New Breakthrough in Hydrogenation Platform: High-Purity Cyclohexane Achieves Full-Process Low-Carbon Production, Gains ISCC PLUS Certification, Empowering Green Upgrade of Nylon and Coatings Industry Chains

At a critical juncture where the global nylon 6 and coating solvent industry chains are seeking low-carbon alternatives, cyclohexane, a key intermediate, is undergoing a production revolution. Recently, a high-purity, low-carbon cyclohexane produced via the directed hydrogenation of bio-based benzene has achieved scaled production and obtained International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS. This technology reduces the carbon footprint by over 70% compared to the traditional petroleum-based pathway, providing a verifiable green raw material solution for downstream giants like Ascend and BASF in the production of caprolactam, adipic acid, and high-end solvents. It marks the official integration of the C6 aliphatic hydrocarbon platform into the bio-economic cycle.

1. Technical Milestone: Bio-Benzene Refining and Low-Temperature Efficient Hydrogenation
The core of this industrialization lies in the dual innovation of feedstock and hydrogenation processes:

1. Bio-Benzene Production and Ultra-Deep Desulfurization

• Feedstock Pathway: Starts with biomass-derived benzene synthesized from sustainable wood or agricultural waste gasification, with its carbon source traceable to atmospheric CO₂.

• Purification Technology: Employs molecular sieve adsorption coupled with extractive distillation to reduce the total sulfur content—which can affect subsequent catalyst lifespan—to ≤0.1 ppm, while controlling the key impurity thiophene to an ultra-low level of ≤5 ppb, laying the foundation for long-term stable operation.

• Process Innovation: Utilizes highly active and selective noble metal catalysts, significantly optimizing reaction conditions from the traditional 200-250°C, 3.0 MPa to below 120-150°C, 1.5 MPa.

• Energy Efficiency Benefits: The milder reaction conditions reduce overall plant energy consumption by approximately 40% and significantly improve operational safety. The hydrogenated product achieves a stable cyclohexane purity ≥99.95%, with benzene residue ≤50 ppm.

2. Sustainability Certifications and Carbon Footprint Advantage
The environmental credentials of this bio-based cyclohexane are backed by quantifiable international certification:

3. Industry Impact: Reshaping the Nylon and High-End Solvent Value Chains
As a precursor for nylon 6 monomers and a high-end industrial solvent, its green attributes are being transmitted downstream:

• For the Nylon 6 Industry Chain:

• Bio-based cyclohexane is a core raw material for producing bio-based caprolactam. Using this feedstock can reduce the carbon footprint of the final nylon 6 fiber or resin by 50-60%, providing a powerful "green narrative" for sportswear and engineering plastic brands.

• Leading global polymer producers have initiated verification, planning to blend it into their European caprolactam plants.

• For the Coatings and Adhesives Industry:

• As an environmentally friendly solvent with low toxicity and high evaporation rate, its benzene-free characteristic significantly enhances application safety in high-end inks and precision electronic cleaning agents, gradually replacing traditional solvents like toluene and xylene.

Downstream Benefit Assessment: Although current production costs carry a 25-35% green premium over petroleum-based products, its commercial application window has opened due to policy drivers like the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and brands' urgent demand for sustainable material sourcing. For end brands with clear carbon neutrality timelines, this premium has become an acceptable supply chain cost.

4. Corporate Collaboration Case and Pilot Project
A European integrated chemical group has signed a multi-year offtake agreement with the producer, planning to establish a dedicated production line for bio-based cyclohexane to caprolactam at its integrated production site. The project brief discloses:

"This production line will produce approximately 80,000 tonnes of bio-based cyclohexane annually, all of which will be converted into caprolactam. This will become the world's first large-scale, complete commercial chain from biomass to nylon 6, with the project expected to help the group reduce carbon emissions by about 240,000 tonnes per year."

To accelerate industry chain formation, the manufacturer has launched a special program:

• Carbon Credit Transfer: Establishes a carbon credit accounting and transfer mechanism with downstream customers to ensure the green added value is recognized and monetized throughout the entire industry chain.

• Application Technology Package: Provides technical guidance for the seamless switch from petroleum-based to bio-based cyclohexane in existing plants, minimizing retrofit investment.

• Regional Hub Inventory: Sets up blending tank farms in Antwerp and Houston to support flexible small-to-medium batch procurement needs.

5. Verifiable Data and Safety Assurance
All claims are based on verifiable data and standards:

• Product Standards: Purity and impurity analysis follows ASTM D3055 and GB/T 3405 standards.

• Biodegradability: OECD 301F testing shows ultimate biodegradation >85% within 28 days.

• Safety Data: Highly flammable liquid, with toxicity comparable to conventional cyclohexane; LD₅₀ (oral, rat) > 5,000 mg/kg. Classified under GHS as Flammable Liquid Category 2, Aspiration Hazard Category 2, requiring operation in closed systems.

The scaled production of this certified bio-based cyclohexane is not merely a green substitution for a single chemical but a fundamental reshaping of the traditional petrochemical industry chain—"benzene → cyclohexane → caprolactam → nylon 6"—worth hundreds of billions of dollars. By providing traceable sustainable carbon resources, it offers a practical decarbonization path for downstream industries like textiles and engineering plastics that are difficult to decarbonize, ushering in a new era of comprehensive bio-based transformation for aliphatic hydrocarbon platform chemicals.