Production of absolute ethyl alcohol high purity
The Institute of Natural Products Chemistry negotiated with the Russian Scientific Center on the provision of main technological devices in the system of devices to produce high purity absolute ethyl alcohol without using chemical agents, the training of staff, and the transfer of the technology to the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry to meet the demand for the use of high purity absolute ethyl alcohol to serve research work and implement work in the areas such as the extraction of active biological substances from plants and animals, the making of aromatic spices, fixator and the preservation of food.
Professor Chau Van Minh, former Head of the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry and Mr. Shapovalov A.A., General Director of the Russian Scientific Center officially signed contract number 1654 dated 1 February 2008 to carry out the project.
According to the above contract, the Russian Scientific Center was responsible for designing the technology, designing the drawing for main technological devices, designing the checking, measurement and automation systems, providing structured packings for distillation columns, providing devices, measurement and automation tools for manually controlled conditions, setting up technical requirements for the building design of a 24 meter six storey steel frame building to distribute alcohol absoluteness modules, operating houses, product storehouse, bottling facilities and sample analysis and checking. It was also responsible for providing enough technical figures for the Vietnamese side to choose to buy supportive devices such as chillers, boilers, devices to extract alcohol, and devices and tools for sample analysis.
The system to produce absolute ethyl alcohol with a capacity of 125 liters per day was built at the technological testing area
in Tam Hiep commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi.
The Vietnamese side will be responsible for making main devices of the project, based on technical documents provided by the Russian scientific center; providing supportive devices such as boilers, chiller, cooling towers, bottling devices, technological pipes and attached spare parts (valves of all kinds, pipe pots…) according to technical instructions of the Russian Scientific Center.
In July 2008, the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry carried out the building of technical infrastructure of the project, including manufacturing and installing a 24 meter 6 storey steel frame building, a 2 storey operating house where controlling station and supportive devices (chiller, cooling towers, water, alcohol material pumping systems…) are placed, the building for sample checking and analysis, boiler building, storages for materials and products, bottling facilities, the system to treat drilled well water, three-phase electricity cable line…
In early September 2008, after completing the building of technical infrastructure, engineers from the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry and engineers and technical workers from the Nam An Environmental and Mechanical Company installed the entire technological pipe and device systems under the instruction and technical inspection of experts from the Russian Scientific Center.
After three months of installation, operation, trial running, and training of cadres, the device system successfully produced high purity absolute ethyl alcohol with the Ethanol concentration reaching 99.98% and the total organic impurities content under 16ppm, exceeding the designed targets. This is the product with the highest purity in Asia and in the world today. The product fully satisfies the demand of industries requesting high quality Ethanol alcohol such as the pharmaceutical industry, electronic industry, defence industry and scientific research. The project was checked and taken over in February 2010.
This is the second system in the world to produce high purity ethyl alcohol with the technology without chemical agents (PSD) built in Vietnam (The first system was built in the Federation of Russia in 2007 with the designed capacity of 500 liters per day).
Since early 2010 the system has been stably put into operation and produced exceedingly high quality products compared to similar products available in the domestic and international markets. The product can meet requirements for research of the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry as well as the demand for high purity alcohol of other research agencies under the VAST.
During the implementation of the project, difficulties were encountered. The project had to be moved from the Nghia Do technological testing area to the Tam Hiep material testing area in Tam Hiep commune, Thanh Tri district, Hanoi. The price of materials and workers changed compared with initial estimates, due to variations of the world economic situation. As there was not enough essential materials, the design had to be changed. However, with the great efforts of the two sides and the help and prompt assistance of organizations which are the assistants of the Head of the Institute, the work progress was completed, with the quality ensured and products produced in high quality.
First Deputy Director in charge of science of the Russian Scientific Center, Kartashov Iu. I., on behalf of the Russian Scientific Center (RSC) awarded Deputy Head of the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry, Truong Tat Hieu, the RSC’s certificate of merit for the achievements in expanding international cooperation in hi-tech industry
The work vividly reflects the Vietnam - Russia good traditional friendship, the unbiased and effective assistance of Russian scientists for Vietnam, the close cooperation among scientists and engineers of the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry and scientists and engineers of the RSC, practically contributing to welcoming the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Institute of Natural Products Chemistry (1990-2010) and 35th anniversary of the founding of the VAST (1975-2010).
Translated by Phuong Huyen
Link to Vietnamese version
