To Be a Leader in High Polymer Materials Industry — An Interview to Ren Xuebin, General Manager of Chambroad Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. Rubber Branch

16 August 2018 | Source from China Rubber Journal

◎ Hao Zhangcheng

Chambroad Rubber is affiliated to Shandong Chambroad Holdings Co., Ltd., and it carries an important task of Chambroad to transform and upgrade from a single petrochemical industry to a high-perfor- mance emerging materials industry. It is also the main position that leads Chambroad’s transition from old to new growth drivers. Here, the reporter interviewed Ren Xuebin, General Manager of Chambroad Petro- chemicals Co., Ltd. Rubber Branch. 

Transition from Old to New Growth Drivers, and Be a High-performance Materials Service Provider

Reporter: Chambroad started from the petrochemical industry, so based on what considerations did it decide to extend to the isobutylene-isoprene rubber industry?

Ren Xuebin: During the “Twelfth Five-Year Plan” period, the development of petrochemical industry in which Chambroad was faced a complex and severe environment. The problem of overcapacity was highlighted, and that of product homogeneity brought more intense market competition. The company carefully analyzed new challenges and new opportunities under economic new normal, transformed the pattern of profit growth, stretched the industrial chain, adjusted the industrial structure, and took high-performance fuels (refined oil products, etc.), high-end chemicals (propane, propylene, isobutylene, etc.) and high-performance materials (isobutylene-isoprene rubber, polybutylene alloy, trans-butadiene-isoprene rubber, etc.) as the company’s future development direction.

Under the guidance of the company’s strategy of transforming and upgrading, Shandong Chambroad Petrochemicals Co., Ltd. Rubber Branch was established in 2013. With a total investment of RMB 1.6 Billion Yuan, a project of 50,000 tons/year isobutylene-isoprene rubber started construction, and the project was put into production in 2015.

The main raw material of the product, isobutylene, is completely self-sufficient. The project introduces international advanced technology, and digests, absorbs and reinnovates it. Based on Chambroad (Qingdao) R&D Center, Chambroad Chemical Industry Research Institute Co., Ltd. in Yellow River Delta and university resources, the company can produce multiple brands of common isobutylene-isoprene rubber (IIR) 1953, etc., and brominated isobutylene-isoprene rubber (BIIR) 2828 and other products.

Reporter: What progress has the company made in accelerating the transition from old to new growth drivers and high-end new materials innovation?

Ren Xuebin: In the new material sector, the company takes rubber serialization, functional materials and special fibers as the core, and builds a high-performance functional material base, aiming at being a leader in polymer materials industry, being a national enterprise with technological innovation, brand value and social responsibility, and becoming a three-in-one value solution service provider of synthetic rubber, functional plastic and special fiber.

In addition to the development of BIIR and common IIR products in tires, hoses and other application fields, we also cooperate with relevant research institutes to apply them to shock absorbing products and sealing products, and achieve success, which rewrites the history of monopolization by foreign companies.

Another breakthrough in the innovation and development of Chambroad new material products is 4,000 tons/year trans-butadiene-isoprene rubber (TBIR). The product has a self-developed new polymerization process and independent intellectual property rights, which fills the blank of this technology at home and abroad, and achieves full coverage of international patents in the United States, the European Union and Russia.

In the future, the sector will also plan other new products made from synthetic materials, such as high-performance aramid fibers and other highly competitive products.

Pay Attention to Social Welfare, and Fulfill Corporate Social Responsibility

Reporter: What contributions has the company made in social welfare?

Ren Xuebin: Boxing County, where Chambroad Holdings is located, is the hometown of Dong Yong, a dutiful son in Han Dynasty. Chambroad Holdings always regards the culture of benevolence and filial piety as its core, adheres to the corporate mission of “producing satisfactory products for customers and cultivating helpful talents for the society”. While increasing the comprehensive management level and economic benefits of the enterprise, the company also provides funds to support poverty alleviation, funds schooling and promote education, and cares for the young and the old; it supports scientific and technological research and development to promote scientific and technological progress; it sets up medical facilities to promote the prosperity of medical health; it promotes and expands excellent traditional Chinese culture.

Chambroad Rubber strongly supports the “6.15 Green Tire Safety Week” social public benefit activity. In 2016 and 2017, it has become the sponsor of this public benefit activity for two consecutive years, advocating “green environmental protection and safe travel”, popularizing tire safety knowledge to ordinary consumers, and letting consumers know how to choose proper tires to reduce accidents caused by tire safety problems.

Reporter: How much improvement does the leading product of Chambroad Petrochemicals have on the performance of green tires?

Ren Xuebin: As we all know, IIR has excellent gas retention properties and good heat-resisting and anti-aging properties. The halogenated IIR modified by halogenation is widely used in the inner liner of tubeless tires, and the tubelessness of tires can not only enhance the driving safety performance of the tire. With the help of the inner layer of halogenated isobutylene-isoprene rubber, the gas retaining performance of tires is also significantly improved, and the stability of tire pressure effectively reduces the rolling resistance during driving.

TBIR has excellent anti-fatigue, wear-resisting and low heat-generating properties. It can be used in combination with natural rubber and butadiene rubber to improve the compatibility of general-purpose rubber, and to maximize the excellent characteristics of various types of rubber. When applied to the tire tread formula, it can effectively improve the wear resistance and wet skid resistance of tires, while maintaining the rolling resistance. It is an ideal functional rubber material for high-performance green tires.  

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