A technical work summary by a chemical engineering engineer

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Since I became a chemical engineer in 1989, with the support of various technical professionals and through my own hard work, I have achieved some results in my job. Below, I would like to share some of my insights from my work experience. Please forgive any shortcomings. I. Professional and technical personnel should fully understand the significance of science and technology as the primary productive force, and they should integrate professional skills with the market economy closely. In my view, the profound significance of the principle \"science and technology are the primary driving force for development\" advocated by Comrade DXP lies in transforming professional expertise into productive forces and applying them in practical work. Through this transformation, professional expertise is elevated, enabling individuals to develop themselves and demonstrate their value to society. I have done some work to turn professional expertise into productivity, and I have achieved certain results. For example, in 1991, the \"one rotation one absorption\" production process used in our plant’s sulfuric acid workshop was changed to a \"two rotations two absorption\" process. The original \"one rotation one absorption\" process resulted in a low conversion rate of sulfur dioxide, which led to excessive levels of sulfur dioxide being released into the air. This not only reduced production volume and affected the company’s economic performance but also caused environmental pollution. As a result of this renovation, sulfur dioxide emissions met the **set emission standards**, and the facility passed the inspections conducted by both provincial and municipal environmental protection authorities. The production volume of sulfuric acid increased from 1.xxxx tons per year to xxxx tons per year, **meeting the requirements for the production of phosphate fertilizers in our factory**. Another important point is that it reduces air pollution and improves the working conditions for workers as well as the living conditions of residents in the vicinity. Additionally, in 1992, I introduced a new heat exchanger technology developed by the Chemical Engineering Research Institute of South China University of Technology, which involved replacing the heat exchangers in the sulfuric acid plant with hollow ring shell-and-tube heat exchangers. During this technical upgrade, the six heat exchangers that were replaced were changed from the original baffle type to the hollow ring shell type. The usable area decreased from 1835 M2 to 1210 M2, while the total gas pressure drop dropped from 15050 Pa to 6320 Pa. Assuming a sulfuric acid production volume of 87 T/d, the heat area required decreased from 22.1 M2 (t·day) to 14.58 M2 (t·day). This enabled our factory to save 270,000 kWh of electricity per year in production, achieving energy savings and reducing consumption, which brought direct economic benefits. Among the technical reform initiatives implemented, the wet-process production renovation project in the ordinary calcium plant has achieved relatively significant results. From August to December 1990, the ordinary calcium carbonate production workshop invested 12xxxx yuan to switch from traditional dry production to wet production, increasing the annual output from xxxx tons to xxxx tons. The production process has been shortened; the drying step, the acid preparation system, and the dust removal equipment used in dry production have been omitted, which reduces production costs. According to statistics, savings of 5xxxx yuan are achieved each year in terms of fuel, electricity consumption, and air pollution control. II. Basic theory is a prerequisite for performing professional technical work well. “\"Tall buildings are built from the ground up.\" There has been such a natural law throughout human history: no matter what kind of social activities humans engage in, they start with the basics. Whether the foundation is solid has a direct impact on its future development; therefore, without a solid foundation, development is impossible. Without solid theoretical foundations to guide professional technical work, no technical achievements can be produced. And every breakthrough in fundamental theory gives rise to a technological revolution, which shows just how important fundamental theory is for specialized technical work. I have always placed considerable emphasis on learning fundamental theories, and I study them systematically based on the actual production conditions of my company. Since I started working as a chemical engineer, I have attended professional training courses every year. Theories such as those from 1991 on \"Technologies of Inorganic Salt Chemical Products\", 1995 on \"Process Design for Inorganic Chemical Production\", and 1997 on \"Wet Process Technologies for Phosphate Fertilizers\" were well applied in subsequent work. From August to December 1990, the ordinary phosphate fertilizer production workshop switched from the traditional dry-process method to the wet-process method. After eight months of technical upgrades and trial production, successful commissioning was achieved, enabling a production line for \"wet-process phosphate fertilizer manufacturing\" without the need for dehydration equipment. Since its establishment in 1964, our factory has employed three different production methods for the manufacture of ordinary calcium carbonate. The first two times, \"dry production\" was used; these traditional processes involve drying systems, acid mixing systems, and dust removal equipment. They are complex, costly, and cause environmental pollution, posing risks to the health of workers and residents living in the vicinity. Additionally, they result in waste for the companies involved. The successful implementation of the wet-process workflow not only reduced production costs but also decreased the workload on workers, improved their productivity, and enhanced their working conditions; as a result, complaints from local residents regarding our factory have decreased. The biggest challenge encountered in this technical upgrade was how to bring the moisture content of the product to the required standard. After several months of experimentation in the workshop, I led the technical staff to identify the six key factors that affect the moisture content of the products, as well as the corresponding solutions. For example, with regard to the type of ore, I employ a combination of different ore types: Yungui ore and Hunan ore are used in a ratio of 1:0.6. Water used for grinding the ore slurry is water with fluoride absorbed in it, which improves the fluidity of the slurry and reduces its moisture content. By addressing the moisture issue in the product, other parameters also improve, enabling the ordinary calcium phosphate products produced by our