Maoming Petrochemical Polyethylene Unit Successfully Launched

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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The first loaded trial run of the 350,000 ton-per-year high-density polyethylene unit at Maoming Petrochemical's ethylene facility was carried out recently, and its product passed the Chinese National Quality Test.

This $88 million unit is currently the largest and most technologically advanced of its kind in the world. The unit employs Chevron Phillips Chemical Company's (The Woodlands, Texas) loop-reactor technology. Chevron Phillips is owned equally by Chevron Corporation (NYSE:CVX) (San Ramon, California) and ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) (Houston, Texas). It has the advantages of large, single-line production, a rich variety of products and high product quality. The polyethylene unit will manufacture blow-molding plastic, membrane material, fiber-forming material, tubular material, injection-molding material and cable materials. The launch of the unit will help fill the lack of plastic products in the Guangdong province.

The reactor recycle pump, catalytic activating oven and other core equipment was imported from nine countries. Some of the technology and equipment was used for the first time in China, posing considerable difficulties in construction. Nevertheless, the construction work was carried out in 17 months and was completed in June of this year. During the trial run, the staff at Maoming Petrochemical completed the entire production process successfully in six hours.

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