【Ten Years of Great Progress in Chemical Technology】China’s First Pilot Plant for ε-Caprolactone Production with an Annual Capacity of 200 Tons, Developed Using Independent Intellectual Property, 290–2009

【Ten Years of Great Development in Chemical Technology】Pilot Production of the World’s Largest 50,000-Ton Capable Cyclohexanone Lactone Production Facility from 289 to 2023 https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5493976-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum Website)

Kudos to the significant development of chemical processing equipment! ! Give a thumbs up to the prosperity and strength of China! ! !

The company was established in 2014; by 2016 it had broken the 40-year monopoly held by foreign suppliers of ε-caprolactone raw materials. In 2019, demand for its products exceeded supply, earning high praise from international multinational companies such as BASF in Germany, Kansai Chemical in Japan, Nippon Paint in Japan, Zhanxin Resins, and also from leading domestic enterprises like Wanhua Chemical and Merisun Materials. What enabled them to focus on technological innovation, and what helped them break the 40-year monopoly held by foreign countries over ε-caprolactone? The monopoly was broken; \"It turned out that China relied entirely on imports for ε-caprolactone.\" In 2016, our company’s ε-caprolactone production line was put into industrial operation, making us the only enterprise in China and one of just 4 companies in the world capable of producing caprolactone-based products. ”Wang Hanyu said. Achieving industrialization does not mean that imports can be replaced. Wang Hanyu also described the realities faced after industrialization: First, the products tended to turn yellow upon first release, and their acid value did not meet the standards; second, unstable production capacity led to high production costs; third, the proprietary technology was still quite immature; fourth, significant investment was required for innovation and transformation, with a long time before results could be seen. ” “There is no experience to draw on to solve these problems. Without any advantages in terms of technology or price, and without unique features or strengths of one’s own, it is very difficult to succeed in gaining a share of the market – the task is indeed daunting. ”Wang Hanyu said. In February 2018, the company launched a quality improvement and technical renovation project aimed at reducing energy consumption in its production facilities. Wang Hanyu explained, “After dozens of tests conducted together with the professional R&D team from Wuhan University of Technology, we decided to increase the production capacity from 2,000 tons per year to 5,000 tons per year.” ”After the implementation of this improvement and upgrading project, the energy consumption per unit of production was reduced by more than 15%, and the cost per unit of product dropped by over 2,500 yuan compared to the previous level. This not only helped to break foreign monopolies and enable the substitution of imported products but also changed the supply situation for raw materials for high-end application enterprises in China, including those involved in biomedical materials, environmental protection materials, as well as special materials used in major equipment and engineering projects.

Fusion and expansion in industry, academia, and research: At the end of 2018, a pilot production facility for the development of caprolactone and its derivatives, as well as an academician workstation led by Academician Wang Yuzhong of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, were established in Juren. “First, once the caprolactone production stabilized at the designed capacity, we began to work on improving the product quality from meeting basic standards to achieving high standards. Through analysis and experimentation, the R&D team mastered the core technology for producing polyols via caprolactone polymerization, and the new products have received positive feedback from customers. At the same time, the R&D team also successfully applied polyols to completely water-soluble and transparent resin emulsions, resulting in coatings with a good feel, high gloss, and high strength; this research has helped the company expand the range of applications for its products. ”Wang Hanyu explained. In response to the changes in China’s coating industry, the academician workstation also carried out research on the development of new polyols with low relative molecular mass, and completed the development and market promotion of 45 new product series. “To address the common issue of hard texture in solvent-free leathers, we have developed several new polyether-modified product grades, which are now available for market use. In addition, the production technology for caprolactone polymers has also been developed, and caprolactone-modified PTMEG high-speed steel materials are currently undergoing customer trials. ”Wang Hanyu said.

The transformation of these achievements has yielded remarkable results; the successful development of biodegradable materials has generated a strong response from customers. Even before the second phase of expansion was put into operation, there were already an overwhelming number of inquiries. At present, the company’s global market expansion is progressing steadily. Contracts have been signed in regions such as Europe, Southeast Asia, the United States, Brazil, Japan, and South Korea. Even those customers with whom no agreement has been reached yet are moving forward according to their intentions to cooperate; many of them have planned to come for inspections and to sign contracts by the end of the year. The foreign trade department of this company, which was established just one year ago, is seeing continuous success: its polyol products are now being supplied to South Korea’s SK Company, while Japanese adhesive manufacturers are actively working on placing their first annual order worth 3 million yuan. BASF too will visit the company’s facilities before signing a strategic partnership agreement for the European market... The company’s second-phase project will involve an investment of 600 million yuan to build new production facilities capable of producing 20,000 tons per year of caprolactone, 10,000 tons per year of caprolactone polyols, and 5,000 tons per year of polycaprolactone. Over the next 3 years, the academician workstation will develop 15 new products for use in special industries, complete the transfer of 10 technological achievements related to polyol products, and file 10 applications for invention and utility model patents. In 2019, a production facility for 3,000 tons per year of polycaprolactone polyols will be completed; once operational, the project will be able to generate annual sales revenue of 160 million yuan. ”Wang Hanyu is full of confidence in the company’s future prospects.

【Ten Years of Rapid Development in Chemical Engineering Equipment】CGAS technology underwent technical evaluation by the Environmental Development Center of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment from 2012 to 2023. https://bbs.hcbbs.com/thread-5496072-1-1.html (Source: Haichuan Chemical Industry Forum Website)