Recently, the world's largest purified terephthalic acid (PTA) forced discharge steam tube rotary dryer of HZG4800*35000 model developed by Tianhua Institute, with a single maximum annual output of 1.8 million tons, has been successfully put into operation in Formosa Plastics Industrial Park in Ningbo, Zhejiang. PTA is one of the world's important bulk organic raw materials, widely used in chemical fiber, light industry, electronics, construction and other fields closely related to the national economy, which has a large market demand and poses strict requirements for production process. As the key equipment in PTA production process, the performance of dryer directly affects the quality and output of PTA.

Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Forced Discharge Steam Tube Rotary Dryer

The PTA forced discharge dryer, non-standardly developed by Tianhua Institute for Formosa Plastics Group to meet the requirements of process and production capacity, has a total no-load weight of 720 tons, of which the no-load weight of the largest rotating parts reaches 540 tons and those after containing materials reach 710 tons, indicating high standards. The design of forced discharge effectively ensures the uniformity and controllability of materials in the drying process.

"Single-Champion" of More Than 60 years in Deep Equipment Cultivation

The "steam tube rotary cylinder dryer" as the leading product of Tianhua Institute, is the 8th Group of Single-champion Manufacturing Enterprise publicized by by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Since the successful development of the first domestic steam tube rotary dryer in 1993, Tianhua Institute has continuously broken through technical problems and fully realized the substitution and application of such technology. The product keeps ahead among the similar products in the key performance indicators in the world, but its price is only half of the imported equipment, and has been applied and promoted in a large scale at home and abroad, with its domestic and international market share ranking top.

On the basis of this product, Tianhua Institute has obtained 30 patents for inventions, 9 utility model patents, formulated and revised 2 standards, and has won many awards such as the China Patent Excellence Award, the first prize of Science and Technology Progress of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (CPCIF), the first prize of Gansu Provincial Patent, the second prize of Science and Technology Progress of Gansu Province, and the second prize of Science and Technology Progress of China Metallurgical Industry, etc.

As a scientific and technological innovative enterprise with 65 years of development history, Tianhua Institute has shouldered the tasks to localize large-scale non-standard equipment in China's chemical and petrochemical industries since its inception. In recent years, Tianhua Institute has actively localized large-scale non-standard chemical equipment and technology, formed long-term technical advantages and product discourse power in key technology research fields, and has developed into an important special domestic petrochemical equipment research institute, major equipment experimental research and development base and major equipment manufacturing base and plays a key role in promoting the high-end, intelligent and green development of China's chemical equipment manufacturing industry.

"General Secretary Xi Jinping stated that it is necessary to strengthen the scientific and technological innovation, especially original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation, accelerate the realization of high-level scientific and technological self-reliance and self-independence, tackle the difficult tasks in key core technologies, resulting in the emergence of original and disruptive scientific and technological innovation, cultivate and develop new driving force for quality productivity.    

In the future, Tianhua Institute will continue to focus on the segmentation of complete chemical technical equipment and the key links of the industrial chain, further strengthen technological innovation and brand cultivation, accelerate the high-end, intelligent, digital and green development of enterprise, adhere to the scientific and technological innovation and transformation of scientific and technological achievements, benchmark international advanced technologies, and better play the demonstration and benchmarking role of the single-champion manufacturing enterprises, so as to provide reliable products for chemical and petrochemical enterprises." said He Deqiang, Secretary of the CPC Committee, Executive Director and General Manager of Tianhua Institute of Chemical Machinery & Automation Co., Ltd.  

"Far Ahead" in the Field of Domestic Drying Equipment

Behind the title of "Single-champion Enterprise," is the unremitting persistence by Tianhua Institute in the field of drying equipment for decades.

In March this year, the first domestic polyformaldehyde post-treatment system, with an output of 80,000 tons/year, which was independently researched and developed by Tianhua Institute, was successfully put into a one-time feeding, realizing the localization of key processes and key equipment in the polyformaldehyde device.

Polyformaldehyde Post-treatment System

Polyformaldehyde, an outstanding engineering plastic, is one of the world's five major engineering plastics. Because of its fine hardness, strength, rigidity, self-lubrication and chemical resistance and other properties, it is widely used in electronic and electrical, machinery, instruments, daily use and light industry, automobile, building materials, agriculture, medical treatment, sports equipment and other fields.

At present, there are two types of production process for polyformaldehyde: dry process and wet process. Compared with the dry process, the wet process has the advantages of high system stability and better product quality, so it is widely used. Due to the patented technology, most of the key technologies and key equipment in the wet process have not been fully mastered in China, leading to a gap to be filled in the field in China, which has long restricted the development of China's polyformaldehyde industry.

