Environmental Technologies and Eco-innovation in the Czech ...

Technology Platform for Biofuels in Transport and the Chemical Industry was established.
Its main aim is the sustainable production of biofuels in the Czech Republic.
In order to thoroughly survey the market with chemical agents and substances
and to prevent unauthorized chemicals from entering the market, the EU adopted
a new chemical policy (REACH 3 ) in 2006. This was incorporated into Czech legislation
by Act No. 356/2003 Coll., on chemical substances and chemical preparations. The
implementation of REACH will ensure that only those chemicals that have known
properties and do not represent a threat to production plant personnel, product
users and the environment will be produced and used in the EU by 2020. The act on
chemical agents and preparations also mandates the marking of chemical products.
7.1 | Aniline production using waste heat
Aniline is an organic compound used in the production of azo-dyes 4 and drugs.
Aniline production is subject to a research conducted at the Institute of Chemical
Technology in Prague in cooperation with BorsodChem MCHZ, s.r.o. The principle of
aniline production is the catalytic reduction 5 of nitrobenzene 6 by using hydrogen
through many columns for insulating pure aniline. There are several reduction systems
that basically differ in the reactor and catalyst used. Adjustments to technology and
subsequent increases in aniline production capacity to 150 kilotons per year together
with many modifications aimed at reducing investment costs and improving power
consumption made the process self-sufficient in terms of heat consumption; in
addition, it produces up to 1 ton of steam per 1 ton of aniline. This is used externally
in nitrobenzene production. Thanks to better use of the power produced during the
production process, no external power resources are required. In 2003, the knowhow
and a licence for producing 150 kilotons of aniline per year were sold to Tosoh
Corporation, a Japanese company. After the Japan unit was put into operation in 2005,
the technology has been producing almost 10% of the world’s consumption of aniline.
The Czech Republic produces 5%, which is the largest amount within basic chemical
products.
3 REACH – Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 on the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals and on the
establishment of a European Chemicals Agency, REACH (Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of CHemicals)
4 azo-dyes – the most numerous and the most important group of organic dyes that includes all shades from yellow to black
5 catalytic reduction – chemical reactions with the use of a catalyst
6 nitrobenzene – an organic compound, the basic raw material for the production of aniline and azo-dyes
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