【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Equipment】3150–2026 – Breaking foreign technological monopolies: Jinmeng Juyi Materials’ plant for producing 30,000 tons per year of high-end domestic polyester CHDM has gone into operation

On April 13, 2026, news came in from Xuchang, Henan. The 30,000 tons per year CHDM project of Xuchang Jinmeng Juyi Materials Technology Co., Ltd., which was contracted out to Shengbang Technology Co., Ltd., achieved a successful first commissioning, with qualified products being produced successfully. Test results show that the product purity reaches 99.9%, the entire system operates stably, and the performance indicators are excellent. The project has officially entered the production and operation phase. The Chinese name for CHDM is 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol. It is a white waxy solid with a molecular weight of 144.21, and it serves as a key raw material for producing high-quality polyesters. What is its main use? Producing new types of polyesters such as PETG, PCT, and PCTG. Polyesters modified with CHDM exhibit good transparency, impact resistance, wear resistance, and corrosion resistance. High-end packaging materials, medical device casings, automotive electronic components, and 3D printing consumables all rely on it. In the past, this item had to be imported entirely. The American company Eastman and the South Korean company SK Chemical have dominated the global market for many years. To produce high-end polyester domestically, one has to buy raw materials at high prices from others and also depend on their goodwill. It was not until 2015 that the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in collaboration with Keling Chemical, built China’s first industrial CHDM plant with an annual production capacity of 20,000 tons, thereby breaking the monopoly. However, there are still few companies in the country that can achieve stable mass production. Shengbang Technology is an engineering company under Shaanxi Coal Group. This 30,000 tons per year CHDM project in Xuchang is a key project in the Advanced Manufacturing Development Zone of Xiangcheng County, Xuchang City, Henan Province. The project was officially launched in March 2025, with Shengbang Technology acting as the EPC general contractor, responsible for the integrated management of design, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning. It took only 9 months from startup to meeting the handover conditions. This driving attempt was successful, with the product purity reaching 99.9% – a figure that is worth noting. The required polymer-grade purity for CHDM in this industry is ≥99%. 99.9% means it has reached an internationally advanced level and can be directly used in the production of high-end polyesters. What are the technical challenges? The synthesis route for CHDM is as follows: dimethyl terephthalate is first hydrogenated to form DMCD, which is then hydrogenated further to produce CHDM. It seems like just two steps, but each one is difficult to carry out. First, the catalyst is key. A highly active hydrogenation catalyst is required, as well as one that can be used on an industrial scale. Second, purity control is difficult. CHDM exists in both cis and trans forms; poor control of the ratio can affect the performance of downstream products. Third, high process stability is required. To achieve continuous production in a 10,000-ton-scale facility with full automation of the entire process is not as simple as conducting small-scale tests in a laboratory. The fact that Shengbang Technology is able to complete projects shows that it indeed has expertise in translating ideas into practical implementations. From the process package to engineering design, from equipment procurement to construction and installation, every step must be carefully controlled. It’s not just CHDM; what else is Shengbang doing? Shengbang Technology is involved in more than just this project. The company has also taken on the 100,000 tons per year green extraction project for tar phenol carried out by Xinjiang Xuanli Environmental Protection; this is the largest green fine processing project for coal tar phenol in China. Also utilizing independently developed technology, Shengbang Technology is responsible for the development of the process package and its engineering implementation. From the extraction of phenols from coal tar to the production of CHDM, Shengbang Technology’s capabilities in general contracting for new chemical materials and fine chemicals are being validated by the market. In the year 2024, global CHDM production reached 133,807 tons, with an average selling price of $4,656 per ton; the global market size was approximately $738 million. The demand for CHDM in the domestic market is still growing. As the domestic production of high-end polyesters such as PETG and PCTG accelerates, the gap in CHDM will become increasingly larger. The successful commissioning of Shengbang Technology’s 30,000 tons per year production facility is good news for the domestic industry chain. From design to driving, it’s completed in 9 months. One successful attempt, with a purity of 99.9%. Another 30,000 tons of domestic CHDM production capacity has been added.