factory through wet-process methods to rise from grade four to grade three. The production volume increased from xxxx tons to xxxx tons, resulting in cost savings of approximately 5xxxx yuan. III. Expand knowledge to enable professional technical work to proceed smoothly. I believe that any modern engineering project cannot be based solely on technical expertise; rather, it is a combination of various technologies. To do professional technical work well, it is necessary to broaden one’s knowledge base; this was true in the era of a planned economy, and it is even more crucial under the conditions of a highly competitive market economy. Since I started working, I have loved reading theoretical books on various subjects. I think having a broader range of knowledge might be helpful for future work. I thought that way and did it. On the basis of systematically mastering the professional knowledge of my company, I am also purposefully self-studying other theoretical knowledge. Over the past decade, I have mainly studied subjects such as \"Electrical Engineering,\" \"Engineering Fluid Mechanics,\" \"Plastic Industry,\" \"Additives for Surface Treatment of Titanium Dioxide,\" and \"Phthalate Catalysts for Rapid-Curing Urethane Sealants.\" Some of the theoretical knowledge acquired has been of great help to my work in the future. In recent years, due to the sluggish overall fertilizer market, and especially with the completion of the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, large quantities of phosphate fertilizers from other provinces have flooded the Guangdong market, leading to fierce competition. As a result, the sales market for phosphate fertilizers has been in a downturn. Although the company has made significant efforts in sales to boost demand, there is still a situation where goods are available but at no viable price ； The production cost of phosphate fertilizers is already high, making them products with slim profits; it will be very difficult for our company to continue operating if it relies solely on this single product. Under these circumstances, I conducted extensive market research together with other technical staff at the company, and after careful evaluation, we found that there was a lack of cleaning coatings on the market. The technology behind this coating originated from the key research project during Guangdong Province’s “Ninth Five-Year Plan” period, titled “Development of Non-toxic, Biochemical, Flexible Film Materials”; it represents a leading level in China, and its existence fills a gap in the domestic market. This coating is single-component, making it easy to apply and suitable for a wide range of uses, thus allowing for broad application. If such a coating is introduced, it will save a large amount of foreign exchange and enable exports to generate revenue. Recently, through our efforts, this high-quality coating has been successfully developed – the Yuebei brand non-toxic cleaning coating. It is a modified urethane coating in which the content of inorganic pigments reaches 2xxxx. Coatings with such a high level of inorganic pigments do not settle or separate over a period of two years when stored. I used a dispersant, which reacts with the pigment molecules and the resins in the coating to form new, homogeneous particles; this eliminates the interface between materials of different densities within the coating system, thereby ensuring stability and preventing separation. This method also increases the filling ratio of inorganic pigments in the coating, thereby enhancing its covering power and improving the quality of application. The outstanding scientist Comrade Qian Xuesen said that in the future, scientific and technical professionals will need to use systems engineering methods that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches in order to arrive at sound scientific conclusions. I believe this is the direction in which science and technology should develop. As society progresses, there will be no more purely technical expertise – only systems engineering. “Reading the same book throughout one’s life can only lead to stunted progress. IV. Rigorous scholarship and bold innovation are not only qualities that professional and technical personnel should possess, but they are also essential conditions for them to engage in research work and improve their own capabilities. Based on my many years of experience, only by being rigorous in academic work and bold in innovation can professional technical work be done well, and only in this way can the competence of professional technicians be improved. In production management or market development, professional technicians often encounter complex situations. If they do not think carefully in such cases, it could lead the company to failure; on the other hand, by analyzing the situation thoroughly and carefully, mistakes can be avoided. Since I became a chemical engineering engineer, I have solved some technical challenges for the company. Although these challenges were not entirely unfamiliar to me, they all posed certain levels of difficulty and risk. For example, the development and production of this new product requires an investment of 30xxxx million yuan. For a company that has only a few hundred employees, both current and retired, the risks involved are quite significant. Yet I believe that, given today’s conditions in the fertilizer market, it is better to take a chance rather than wait for failure. This new product has numerous advantages, and its manufacturing technology is at the leading level in China. Moreover, as a professional technician, one should also possess an innovative spirit. Of course, professional and technical personnel’s bold innovation is not blind; it requires repeated practice in work. Comrade Mzd said, \"From practice to practice.\" Professional and technical personnel must consult a large amount of technical literature in their work to find solid theoretical foundations for addressing the topics under study, and at the same time conduct extensive social surveys to prepare feasibility reports. In this way, not only is professional work done well, but one’s personal qualities are also enhanced. I believe that in carrying out professional technical work, we should persist in opposing the bad practices of pretending to know something when we don’t and of engaging in fraud. We must eliminate any kind of exaggerated attitude based on approximations or rough estimates. We should learn from the older generation of professional technicians; one of the aspects emphasized in Jiang **’s “Three Emphases” education is the importance of learning, which for us, professional technicians, means acquiring theoretical knowledge in all areas. Professional and technical personnel have a long and arduous task ahead of them; let us work together, strive with determination, use technology to strengthen our country, and create a better future.