On the morning of April 27, nearly 20 companies as domestic downstream customers of PVC visited Dezhou Shihua Chemical Co., Ltd. for its mercury-free PVC production project. They discussed with Dezhou Shihua about further collaboration between upstream and downstream industries as well as matters of great importance in the industry, such as widening application areas, and signed strategic alliance declaration with Dezhou Shihua as apart of a push to develop scientific development of the industry and achieve mutual benefit and win-win results.
The new project of Mercury-free PVC production, a collaboration between Dezhou Shihua and research institutes such as Shanghai Advanced Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, makes it possible to eliminate mercury contamination during calcium carbide process-based PVC production and at the same time promises energy-efficiency, which is ground-breaking and revolutionary. A one-kiloton level pilot test of the project has passed the review of state-level experts, and a 200,000 ton/year industrial test has already been launched, which, with the site being leveled right now, is expected to be completed and put into use in 2017, and the practice will be then promoted nationwide.
The industry alliance of the green PVC products established by downstream customers and Dezhou Shihua is trying out new materials in calcium carbide process-based PVC production to promote development characterized by openness, innovation, common growth and benefit sharing, in an effort to elevate China’s influence in calcium carbide process-based PVC industry.
PVC is used mainly in making boards and sheets. Yan Jinghe, General Manager of Dezhou Shihua introduced in detail the research results and latest development in the new method of mercury-free PVC production, which has interested the visitors and won their recognition. Through field inspection and discussions, several enterprises that had not been familiar with the products of Dezhou Shihua were impressed by its strengths and kept asking about product packaging and transport, showing obvious interest in purchasing.
Ren Yuezhang, Director of Plastics Board and Sheet Committee and General Manager of Suzhou Omay Optical Materials Co., Ltd. commented that this meaningful project of mercury-free PVC production at Dezhou Shihua would not only address the need of the industry and customers, but also help in environmental protection as well as energy saving and emission reduction. He said that the committee would actively introduce and promote advanced technologies and products, call on allied enterprises to play to their strengths making full use of and extending the consumer business, thus to expand the market share of the new products of Dezhou Shihua, strengthen the innovation in supply chain, and raise the level and value of the industry’s development.
According to Zhu Shanbao, Secretary General of the committee and General Manager of Suzhou Ocan Plastic Co., Ltd., their company needs over 2000 tons of PVC every month but only one third of the amount is purchased from Dezhou Shihua, because most of their products will be exported and the traditional calcium carbide process-based PVC production requires mercury as a catalyst so the products cannot pass the strict safety tests in other countries. Therefore, if the mercury-free and low-cost PVC produced by Dezhou Shihua enters the market, the company is able to purchase all PVC they need from Dezhou Shihua, which will bring more business benefits. (Li Dongying)