Sulzer has been awarded by Yangzhou Huitong Biological New Material to supply technology and key equipment for its polylactic acid (PLA) production facility in Jiangsu Province, China, which will have a capacity of 30’000 tonnes per year.
The plant will be able to produce a large portfolio of PLA grades serving a broad range of end-use applications from food packaging to kitchen utensils or toys. Replacing traditional plastics with non-fossil based plastics directly contributes to an improved carbon footprint.
The versatility of Sulzer’s PLA technology allows to produce a large range of molecular weights, stereoisomer ratios while meeting product high-quality standards.
To meet Yangzhou Huitong Biological New Material’s requirements, Sulzer Chemtech will design and provide its lactide purification, polymerization, devolatilization and post-reaction proprietary technologies. The licensing agreement framework also includes extensive service support from engineering to technical assistance and field services.
Sulzer Chemtech was selected for its proven track record as market leader, delivering scalable production solutions with both improved efficiency and quality for the production of PLA.
Zhang JianGang, President of Yangzhou Huitong Biological New Material, adds: “This new facility will allow us to enter the fast-growing bioplastic market. We consider Sulzer an extremely valuable partner in this project. The company’s comprehensive technical services and cutting-edge production technologies for PLA will help us to effectively produce sustainable plastics and meet our strategic customers demand.”
Torsten Wintergerste, Division President of Sulzer Chemtech, comments: “We are excited to support Yangzhou Huitong Biological New Material in their flagship project. Our PLA technologies are currently used in most PLA facilities worldwide. We couldn’t be prouder to be supporting customers with monomer purification and polymer production units that are helping advance the sustainable and circular plastics sector.”
About Sulzer
Sulzer is a global leader in fluid engineering. We specialize in pumping, agitation, mixing, separation and application technologies for fluids of all types. Our customers benefit from our commitment to innovation, performance and quality and from our responsive network of 180 world-class manufacturing facilities and service centers across the globe. Sulzer has been headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, since 1834. In 2021, our 13’800 employees delivered revenues of CHF 3.2 billion. Our shares are traded on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX: SUN).
The Chemtech division is the global market leader in innovative mass transfer, static mixing and polymer solutions for chemicals, petrochemicals, refining and LNG. We are steering the way in ecological solutions such as bio-based chemicals, polymers and fuels, recycling technologies for textiles and plastic as well as carbon capture and utilization/storage, contributing to a circular and sustainable economy. Our product offering ranges from process components to complete process plants and technology licensing.
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