The adipic acid project of Yongrong Holding Group achieved successful commissioning on the first attempt

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On May 20, with the completion of the final processing step, Yongrong Technology’s 30,000 tons per year project for producing adipic acid from caprolactam, which is part of Yongrong Holding Group, was fully operational. The plant started up successfully on its first attempt, producing high-quality adipic acid. This marks a successful development by Yongrong Holding Group of a completely new manufacturing process for key raw materials used in nylon 66, representing a crucial step toward breaking the long-standing foreign technological blockade and ensuring the security of China’s nylon industry chain. It is understood that hexamethylenediamine is a key intermediate in the production of nylon 66. For a long time, the production technology for adiponitrile, a key raw material in its upstream process, has been strictly monopolized by foreign companies, serving as a bottleneck that keeps China’s nylon industry under foreign control. The current global mainstream process involves producing adiponitrile using the butadiene method, followed by the synthesis of adipamide. This approach is not only highly susceptible to fluctuations in raw material prices and results in high production costs, but it also presents significant challenges in terms of overcoming key patents and technical barriers. Against this backdrop, Yongrong Holding Group took a different approach by proactively adopting the innovative process of \"direct production of hexamethylenediamine from caprolactam,\" thereby breaking free from its traditional reliance on hexanitride and achieving a technological shift from a \"single source\" to \"multiple independent sources.\" The new process boasts significant advantages such as simplified procedures, low investment costs, high safety levels, and a high conversion rate of raw materials. The production cost per ton is significantly lower compared to the butadiene method, thereby providing a cost-effective and highly controllable new driving force for the development of China’s nylon 66 industry. (Written by Luo Aohua; images provided by the company)