SBC Project in China Goes into Operation
Styrene Butadiene Copolymer (SBC) Project of Sinopec with Capacity of 170,000 Tons/Year Commences Production.
Hainan Baling Chemical New Material Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (HKG: 0386, “Sinopec”), has launched production of its styrene-butadiene copolymer (SBC) project (the “Project”) in Hainan, China, which will reach an annual production capacity of 170,000 tons.
Sinopec now has the largest world’s largest production capacity of SBC plants. Baling New Material and Sinopec Hainan Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. invested 1.924 billion yuan in the Hainan Baling project (USD 279.74 million).
A total of 170,000 tons of SBS and SEBS products, including 120,000 tons of SBS products and 50,000 tons of SEBS products, are produced annually at the project’s SBC plant. Refining, polymerization, coalescence, recycling, auxiliaries preparation, post-treatment, and supporting production and public facilities are among the 13 units that make up the plant.
TPE (thermoplastic elastomer) is a class of copolymers that can be plasticized at high temperatures and has rubber elasticity at room temperature, and SBC is a type of TPE, the products of which include SBS, SEBS, SIS, and SEPS, which are widely used in shoes, asphalt modification, resin modification, adhesives, food packaging, medical equipment, sports equipment, automotives, and consumer electronics.
In order to meet the needs of customers who want their products customized, the Project makes use of Sinopec’s self-developed SBS and SEBS full solution sets, including a clean manufacturing method that can produce SBCs of different grades and performances.
Styrene and butadiene from Hainan Refining & Chemical, innovative technologies from Baling New Material, and the Hainan Free Trade Port are being used in the interim to cut costs associated with raw materials and transportation while extending the industrial chain to maximize profits. SBC products will be exported by the Initiative to South Asian, Southeast Asian, and developing European markets.
For more than 50 years, Sinopec has advanced synthetic rubber research and development in China. Technologies for butyllithium preparation and SBS polymerization were created in the 1970s by Yanshan Petrochemical Research Institute.
Sinopec is one of only three firms in the world—and the only one in China—capable of industrial production of novel SEPS products using environmentally friendly technology. Baling New Material’s SEPS facility, with a 20,000-ton annual production capacity, began production in August 2017.
With exclusive SBC technologies and proprietary intellectual property rights, Sinopec is now taking a technologically leading position in the world for the development of SBC technologies and products.
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