha-olefins (mPAO) that have significant advantages and can achieve product characteristics that are unparalleled by traditional catalytic routes.

In terms of performance, it has advantages such as high viscosity index, good low-temperature fluidity, strong thermal stability and oxidation stability, high shear stability, and low traction coefficient. These help maintain the stable viscosity of the lubricant oil, enhance cold start and low-temperature fluidity, improve durability, and extend service life.

In terms of environmental protection and safety, it has a longer oil change interval, conserving energy and reducing emissions; at the same time, it has high purity and low odor, making it more suitable for use in high-end cosmetics.

In terms of compatibility, metallocene polyalphaolefin exhibits excellent synergistic effects with various lubricant additives and has good compatibility with other base oils, allowing for the flexible formulation of lubricants with different properties.

"As the low-altitude economy, aerospace, high-end automobiles, wind power, and robotics sectors rapidly develop, the demand for high-end lubricants increases, and metallocene polyalphaolefins can effectively meet market needs," introduced Dr. Wei Dongchu. "Currently, the global consumption of polyalphaolefins is approximately 800,000 tons. As the world's largest high-end manufacturing country, China is the most promising user nation globally, with significant market demand and development potential."

Certainly, despite the promising prospects, the metallocene polyalphaolefin market currently faces numerous challenges.

The technical threshold is relatively high, requiring advanced metallocene catalyst technology and complex polymerization processes, which also limits the number of new entrants.

The high cost, complex production process, and strict requirements for raw materials to some extent limit its widespread application in the mid to low-end markets.

The market structure is highly concentrated, and the global metallocene polyalphaolefin market is mainly dominated by a few giants such as Chevron Phillips, INEOS, and ExxonMobil Chemical.

It is worth mentioning that currently, the localization of mPAO technology is facing a situation whereOpportunities and challenges coexist.The challenge is that metallocene polyalphaolefins have long been a bottleneck, making industrialization difficult. The industry is highly dependent on imports and is constrained by overseas giants.

The opportunity is that China's refining capacity is as high as 924 million tons per year, ranking first in the world in terms of capacity and refining technology, with severe overcapacity. The trends of "oil conversion" and "oil transfer" are inevitable. Utilizing independently owned intellectual property to produce linear α-olefins through ethylene oligomerization and converting linear α-olefins into metallocene mPAO can effectively extend the refining industry chain, increase the variety and value-added of petroleum products, and fundamentally address the technical barriers of critical basic raw materials.