According to Li Yinghai, Deputy Director of Tianhua Drying Equipment Research Institute, Tianhua Institute began to research and develop the post-treatment system of the polyformaldehyde device as early as ten years ago, and formed a series of process technologies and key equipment with independent intellectual property rights. The successful one-time feeding of the polyformaldehyde post-treatment system has realized the localization of key processes and key equipment in the polyformaldehyde equipment, which is another important application of scientific research and development achievements by Tianhua Institute after the application of new materials such as polyphenyl ether and adipic acid, further enhancing the popularity of Tianhua Institute in the new materials industry and becoming another important profit growth point.

For a long time, Tianhua Institute has always adhered to the development orientation of "market-oriented principle, based on research and development, and transforming achievements into the principal line", focusing on the industrial technology and innovation needs of energy equipment, making continuous breakthroughs in key core technologies and realizing localization of products. In 2007, Tianhua Institute was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology to set up the National Drying Technology and Equipment Center of Engineering and Technology to further gather innovative resources, innovative strength and innovative advantages, and develop China's drying industry to a multi-field, deep-level and high value-added direction. In 2014, Tianhua Institute won the second prize of the National Award for Science and Technology Progress for "Indirect Sludge Agitating Heat Drying and Integrated Technology for Clean Incineration of Composite Circulating Fluidized Bed".

On May 12, the world's largest propane dehydrogenation (PDH) project, with an annual output of 1 million tons per single set, which was developed by Tianhua Institute, was officially put into operation in Zhongjing Petrochemical Science and Technology Park, Jiangyin Port City Economic Zone, Fuqing. The localization rate of equipment as well as parts and components of this project reaches more than 99.5% for the first time in the industry, achieving 10 first sets of global and national complete equipment, of which the two global NO.1 products are created by Tianhua Institute. The first is the "thermoplastic elastomer polypropylene loop reactor with an annual output of 1.2 million tons", which is nearly 70 meters high and weighs 201 tons. The reactor is a major breakthrough achieved by Tianhua Institute for the first time, using the advanced technology of LyondellBasell Industries in the Netherlands, and is currently the world's largest polypropylene loop reactor; the second is the "propane propylene separation tower of propane dehydrogenation unit with an annual output of 1 million tons". Such "jumbo" product tower is 138 meters high, with a weight of 2250 tons, containing 3,400 tons of tower internals and a volume of 11,000 cubic meters, which is a propane propylene separation tower with the world's highest height and largest volume. These two NO.1 products are the first breakthroughs made by Tianhua Institute in related fields, and have laid a solid foundation for further improving the technical equipment manufacturing capacity of Tianhua Institute in the field of petrochemical industry.

Tianhua Institute was awarded the title of Contribution Award for the Cooperative Rsearch and Developent of the First Set of Global Chemical Equipment by Zhongjing Petrochemical Co., Ltd

Zhang Wanyao, General Manager Assistant of Tianhua Institute and Leader responsible for tackling the difficult tasks of the project stated that, "In the past two years, Tianhua Institute has made technological breakthroughs in polyolefin, polypropylene and other related fields time and time again, won the industrial reputation one after another, and significantly improved the market competitiveness. It is the cumulative innovation of Tianhua Institute that results in the qualitative leap, and it is the support and trust of a group of customers from chemical equipment industry such as Zhongjing Petrochemical that enables Tianhua Institute to repeatedly demonstrate its capabilities in domestic equipment design and manufacturing."

Technical Cooperation Framework Agreement signed by EKATO and Tianhua Institute

It is also such series of technological breakthroughs and achievements application that makes Tianhua Institute favored by the domestic owners at the same time, but also won the attention of more international customers. Not long ago, as a global leader in hybrid technologies with 90 years of history, EKATO Agitating Technology Co., Ltd. in Germany signed a framework cooperation agreement with Tianhua Institute on polypropylene reactor technology after on-site investigation of Tianhua Institute's R&D innovation capability and equipment manufacturing capability. Both sides will jointly carry out international cooperation in the field of energy equipment on the basis of complementary advantages, so as to strive to make new breakthroughs in the industry.

"We continue to make localized research and development as well as independent innovation of major core drying technologies and equipment, and have completed the substitution by localization of major petrochemical drying equipment in China, which greatly saves the cost of equipment import." At the same time, in the research of new materials, we have developed a series of new technology products and successfully applied them in related fields, helping to promote the development of new quality productivity." Li Yinghai stated.

Broad Prospects in High Polymer Materials, Waste Heat Recovery, Electrochemistry and Other Fields

Besides the field of drying equipment, Tianhua Institute has also accumulated strong scientific research strength in the segmentation of para-aramid reactor, waste heat recovery, corrosion electrochemical engineering, complete equipment for anti-corrosion and heat preservation, environmental treatment and other fields, occupying a leading position in the domestic market.

