China's first 500,000-ton annual production capacity of new-generation bottle flake production line has been successfully put into operation at Yizheng Chemical Fiber
The first phase of the polyester new materials project of Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber has been fully completed and put into operation
On January 17th, it was learned from the press office of Sinopec that China's first 500,000-ton/year bottle-grade slicing unit built with polyester medium-viscosity process technology was successfully put into operation at Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company. This project adopts the most advanced short-process production technology independently developed by Sinopec, marking a new breakthrough in technology and equipment in the field of polyester non-fiber in China. By now, all three projects of the first phase of Yizheng Chemical Fiber's 850,000-ton-per-year functional polyester new material project have been completed and put into operation, contributing to the optimization of China's polyester industrial structure and providing material support for the high-end development of China's manufacturing industry.
The picture shows the de-aldehyde tower unit of the 500,000-ton bottle flake project of Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company (Photo by Liu Yufu)
The first phase of the 850,000-ton-per-year functional polyester new material project of Yizheng Chemical Fiber is a major project in Jiangsu Province in 2023. The first phase of the project includes the already operational 230,000-ton-per-year intelligent short fiber first phase project, the 120,000-ton-per-year PBT/ 60,000-ton-per-year PBxT flexible transformation project, and the newly operational 500,000-ton-per-year new-generation bottle flake transformation project. Each year, it can produce 850,000 tons of new functional polyester materials, driving a production value of over 10 billion yuan in the upstream and downstream industrial chains, and better meeting people's new demands for clothing, food, housing, transportation, and health and environmental protection.
Innovation empowers, meeting the new demands of a better life. Polyester bottle flakes are a type of plastic material made from polyester, featuring lightweight and recyclability. They are widely used in beverage packaging, sheet materials and other fields, and are closely related to people's lives. China is the world's largest producer, consumer and exporter of bottle chips. However, in some high-end bottle chip fields with special performance requirements, there is still room for development. The 500,000-ton/year bottle flake project of Yizheng Chemical Fiber can produce carbonated beverage bottles, hot-filled beverage bottles, plastic steel strip plates and some new special functional polyester products. It adopts the most advanced short-process production technology independently developed by Sinopec in China. The product quality is more excellent, and the crystallinity is lower than that of traditional processes, which is more conducive to the application of downstream users in blow molding and other fields.
The picture shows the workers of the bottle and flake Department of Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company inspecting the appearance of the freshly produced particles beside the granulator outlet of the 500,000-ton bottle and flake production unit. (Photo by Liu Yufu
"Pursue novelty and greenness", and build new competitiveness. The traditional production process of polyester bottle chips requires first generating low-viscosity base chips, and then increasing the viscosity to produce polyester chips suitable for bottles. The 500,000-ton/year bottle chip project of Yizheng Chemical Fiber has broken through the traditional production process and for the first time achieved a "leapfrog" connection from raw materials directly to bottle-grade polyester chips. The production process is more energy-efficient, and it is expected to reduce carbon emissions by more than 20%. Its energy and material consumption indicators are all at the leading level in China. In addition, the domestic production rate of equipment for this project has reached 95%, and it is adjacent to upstream facilities, which can better promote integrated and coordinated development.
Yizheng Chemical Fiber is a leading enterprise in the domestic polyester and fiber industry. In recent years, the company's production and sales volume of polyester staple fibers have consistently maintained a leading position globally. Among them, the market share of spunlace nonwoven polyester staple fibers in the domestic high-end market has exceeded 70%, making it the top brand in China. Since 2018, it has continuously maintained the title of "Outstanding Supplier in China's Nonwoven Fabric Industry". In addition, the film-grade chips produced by the company have been selected as national manufacturing single-champion products. It is the first domestic enterprise to pass the dual certifications of Coca-Cola and Pepsi-Cola, and it possesses a leading domestic injection molding and blow molding laboratory. On October 14, 2024, the Zhengzhou Commodity Exchange added Yizheng Chemical Fiber Bottle Flakes as a designated brand for bottle flake delivery and a brand exempt from inspection.
Photo: 500,000-ton bottle flake production facility of Sinopec Yizheng Chemical Fiber Company (Photo by Liu Yufu)