【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】Sinopec’s world’s first industrial demonstration plant for the continuous production of PBST goes into operation in Hainan from 2023 to 2025
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Let’s give praise and support to the achievements made in China’s chemical engineering technology and equipment; your participation in discussions is the greatest encouragement. **********************【Ten Years of Progress in Chemical Engineering Equipment】A continuously updated summary post is available – feel free to join the discussions: https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-3576046-1-1.html ***************** The world’s first industrial demonstration plant for continuous PBST production has been put into operation. On April 17, 2025, the PBST biodegradable materials industrial demonstration project operated by Sinopec (Hainan) Polyester New Materials Co., Ltd. began trial operations and successfully produced qualified products. Currently, fully biodegradable products made from this material are in trial use. The company was established with funding from Hainan Refining & Chemical, Yizheng Chemical Fibers, and Hainan Yangpu Holding Co., Ltd. This project is Sinopec’s first industrial demonstration facility in Hainan Province for the continuous production of PBST, a biodegradable material, with an annual capacity of 60,000 tons. It utilizes a set of process technologies owned by Sinopec and covered by independent intellectual property rights. Compared to PBAT (polybutylene terephthalate adipate), which is widely used in China at present, PBST boasts superior mechanical strength, heat resistance, and water resistance, making it suitable for applications in agriculture, forestry, food packaging, healthcare, and other industries – thus offering broad market prospects. As the lead entity for the project, Hainan Refining and Chemicals carefully assembled a team and strengthened coordinated planning to ensure full control over the entire production preparation process. Units such as the Beijing Institute of Chemical Technology, Yizheng Chemical Fiber, and Tianjin Petrochemical provided full support by sending experts to the site for guidance. Once the project is put into operation, it will fill the gaps in Hainan’s biodegradable plastics industry chain and market, contributing to the development of Hainan Free Trade Port and the further implementation of a plastic ban across the island.
【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】2023–2025: China’s oil and gas pipeline construction enters the era of \"all-terrain automatic welding\" https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5691380-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum)
PBST (polybutylene terephthalate butylenediol) is a tercopolymer of 1,4-butanediol (BDO), 1,4-succinic acid (SA), and terephthalic acid (PTA). Compared to the commonly used biodegradable material PBAT (polyhexanedioic acid/butylene terephthalate), PBST uses succinic acid (SA), which makes it relatively more expensive. However, it combines the biodegradability of aliphatic polyesters with the excellent mechanical and thermal properties of aromatic polyesters. It possesses good physical and processing properties comparable to those of conventional plastics, as well as better crystallinity, resulting in increased strength and a harder texture. It can be widely applied in industries such as agriculture, forestry, food packaging, and healthcare. Currently, Hainan Refining & Chemical’s PBST plastic film products are being used on a pilot basis in Wusu City, Xinjiang, as well as in the tens-of-thousands-of-mu cotton test fields operated by the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Agricultural plastic films represent the second-largest application market in the field of plastic films, after packaging, with soil cover films being a particularly important type within this category. As of 2024, ordinary PE plastic film still accounts for over 60% of the total production, while high-end functional films, such as biodegradable and weather-resistant films, account for less than 5%. It is estimated that the market size for biodegradable plastic films will reach $58 million in 2024, and is expected to rise to $105 million by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.9%. The use of biodegradable plastic films can improve the quality of arable land, reduce plastic pollution, and help address agricultural non-point source pollution. It represents a promising direction for the promotion and application of biodegradable materials; of course, this is made possible by **policy support and subsidies**. It is reported that in 2020, six departments including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs jointly issued the \"Opinions on Accelerating the Prevention and Control of Pollution from Agricultural Plastic Films.\" The proposal suggests that by 2025, agricultural plastic films should be largely recycled, the amount of plastic film residue across the country should show a decline, and white pollution in farmland should be effectively controlled. Against this backdrop, at present, apart from Sinopec, many other companies such as Wanhua Chemical, Jinfat Technology, Xinjiang Tianye, Lanshan Tunhe, Fengyuan Group, Qixiang Tengda, and Zhongke New Materials are also involved in the development of biodegradable plastic film materials. Competition is fierce, and it is necessary to overcome challenges related to costs and performance, including issues such as suitability for crops and degradation time.
Continue to contribute to further strengthening the islandwide plastic ban.