Para-aramid Fiber (PPTA)

Para-aramid fiber (PPTA) is a new type of special high polymer material, and known as three major high-performance fibers together with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber and carbon fiber, with the advantages of high strength, high modulus, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and others. It is widely used in optical fiber communication, marine development, civil engineering, friction sealing, elastomer reinforcement and other fields, but cannot be replaced. With the continuous acceleration of China's PPTA localization process in recent years, how to develop a polymerization reactor with independent intellectual property rights is extremely urgent, so as to completely replace the imported reactor and to meet the needs of domestic PPTA equipment construction.

As the "birthplace of China's twin-screw extruder", Tianhua Institute began to design and develop various types of special twin-screw extruders after moving to Lanzhou in 1965. After decades of deligent research and development, it has not only achieved fruitful results in the field of extruders, but also has a first-mover advantage in the field of extrusion granulation of new high-end materials such as polycarbonate powder (PC powder) and polyester floc, as well as polyolefin elastomer (POE), etc. With years of technical accumulation in the extrusion industry, Tianhua Institute focuses on the research and development of PPTA polymerization reactors, constantly explores and solves key design technologies step by step, finally breaks through barriers and achieves a major breakthrough in PPTA reactors, thus forming a set of serial PPTA reactors with independent intellectual property rights for complete design, calculation theories and methods. It has filled the gap in this regard in China and achieved a major breakthrough in China's high-performance fiber industry. In 2021, the project of "Complete Technology Development for Thousand-ton PPTA Industrialization Demonstration Device" jointly tackled by Tianhua Institute won the first prize of Sinopec Science and Technology Progress Award, and was included in the "Recommended Catalog of Science and Technology Innovation Achievements by Central Enterprises (Version 2020)".

Technology Development of Integrated Propane Dehydrogenation Heat Energy Recovery Equipment for the Key Development Project in Gansu Province

As one of the important specialties of Tianhua Institute, Waste Heat Boiler Research Institute is the forerunner of waste heat boilers with thin tube sheet in China. The high temperature and high pressure waste heat recovery technology of industrial gas developed by the Institute has been very mature, with a market share of more than 85%, achieving the recovery of waste heat from high temperature to low temperature, low pressure to high pressure, which has improved the comprehensive recovery of waste heat in many industries, and developed the vertical high temperature ash waste heat recovery equipment technology for crushed coal pressurized gasification device and high temperature solid material waste heat recovery technology, and continues to promote scientific and technological innovation to the market. Currently, relevant technologies have been widely used in hydrogen production, methanol, olefin, synthetic ammonia, coal to gas, LNG, sulfur recovery and other petroleum and petrochemical, coal chemical industry fields.

Wang Yanjun, Deputy Director of Tianhua Waste Heat Boiler Research Institute, stated that the market space in the field of industrial waste heat recovery is huge. Currently, Tianhua Institute has localized the complete technology for large-scale high temperature and high pressure waste heat boilers, which has been successfully applied in the fields of reforming gas waste heat boilers of synthetic ammonia plant with an annual output of 300,000 tons, steam generator of 80,000 Nm³/h and 100,000 Nm³/h for natural gas hydrogen production plants, high-temperature waste heat recovery system of synthetic ammonia plant and secondary reformers, solving a number of technical problems in the field of high temperature and high pressure waste heat boiler in China, filling the domestic gap, and reaching the international advanced level, and has received unanimous praise from the industry. Recently, the reaction effluent steam generator of propanes dehydrogenation device, with the inner diameter of Φ3300mm, a length of about 13,300mm, a total weight of 125 tons and an annual output of 600, 000 tons was successfully delivered, with completion of on-site installation and commissioning, and its operation indicators have met the process requirements and got recognition and praise from users.

Tianhua Institute's Anode Protected Equipment Assembly Workshop

Scientific and technological innovation is the power source of enterprise's development. In the anode protection equipment assembly workshop of Tianhua Institute, workers are processing and manufacturing equipment, such as anode protected concentrated sulfuric acid heat exchangers, etc. The anode protected technology is an important anti-corrosion protection technology in sulfuric acid production equipment. At present, almost all domestic sulfuric acid production enterprises apply the anode protection equipment. Tianhua Institute is the birthplace of domestic anode protection technology, with an international leading level, has developed and industrialized anode protection products and has become an anode protection equipment supplier of major projects at home and abroad, with high market recognition.

Out-of-Factory of 5 acid production projects with the capacity of 1 million tons together with supporting 25 sets of anode protected acid coolers

Li Wenhao, Deputy Director General of Chemical Materials and Corrosion Research Department of Tianhua Institute and Vice Director of Electrochemistry Institute, introduced that anode protected concentrated sulfuric acid heat exchangers occupy the domestic market share of more than 75%, with the annual output of more than 300 units and the annual output value of more than 100 million yuan.

