On December 24, 2020, the China National Innovation Conference for Petroleum and Chemical Technology organized by China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation was held in Hangzhou to commend advanced units and individuals specializing in science and technology innovation of China’s petroleum and chemical industry. Nantong Xingchen’s invention patent, a method of treating process sewage for the preparation of 2,6-Dimethylphenol, won the 2020 Excellence Award for Petroleum and Chemical Patent. It is the first time that Nantong Xingchen was granted the Petroleum and Chemical Patent Award.

Polyphenylene ether (PPE or PPO), one of the five major engineering plastics with excellent mechanical and electrical properties and the lowest density among the five plastics, has been widely used in emerging fields such as photovoltaics and electric vehicles in recent years. Currently, only three enterprises across the world, including Nantong Xingchen, have mastered the core technology and conducted mass-production and sales. 2,6-Dimethylphenol is a monomer raw material for the production of PPE, with a long production process and high technical threshold. The preparation of 2,6-Dimethylphenol is constrained by the complex composition of the effluent of subsequent processes and the difficulty of treating wastes and meeting environmental standards. After the invention patent is commercialized, water and harmful substances can be separated completely in the unit and materials will be recycled and used comprehensively. Wastewater can be recycled while ensuring the optimal consumption and yield of products.

The patent has been successfully applied by Nantong Xingchen Ruicheng Branch to the wastewater treatment unit of 20,000t/y PPE production plant. Through verification operation, the COD value of 2,6-Dimethylphenol wastewater discharge index has dropped significantly, solving the technical problem of phenol-containing wastewater failing to meet the discharge standard and reducing the unit consumption of phenol and methanol raw materials for the production of 2,6-Dimethylphenol through recycling.

As the invention technology is mature and dependable, the treatment of three wastes meets the national environmental protection requirements. In 2020, Nantong Xingchen finished building a new-generation 30,000 t/y PPE production plant through its own technologies involving the patent and putting it into operation successfully, serving as the world’s second largest PPE producer. The project has delivered significant economic and social benefits, making a big push for the sustainable development of PPE and related fields in China.

Nantong Xingchen has 59 authorized patents including 15 in the PPE field, covering synthesis process, preparation of catalyst, solvent recovery, and treatment of three wastes. Of them, two won the China Patent Excellence Award and the Patent Award of China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation respectively, and two Excellence Awards of China Chemical Industry Patent. While developing a patent pool for protecting PPE technologies in a progressive manner, Nantong Xingchen has formulated national standards for PPE products to facilitate the healthy development of the PPE industry.

Nantong Xingchen has given high priority to innovation-driven development and intellectual property rights. While strengthening cost management, it has continued to take industry pacesetters as role models, focus on increasing investment in science and technology, and cultivate more technological teams by means of external attraction and internal training. Nantong Xingchen has tapped into a number of advanced technologies, strong market competitiveness, and economic and social benefits in its innovation.