On September 3, SDWH Chemical Technology Group, the largest manufacturer of MDI, TDI and polyurethane in China, announced the establishment of the SDWH High Performance Materials Research Institute R&D and industrialization of results. Phase results have been achieved. At present, over 300 types of materials have been developed, 155 patents have been applied for, and 193 new materials have been mass-produced in cooperation with enterprises in the industry for applications in automobiles, home appliances and other fields.
On August 24 this year, the main structure of the research building of the research institute project was completed and accepted. After being put into use, it will effectively promote the construction of Daxie into the world’s largest and most competitive MDI and HDI manufacturing center, and build China’s leading new chemical material application development center and World-class material innovation center.
On August 16, 2018, SDWH High Performance Materials Research Institute started construction. The project is divided into a research building and a material testing center. At present, the material processing and testing center has 6 world-class experimental extrusion production lines, and is equipped with 5 well-known brand injection molding machines of different fields and scales. The material analysis laboratory has more than 110 global advanced testing equipment. In terms of R&D personnel, the Institute has 155 R&D personnel, of which 74% are masters and doctors or above.
"We are researching while experimenting. The research direction is mainly high-performance polypropylene, high-performance polycarbonate, special nylon and biodegradable plastics in four major sectors, and each sector has subdivisions." SDWH postdoctoral workstation Said Zhao Bin, head of product development. Among them, the application of material development is mainly concentrated in the fields of automobiles, electronic appliances, etc., including automobile interior and exterior decoration, engine surroundings and electronic and electrical enclosures, structural parts, lighting, wearable devices, etc. The biodegradable plastic that is being developed recently will automatically degrade into water and carbon dioxide after being buried in the ground. It is a truly green and environmentally friendly product and will be used in catering, logistics and other fields after mass production.
According to reports, SDWH High Performance Materials Research Institute covers an area of 54 acres, with a planned investment of 507 million yuan and a total construction area of more than 41,000 square meters. Personalization and differentiated customization are a major feature of the Institute. "We carry out differentiated innovations based on customer needs, and we develop customized materials. It can be said that each product is unique and industrializable." Zhao Bin said.
In terms of high-performance polypropylene used in automotive interiors, the Institute has achieved significant results. The polypropylene itself, the raw material used to manufacture dashboards, door inner guards, seat systems, and other automotive interiors, emits organic harmful substances. The research institute has specifically developed low-emission polypropylene materials for automotive interiors. Reduce the emission of volatile harmful substances in automobiles. In terms of automotive exteriors, the Institute focuses on the research of lightweight materials, which greatly meets the needs of automotive weight reduction, energy saving and emission reduction, and the development of new energy vehicles.
At present, the SDWH High Performance Materials Research Institute has cooperated with well-known domestic automobile and electronic appliances companies, and cooperated in research and development in many innovative fields according to the needs of each company.
"Our research institute aims to develop the business of high-performance materials, with product application development as the orientation, and closely focus on Ningbo '246' industry to carry out related R&D and industrialization work, and to carry out joint research on production, learning, and research with scientific research institutes, and make breakthroughs. The industrial application of core technologies.” Zhao Bin said that it is expected that in the first half of 2021, the research institute will be completed and put into use. By then, the research institute’s talent team will be further expanded and the types of research and development materials will be further expanded.