Diversion Pipeline Engineering of the Key Project Named "Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Project" Held by the State Council

Tianhua Institute of Pipeline Engineering Technology is a professional research institute, which started from the research and development of the molding process of rigid polyurethane foam insulation pipe by "One-step Stator Outer Diameter Method". In 1985, the "one-step" molding process technology for "steel pipe anti-corrosion and heat preservation foam with yellow coating" researched and developed independently by the Institute won the second prize of the National Award for Science and Technology Progress. Subsequently, the professional technical team of the Institute is deeply dedicated to technologies, and successively completed the localization of steel pipeline 3PE anti-corrosion equipment, large-caliber steel pipeline epoxy powder spraying technology, which was successfully applied to national key diversion pipeline projects, such as "Hanjiang-to-Weihe River Project", etc. In 2010, the foam spraying and filament winding for rigid polyurethane foam insulation pipe process was developed in China, and through the formulation of national standards, the process was promoted and widely used in a large area of domestic heating pipeline projects. In recent years, the Institute has successively introduced PERT flexible continuous insulation pipe process, 3PE coating forming process of large-caliber hot bending pipes, and complete automatic pipeline anti-corrosion and insulation equipment (black light factory).

"In recent years, Pipeline Engineering Technology Institute has provided more than 100 sets of pipe-related equipment for the domestic Daqing Oilfield, Changqing Oilfield, CNOOC and other major oil fields, Donghong Pipe Industry, Qinglong Pipes, Huayou Steel Pipe and other major steel pipe factories. Also, the Institute actively explores overseas markets, and its complete equipment has been exported to Malaysia, Brazil, Algeria, Pakistan, Uzbekistan and other countries. The relevant complete pipeline equipment of the Institute has been highly recognized by owners and users at home and abroad." Pu Xuliang, Deputy Chief Engineer of Tianhua Institute and Director of Pipeline Engineering Technology Institute stated that, "In the future, Tianhua Institute of Pipeline Engineering Technology will always adhere to technology-driven development and help make the progress of pipeline equipment industry."

Acrolein Tail Gas RTO Processing and Optimization Project

As a state-owned central enterprise, Tianhua Institute actively cultivates and expands drying engineering technologies and equipment, para-aramid reactor, waste heat recovery, corrosion electrochemical engineering and other core specialties, while constantly promoting the long-term development of green environmental protection industry. At present, thermal destruction and other environmental treatment technologies have become representative technologies for Tianhua Institute to help owners upgrade and transform related devices, so as to achieve the objectives of "carbon peaking and carbon neutrality". Tianhua Institute has also developed into an environmental protection equipment supplier of various environmental treatment technologies, such as regenerative incineration, direct combustion incineration, waste gas and waste liquid concentration technology, organic waste liquid incineration technologies from initial research and development of a single ceramic heat accumulator.

In recent years, with the intensive introduction of relevant emission standards for various industries in China, Tianhua Institute has customized safe and reliable equipment solutions to help users solve environmental emissions problems in accordance with the principle of “one plant one program" for new energy industry, waste lithium battery recycling and other emerging industries. Meanwhile, the method of "collection design + pretreatment + negative pressure recovery or incineration of existing devices" is adopted to minimize energy consumption and heat recovery, reduce equipment investment and operating costs, and contribute equipment strength in energy saving and emission reduction. Currently, the environmental protection equipment made by Tianhua Institute has been widely used in traditional industries such as petrochemical, medicine, coating and coking. Relying on consulting and engineering design, Tianhua Institute also has the ability to provide users with EPC services in the pre-project planning and project implementation stage.

He Deqiang stated that scientific and technological innovation, as an inherent requirement and an important focus for promoting high-quality development, has become a "golden key" to open the door of new quality productivity and decode the "new code" of high-quality development. The "benefits of economic development" brought by the research and development of chemical equipment manufacturing for many years is gradually released, which promoted Tianhua Institute to step out of a way to drive the high-quality development of enterprises with scientific and technological innovation.

This year, Tianhua Institute will continue to strengthen the scientific and technological research efforts in the field of new materials, new energy, energy conservation and environmental protection, focus on promoting the localization of a series of key core technologies, arrange and deploy 39 key scientific research projects. In the first half of the year, the technology investment made by Tianhua Institute accounted for more than 6.6%, and Tianhua Institute applied for a total of 41 patents, with patents for invention accounting for 73.2%; Tianhua Institute has obtained 40 authorized patents, with 2 appearance designs issued and 1 group standard drafted and published. It has won 1 first prize of Gansu Provincial Patent, 1 first prize of Science and Technology Progress of China Petrochemical Corporation and Chemical Corporation Limited, and 1 first prize of Science and Technology Progress of China National Association for Automation in Petroleum and  Chemical Industry in 2023.