【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】By 2025, China will have established the world’s largest production base for polyurethane chain extenders
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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 Great Development 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 ***************** China has established the world’s largest production base for polyurethane chain extenders. On August 18th, it was reported by Suzhou Xiangyuan New Materials Co., Ltd. that the third phase of its polyurethane chain extender production project, carried out by Jiangsu Xiangyuan Chemical Co., Ltd., has successfully passed the acceptance tests and has now begun operations. Once this project is put into operation, the annual production capacity of Xiangyuan New Materials’ polyurethane chain extender series will increase to over 35,000 tons. This will result in the creation of the world’s largest and most technologically advanced production base for polyurethane chain extenders, marking a significant breakthrough for China in the field of high-end polyurethane functional additives. Polyurethane chain extenders are essential key additives in the production of polyurethane elastomers, adhesives, coatings, composites, and other products; their properties directly influence the performance and quality of these materials. China’s high-end chain-extending agent market has long relied on imports. The third-phase project put into operation by Xiangyuan Chemical utilizes an intelligent production system throughout the entire process, and it optimizes the atmospheric-pressure tower-based continuous liquid-phase hydrogenation reduction technology; as a result, the purity of the products reaches over 99.9%. In addition, an intelligent packaging system and RTO waste gas treatment facilities have been installed, which reduces the project’s energy consumption by 20% and cuts emissions of waste gases, wastewater, and solid waste by 35%. Lv Guohui, secretary-general of the China Polyurethane Industry Association, said that the third-phase project of Xiangyuan Chemical represents an important breakthrough for China’s polyurethane additive industry during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, with its intelligent and green production methods aligning with the direction of industrial upgrading. This project not only improves production efficiency but also brings the product quality and environmental protection standards to international leading levels. It provides more competitive high-end chain extenders for downstream application areas such as new energy vehicles, defense and military industries, and high-end composite materials, thereby significantly enhancing the global competitiveness of domestic high-end polyurethane chain extender products. Zhou Jian, chairman of Xiangyuan Chemical, said that the third-phase project enabled the production of products such as MOCA and aspartate ester DMD230 in a total amount of nearly 20,000 tons. This made Xiangyuan Chemical the world’s largest supplier of polyurethane chain extenders, while also significantly enhancing China’s ability to produce high-end polyurethane chain extenders on its own, thus enabling better satisfaction of the demands of high-end markets such as polyurea coatings, polyurethane elastomers, and polyurethane composites. Zhou Jian explained that currently, China’s polyurethane industry holds the largest scale in the world; in 2024, its production volume reached 17 million tons, accounting for over 40% of the global total. With the rapid development of industries such as new materials and new energy, as well as the advancement of new polyurethane processing technologies and formulations as well as the development of composite materials, there is a growing demand for high-end, high-quality polyurethane raw materials and additives. Currently, the polyurethane chain extenders produced by Xiangyuan Chemical have been successfully used in major projects such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, high-speed rail shock absorption materials, and wind turbine blades, gradually replacing imported products. In the future, Xiangyuan Chemical will use new forms of productive capacity as its driving force for development, continue to increase investment in research and development, and optimize production processes, thereby injecting new momentum into the high-quality development of the polyurethane industry.
Adhering to a business development philosophy driven by innovation, Jiangsu Xiangyuan Chemical Co., Ltd. has established itself in the vast field of fine chemicals through the research and development and production of polyurethane chain extenders, creating a legend of going from nothing to something. This company has not only broken foreign technological monopolies but has also become an essential part of the global polymer new materials industry chain thanks to the excellent performance of its products. The rise of Xiangyuan is not only a history of independent innovation that breaks monopolies, but also strong evidence of China’s manufacturing sector demonstrating its strength to the world. ◇ Technological breakthroughs and market position of Xiangyuan: In 2024, with the successful commissioning of the third-phase project, Jiangsu Xiangyuan Chemical Co., Ltd.’s annual production capacity for polyurethane chain extenders reached a new level of 35,000 tons. Xiangyuan has achieved growth from scratch, holding 53 core patents developed through independent research. Its products are sold in over 50 countries around the world, playing a significant role in supporting the global polyurethane chain extender market. This breakthrough is attributed to the full adoption of DCS and SIS automated intelligent remote production control systems in Phase 3 of the Xiangyuan project, which enables fully unmanned operation throughout the entire process from raw material input to product packaging and delivery, further solidifying Xiangyuan’s status as a modern benchmark in the industry. It is particularly worth mentioning that its MOCA series of polyurethane elastomer cross-linking and chain-extending agents have established a leading position in this core product category since the world’s largest production line for these products was built in 2011. Xiangyuan’s remarkable achievements stem from 35 years of unwavering dedication and continuous innovation by its chairman, Mr. Zhou Jian. In 1992, faced with the challenges of having no funds, technology, or skilled personnel, Zhou Jian took on the role of manager at a factory in the suburbs of Suzhou, and bravely embarked on the path of researching and developing polyurethane chain extenders. At that time, this key raw material was almost monopolized by foreign giants. However, Zhou Jian did not back down. He led his team to tackle the challenges from scratch with a spirit of perseverance, gradually overcoming the technical difficulties. From achieving large-scale production of the first white MOCA to successfully overcoming challenges such as yellow MOCA and high-temperature-resistant particle MOCA, the introduction of each new product has marked a significant breakthrough in breaking foreign monopolies, while also laying a solid foundation for Xiangyuan’s path of independent innovation.
◇ The role of polyurethane chain extenders in the industry: Although polyurethane chain extenders do not constitute a large volume, their properties are crucial. It acts like the hairspring of a precision clock, having a direct impact on the quality of the final polyurethane materials (such as elastomers, adhesives, coatings, etc.). Polyurethane chain extenders are key to endowing polyurethane materials with excellent properties. The products offered by Xiangyuan provide reliable performance support in various fields, reflecting China’s manufacturing capabilities. With its stable, reliable, and high-performance products, Xiangyuan provides strong technical support and ensures improved performance for numerous downstream industries, including those in new energy, aerospace, transportation infrastructure, and sports equipment. It can be said that the existence of Xiangyuan ensures the high-quality, safe, environmentally friendly, and green low-carbon development of key links in China’s and the world’s polyurethane industry chain. ◇ A future vision driven by technological innovation: Xuyuan’s path to innovation is not limited to simple product upgrades; rather, it involves in-depth exploration of the molecular structure of polyurethane chain extenders to uncover their potential properties, thereby driving green transformation in downstream industries. Recently, under the leadership of Zhou Jian, the company’s R&D team has made significant breakthroughs in two areas: the application of \"alternative metals\" and \"pavement repair\" technologies. Xiangyuan has made innovative breakthroughs in the study of the molecular structure of chain-extending agents, promoting the green and low-carbon development of materials and contributing to the achievement of the ** \"dual carbon\" goals. These innovative achievements not only promote the high-quality development of the industry but also represent a positive response to the **\"dual carbon\" goals and the requirements for the development of new forms of productive capacity.
【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Processing Equipment】2623-2025: Advanced Technologies for Removing Hardness and Improving Efficiency in Coal Chemical Industry Wastewater, developed by the Sinopec Research Institute of Petrochemicals https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5698913-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Engineering Forum)