News Information

Recently, the Lanzhou Chemical Research Center of the Research Institute of Petroleum Processing, China National Petroleum Corporation, has completed the full-process fiber processing test of the U50F, a special material for ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibers, which was pilot-scale prepared using a self-developed porous organic polymer carrier (POP) type catalyst. This marks a significant progress made by China National Petroleum Corporation in the research and development of UHMWPE catalysts and UHMWPE fiber-specific materials, and another breakthrough in independent innovation.

Previously, the research team from Lanzhou Chemical Research Center successfully completed the pilot-scale polymerization evaluation test on a 6.4 cubic meter slurry polyethylene plant using their independently developed POP-type UHMWPE catalyst. The experimental process was smooth and controllable, with a sieving rate exceeding 99%. The U50F, a special material for UHMWPE fibers with a viscosity-average molecular weight of 5 million, was successfully prepared. From March 25th to 31st, 2025, the research team completed the full-process fiber processing tests of the U50F fiber pilot-scale dedicated material, including the preparation of the spinning solution, the spinning of the multi-filament gel, solvent extraction, super-doubling stretching, and the winding of the finished product. The test results show that the U50F dedicated material has excellent spinnability, tensile properties and uniformity. The fiber fineness is 80.2dtex, the elongation at break is 2.6%, and the fiber strength reaches 38.2cN/dtex, meeting the requirements of high-end applications.

UHMWPE is hailed as the "King of Materials", and its production has long been constrained by the core technology of catalysts. Traditional UHMWPE catalysts mostly use inorganic carriers such as magnesium chloride and silicon dioxide, which are prone to introduce impurities like ash and affect the material's performance. The POP catalyst system innovatively developed by Lanzhou Chemical Research Center breaks the constraints of the industry status quo with pure organic carriers. This POP carrier is precisely constructed from carbon, hydrogen and oxygen elements. Through molecular design, the specific surface area, pore size and chemical environment of the metal active center are regulated, eliminating the introduction of impurities from the source and achieving excellent catalytic performance. It is suitable for the production of low-ash, fine-grained UHMWPE, enhancing the processing performance and strength of fibers. This time, the successful pilot-scale development of UHWMPE fiber material was achieved by using the independently developed POP catalyst, providing key technical support for the localization and high-end development of high-performance polyethylene fibers of China National Petroleum Corporation.