Prospects for China's Petrochemical Technologies in the 21st Century
                         By Zhang Jian, Lin Baiping
            (China National Petrochemical Information Center)
(continued from page 12, No17)
6. Technologies for production of synthetic resins
Renewal of catalysts used in imported  polyethylene  and  polypropylene
units will be accelerated. Special  attention  will  be  paid  to  the
development of cyclopentadiene metal catalysts to bring  them  to  the
world's advanced level. Breakthroughs will be made in technologies and
key equipment of polyolefins such as the ring-pipe gas-phase fluidized
bed combined process  for  propylene  polymerization  and  the  slurry
process for high density polyethylene  production.   While  conducting
renovation  to  condensation  and  ultracondensation  technologies  in
imported polyolefin units,  technologies  for  condensation  and  heat
removal with Chinese characteristics will be developed.
Varieties of synthetic resins will be expanded to suit the market demand.
The focus will be laid on the development  of  special  materials  for
agricultural mulch, modified materials for packing, special  materials
for household electric appliances and office  equipment,   engineering
plastics, alloy materials and other  high- tech  polymeric  materials.
Measures will also be taken to develop technologies for the production
of copolymerized monomers such as 1-hexene and 4-methyl-1- pentene  to
increase varieties of plastics by copolymerization.
7. Technologies for production of synthetic fibers
The proportion between direct spinned yarn and indirect  spinned  yarn,
between chips and fibers and between filament fibers and staple fibers
will be readjusted according to the market demand.   Efforts  will  be
made  to  improve  the  quality  of  general- purpose  fibers  through
technical renovation, develop and produce new varieties  and  increase
the differential rate of fibers.
Measures will be taken to complete  the  technical  debottlenecking  of
acrylic fiber, the technology for  heat  pipe  spinning  of  polyester
fiber and new technologies for triiso-fiber, 5-hole hollow fiber, high
shrinkage acrylic fiber, fine denier cotton acrylic fiber and  acrylic
cashmere-like fabric, as well as the development and production of new
products.
8. Technologies for production of synthetic rubbers
The complete technology for emulsion styrene-butadiene rubber  will  be
developed by assimilating imported units. The  proportion  of  solvent
styrene-butadiene rubber will be gradually  increased.   The  complete
technology for nickel-series cis-1, 4- polybutadiene  rubber  will  be
further improved and  the  research  and  development  of  rare  earth
catalytic cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber and rare earth oil-extended cis
-1,4-polybutadiene rubber will be further conducted and  expanded  into
commercial production.   The  introduction  and  self- development  of
technologies for butadiene-acrylonitrile rubber,   ethylene- propylene
rubber and butyl rubber will be accelerated to fill  the  gap  in  the
domestic production. Product series of thermoplastic  elastomers  such
as lithium-series rubber and SBS  will  be  formed  on  the  basis  of
existing technologies.
9. Technologies for environmental protection
Environmental protection products in  oil  refining  and  petrochemical
production have been listed in  the  agenda  for  the  development  of
China's petrochemical industry.
China will eliminate 70# gasoline  in  1998  and  only  use  lead- free
gasoline in 2000. New gasoline formulations will be designed with  the
focus on cutting down benzene and  olefin  contents,   reducing  steam
pressure and increasing oxygen content to  meet  the  demand  in  both
  domestic  and  international  markets.   Technologies  for  catalytic
cracking and catalytic reforming will be developed in that  direction.
Technologies recently developed for production  of  olefins  and  high
octane number gasoline and for catalytic  cracking  of  isobutene  and
isopentene will be further modified and disseminated. Technologies for
etherification and alkylation will also be improved.
The demand of diesel in China is higher than the demand of gasoline. In
order to solve the problems  of  low  cetane  number,   high  aromatic
content and poor oxidative stability of  diesel,   reduce  the  sulfur
content in primary diesel to less than 0.2% in 1999 and 0.1%  in  2000
and reduce the sulfur content in diesel for urban use to less  than  0
.05% in 2000, it is imperative to develop catalysts and  processes  for
catalytic cracking to product more diesel, and increase the output and
  improve  the  quality  of  diesel  by  developing  technologies   for
hydrocracking,  especially  medium- pressure  hydrocracking  with  low
investment.   The  technology  for  production  of  diesel  by  olefin
polymerization will also be a new way of diesel production development.
The product structure of lube oils will be readjusted to  eliminate  SC
and CA-class varieties and develop technologies for the production  of
base oil for high-grade and superior  quality  varieties,   especially
from sulfur-containing crude oil imported from the Middle East. New SH
and CF varieties will be developed and put on the market.   In  engine
oils used for internal-combustion engines in 2000, gasoline engine oil
will be mainly SE/SF-class varieties, SG-class variety accounting  fo