Since its founding, China’s petrochemical industry has made remarkable strides, evolving from nearly non-existent to the second largest in the world. This progress, driven by the country’s economic reforms and opening up, has been marked by key innovations, including the development of catalytic cracking technology. This breakthrough ended Europe and the United States’ long-standing monopoly in this area, positioning China as a global leader with a catalytic cracking production capacity exceeding 300 million tons annually. However, a critical challenge has persisted for decades: the inability to efficiently deconsolidate catalyst powder in catalytic cracking slurry, despite producing 15 million tons of catalytic oil slurry each year. This has made it difficult to compete with advanced international applications, such as carbon fiber, needle coke, and specialized carbon black.

Founded in July 2018 in Wuhan, China, Wuhan AGZ Technology Co., Ltd. (AGZ) was established with a clear mission—to address China’s oil slurry deconsolidation challenge. AGZ is committed to delivering world-class solutions to China’s petrochemical industry. Since 2015, in partnership with LaBaer, a U.S.-based technology partner, AGZ has focused on developing advanced electrolysis technology for removing fine catalyst powder and metal particles from oil slurry. After extensive R&D, LaBaer’s team created the innovative DiSep^® electroseparation technology, specifically designed to meet the unique requirements of Chinese oil slurry. This breakthrough significantly enhances filtration efficiency and enables the regeneration of deconsolidated oil slurry.

The DiSep^®electroseparation technology, utilizing electromagnetic forces far greater than gravity, excels in treating catalytic oil slurries with high asphalt and gum content, achieving a catalyst fines and metal particle removal rate of 99%. The resulting purified oil slurry has a solid content of less than 50 ppm. AGZ introduced this cutting-edge technology into China, investing significant resources to complete the industrial design, testing, and long-term operation of electroseparation equipment. This marked the successful industrialization of electroseparation, solving a longstanding problem for China’s oil refineries. Today, AGZ has implemented four industrial projects, processing 500,000 tons of oil slurry annually, and delivering clarified oil slurry with less than 50 ppm of solid content—achieving a major technical breakthrough for the industry.

To ensure excellence, AGZ has attracted top-tier talent and assembled a highly efficient engineering team with deep expertise in both technology development and industrial operations. The company’s leadership is equally committed to fostering a corporate culture that blends the best of Chinese and Western values, ensuring sustainable growth and innovation.

AGZ’s electroseparation technology represents a fundamental breakthrough in oil slurry treatment, transforming 15 million tons of previously semi-waste catalytic oil slurry into a strategic resource for China’s chemical and new materials industries. The deconsolidated oil slurry not only gains significant value, but also delivers immense environmental benefits. It can serve as a raw material for high-end products such as needle coke, carbon black, and marine fuel oil. This shift is expected to add approximately $5 billion annually in high-value applications, contributing tens of billions of yuan to China’s economy and enhancing the global competitiveness of the country’s chemical and new materials industries.

Looking ahead, AGZ remains dedicated to providing innovative, reliable slurry technology solutions that create substantial economic value and expand the industrial applications of oil slurry. With a core philosophy centered on innovation, AGZ continues to push the boundaries of technology beyond DiSep^® electroseparation, solidifying its place as a world-class high-tech company.