The pilot plant for Wan Tong Special Plastics’ annual production of 2,000 tons of special aromatic olefin polymers has been officially put into operation in Zhuhai Economic Development Zone

Thread Content

On January 26, Zhuhai announced that recently, the pilot production facility of Zhuhai Wantong Special Engineering Plastics Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Wantong Special Plastics”), capable of producing 2,000 tons per year of special aromatic olefin polymers, was officially put into operation in the Zhuhai Economic Development Zone. This facility is the first pilot plant in China to possess the capability for large-scale production of this material, marking a further acceleration in the domestic substitution of special aromatic olefin polymers. Special aromatic olefin polymers are high-performance engineering plastics that belong to the category of special polymer materials; their molecular structure contains aromatic rings and olefin groups. It is an important fundamental material that supports the development of industries such as high-frequency communication, new energy vehicles, and smart homes. For a long time, due to technical barriers such as the difficulty in developing catalysts, complex polymerization processes, and high requirements for equipment, it has been monopolized by Japanese companies, thereby hindering the growth of these related industries. The main foreign manufacturers include Sumitomo Rubber, Boride Plastics, Mitsui Chemicals, JSR, etc. Through years of independent research and development, Wantong Special Plastics has successfully designed and developed high-activity catalytic systems, horizontal self-cleaning polymerization reactors, as well as polymerization processes with controllable phase states, thereby establishing an autonomous technology platform that covers the entire chain from catalysts to processes and equipment. The relevant official stated that the first phase of the industrialization project for producing special aromatic olefin polymers on a scale of 10,000 tons is expected to be completed by 2028, which will put an end to foreign countries’ monopoly over this material in the market. In addition to Wantong Special Plastics, several domestic companies including Tuoen Technology, Wuxi Akeli, and Liaoning Luahong Jin have achieved large-scale production of cycloolefin polymers (COC/COP). They are gradually entering the field of specialty aromatic cycloolefin polymers, further accelerating the process of replacing imported products with domestic alternatives. Additionally, it is worth noting that this marks the second time in recent times that Wantong Special Plastics has achieved a significant breakthrough in the field of critical materials. Last December, its 1,000-ton per year polymerization line for thermoplastic polyimide (TPI) was successfully commissioned. Thermoplastic polyimides (abbreviated as TPI) are a class of high-performance polymer materials whose backbone contains imide rings and that possess thermoplastic processing properties. Their key advantage lies in the fact that they retain the excellent overall properties of traditional thermosetting polyimides (PI), while simultaneously overcoming the major drawback of traditional PI, namely its insolubility and infusibility as well as the difficulty in processing it. This has enabled their industrial-scale production and application in various fields, earning them the title of “key materials in the field of advanced manufacturing”. It is widely used in strategic emerging industries such as optical communication, aerospace, and 5G communications, but its production technology has long been monopolized by foreign companies (mainly Seiko Kagaku of Japan), leaving domestic demand dependent on imports for a long time. The commissioning of the Wantong Special Plastics project will not only meet the urgent demand for TPI in China’s high-end markets, but it will also enable the development of high-value-added products such as TPI films and advanced composite materials, providing key material support for industries such as aviation, military manufacturing, high-frequency communications, and new energy vehicles. It is understood that in addition to Wantong Special Plastics, on December 24, 2025, Wanrun Co., Ltd. replied to investors’ questions on an interactive platform, stating that the company’s thermoplastic polyimide products include PEI, TPI, and PI-5218, and all of these materials are already being sold. Among them, the mass production line for PEI products with an annual capacity of 1,500 tons has already started trial production, while the annual capacity for TPI and PI-5218 is each over 100 tons. In addition, Ruihuatai’s proprietary manufacturing technologies have overcome foreign patent barriers; its TPI film products have passed batch evaluations by customers, and the volume of orders continues to increase ； The \"USTC Advanced Research Institute-Guofeng New Materials Joint Laboratory for Advanced Display and Integrated Circuit PI Materials,\" established jointly by Guofeng New Materials and USTC, works together to develop advanced PI materials such as multi-layer composite thermoplastic polyimide (TPI) films, PI pastes for flexible display substrates, and photosensitive polyimide (PSPI) photoresists. Regarding Wantong Special Plastics, it was established in December 2015. It is a **-level specialized and innovative “little giant” enterprise; it was formerly part of Jinfafa Technology’s special engineering plastics division. In January 2025, it received a strategic investment of 500 million yuan from Jinshi Fund. In the first half of 2025, it achieved revenue of 890 million yuan and a net profit of 147 million yuan. Through years of development, Wantong Special Plastics has grown into the domestic enterprise with the widest range of products and the largest scale of industrial production in the field of special engineering plastics. It has even become an \"invisible champion\" in the realm of bio-based high-temperature semi-aromatic polyamides, holding a global market share of over 90%. For example, in August 2025, information regarding the environmental impact assessment for its 40,000 tons per year bio-based high-temperature nylon (Phase I) project was made public. In addition, Wantong Special Plastics focuses on three materials with high technical barriers: long-chain polyamides, transparent polyamides, and polyamide elastomers. It has established a complete technical chain ranging from resin synthesis to high-performance compounding and application, successfully overcoming the industry bottleneck that domestic companies have long faced – the difficulty in moving beyond simply synthesizing resins to achieving advanced applications. The person in charge of Wantong Special Plastics revealed that the first production line for special polyamide resins, with an annual capacity of 8,000 tons, is expected to go into operation in April this year. By 2028, production capacity will be gradually increased to 40,000 tons per year, establishing a large-scale supply system that covers the entire range of specialty polyamide materials. This will enable the provision of internationally competitive comprehensive solutions for strategic industries in China such as robotics, AR/VR, new energy vehicles, and consumer electronics. At present, Wantong Special Plastics has an annual production capacity for the following products: 5,000 + 6,000 tons of high-temperature resistant nylon resin PA10T, 4,000 tons of high-temperature resistant nylon resin PA6T, 3,000 + 1,500 + 5,000 tons of high-temperature polyester resins, 2,637.7 + 1,319 + 4,392.5 tons of acetic acid, 14,000 tons of PA10T composite materials, 6,000 tons of LCP high-temperature polyester composite materials, 800 + 6,000 tons of polyarylether sulfone resins, 1,925 tons of industrial salt, 2,000 tons of polystyrene resin, and 1,000 tons of polyimide resin. In addition, these include polyetherimide PEI, NMT (Nano Molding Technology) and LDS (Laser Deposition Modeling) materials, long-chain polyamides, polyamide elastomers, transparent polyamides, bio-based LCP, ultra-low dielectric loss LCP, etc. These products are widely used in fields such as electronics, electrical equipment, automobiles, home appliances, lighting, communication devices, plumbing, aviation, and military applications. It is worth noting that on October 22, 2025, the environmental impact assessment document for Wantong Special Plastics’ project to build a production line capable of manufacturing 50,000 tons per year of special engineering plastics was approved. As a result of this project, the annual production capacity for PA10T blended composites will increase by 35,000 tons, and that for LCP blended composites by 15,000 tons; in total, the annual production capacity for special engineering plastics will be 50,000 tons. According to Kingfa Technology’s semi-annual report, the construction work for this 50,000 tons per year special engineering plastic blending and modification plant has already begun; the first phase with a capacity of 15,000 tons per year is scheduled to come online in the second quarter of 2026. It is worth noting that in December 2025, Jinfat Technology replied to researchers’ questions by stating that the sales volume of its specialty engineering plastics in the first three quarters of 2025 was 24,000 tons, showing significant year-on-year growth.