According to publicly available information, the manufacturing difficulty of various types of large-scale petrochemical equipment is extremely high. Large-scale hydrogenation reactors are widely recognized as the most difficult petrochemical equipment to manufacture, with requirements for materials, forging, and welding processes far exceeding those of ordinary equipment.
Comparison of Various High-Difficulty Petrochemical Equipment
Large (3000-ton class) Slurry Bed Hydrogenation Reactor
Core Positioning: Currently recognized globally as the most difficult core petrochemical equipment to manufacture, belonging to the critical reaction category.
Manufacturing Challenges:
High Requirements for Special Materials: It needs to withstand temperatures above 400℃ and pressures of 20MPa, requiring the independent development of special chromium-molybdenum-vanadium steel. The contradiction between high-temperature creep and low-temperature toughness must be simultaneously resolved. It took the China United Iron & Steel Research Institute and Baosteel eight years to overcome the material technology challenges.
High Barriers to Integral Forging Technology:Traditional segmented welding processes involve numerous welds and pose high risks during high-pressure operation. Western countries have blocked the core technology of segmented welding. China pioneered the integral forging process, requiring 500-ton-class special steel ingots to undergo thousands of forgings. The ingot heating temperature must be controlled within ±5℃; even slight deviations result in scrap.
Extremely Large Size: The largest hydrogenation reactor currently weighs over 3000 tons and is over 70 meters high. From forging and transportation to on-site hoisting, the entire industrial chain must be coordinated, and errors in any link are unacceptable.
Current Technological Status: China is the only country in the world capable of manufacturing 3000-ton-class integrally forged hydrogenation reactors, and the technology is completely self-reliant and controllable.
Large Ethylene Compressor
Core Positioning: Referred to as one of the "most difficult mechanical equipment to manufacture globally," it belongs to key moving equipment.
Manufacturing Challenges: Ethylene is the most important basic raw material in the petrochemical industry. Producing ethylene requires compressing gas to several hundred atmospheres, demanding that compressors operate stably under ultra-high pressure for extended periods. This places extremely high demands on rotor dynamic balance, sealing technology, and material fatigue strength, a process historically monopolized by the US, Germany, and Japan.
Current Technological Status: China has achieved a technological breakthrough and completed domestic substitution.