The chemical industry in China is one of China's main manufacturing industries. It valued at around $1.44 trillion in 2014, and China is currently the largest chemicals manufacturing economy in the world. [1]
The chemical industry is central to modern China's economy. It uses special methods to alter the structure, composition or synthesis of substances to produce new products, such as steel, plastic, and ethyl. Chemical industry provides building materials for China's infrastructure, including subway, high-speed train, and highway.
Prior to 1978, most of the product was produced by the state-owned business, and the share in product outputted by state-owned business had decreased in 2002.
The Chinese chemical industry is also one of the world's largest producers of both controlled and non-controlled precursor chemicals used in the Global illicit drug trade, particularly in the Golden Triangle, Mexico, Latin America and Europe, [2] with large volumes of these substances being traded through the growing research chemical (RC) industry online through social media and on B2B platforms and the dark web. [3] [4]
The modern chemical industry was born after the Industrial Revolution which took place in 1760 to sometime between 1820 and 1840. This revolution included the change from hand production methods to machines, iron production processes and new chemical manufacturing. [5] Before that, China's chemical products were mainly produced by hand workshop.
Tu Youyou | |
---|---|
屠呦呦 | |
Born | December 30, 1930 93) Zhejiang, China | (age
Nationality | Chinese |
Known for | Discover qinghaosu |
Awards | 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Medical chemistry |
Shennong has tested hundreds of herbs to find their medical value, and have written "The Divine Farmer's Herb-Root Classic". This book recorded the efficacy of 365 medicines derived from plants, animals, and minerals and gave rarity ratings and grade. Shennong's work led the way to Chinese medicine. In the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen wrote "Compendium of Materia Medica" which contained more than 1,800 kinds of drugs. It also described the nature, flavor, form, type and usage in disease cure of over 1000 herbs. The book is considered as the primary reference work for herbal preparation. [6] These works were significant to the development of traditional Chinese medicine, and they laid the foundation for modern Chinese medical chemistry.
Tu Youyou is a pharmaceutical chemist of China. She discovered qinghaosu (artemisinin) and applied to cure malaria. Qinghaosu saves millions of lives in South China, South America, Southeast Asia, and Africa. It is an important breakthrough in the medicine area last century, and Tu Youyou received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine and Lasker Award in Clinical Medicine for her work. She is the first Chinese female to receive a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. [7]
China's agriculture production efficiency boosted in the 20th century, because of the application of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. In 1909, Franklin Hiram King, US Professor of Agriculture, made a tour of China. His book "Farmers of Forty Centuries" described China's farming. This book inspired many Chinese farmers to conduct ecological farming and use fertilizers. [8] Beginning in 1978, the Chinese government created the Family Production Responsibility System and encouraged farmers to use fertilizer. [9]
Chemical fertilizer can increase the output by 50% to 80%. [10] The chemical industry produces micronutrients fertilizer contained nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, which can meet the demand of different crops and soil structure. China is currently the largest consumer and producer of nitrogen fertilizers. [11]
According to statistics, by 1984, there were actually about 9 million chemical substances in the world, of which about 43% were materials. Although the number of materials is large, if classified according to chemical composition, it can be summarized into three categories: metal materials, inorganic non-metal materials and composite materials.
Steel is an important metal material in the chemical industry of China. In 2016, the annual production of steel of the world is 1621 million tons, of which 804 million tons are produced in China (49.6%), 105 million tons are produced in Japan (6.5%), 89 million tons are produced in India (5.5%), 79 million tons are produced in US (4.9%). [12]
China's production of steel increased from 100 million tons in 2000 to 250 million tons in 2004. It caused rising demand for raw materials which is necessary for steel production, included pig iron, iron ore, scrap metal, lime and dolomite, coke and coal. The price of iron ore increased by over 70% from 2004 to 2005. Thus, in December 2005, China decided to limit production of steel to not more than 400 million tons per year within five years, in order to lower the increasing rate of raw material prices. [13]
In 2016, China ethyl alcohol and other basic organic chemicals markets and plastic materials and resins market were valued at $137 and $184 billion respectively, which had 9% and 10% growth rates.
China is the largest producer and exporter plastic materials market in the world. The main driver of this market is the expanded application of ethanol in China. The demand for ethanol in China is about 2.3 million tons now. [14]
China has a key operating division, Chenguang Institute, which has developed a number of advanced epoxy resin, organic silicone, polymer material and specialty engineering plastics. It has signed a JV agreement with DuPont's high-performance polymer division, to produce and sale premixed rubber and raw fluoro-rubber. The JV agreement included the establishment of an ultra-modern pre-mixed rubber factory in Shanghai and it began to operate in 2011. [15]
The composite material is new structural material. It is characterized by a combination of volumetric strength, volumetric stiffness and corrosion resistance over metallic materials. It is composed of a matrix material such as synthetic resin, metal or ceramic, and a reinforcing material composed of inorganic or organic synthetic fibres. There are a variety of substrates and reinforcing materials so that a selective fit can be made to produce various composites with satisfactory performance, which has a broader prospect for chemical materials.
Sinochem and Shanghai Chemical Industry Institute have set up a laboratory for composite materials. The two sides will jointly develop technology, transform the results and apply in the industry of carbon fiber and its curing resins, in order to promote the technologies and products of high-performance composite materials and facilitate its industrialization and marketization. At present, this laboratory has launched a project to research and develop the spray-free carbon fiber composite material. At first, this material will be applied to new energy cars, which can not only reduce the weight of the cars but also reduce the cost of applying composite materials while improving production efficiency significantly. [16]
China has a company which is the top 3 chemical companies all over the world. That is Sinopec. It has $43.8 billion in chemical sales in 2015.
A list of the top 20 China's chemical corporation by turnover in 2018 shows below. [17]
No. | Companies |
---|---|
1 | SINOPEC |
2 | China National Petroleum Corporation |
3 | China National Offshore Oil Corporation |
4 | China Zhonghua Group co. LTD |
5 | China National Chemical Corporation |
6 | Shaanxi Yanchang Petroleum co. LTD |
7 | Henan Energy Chemical Group co. LTD |
8 | China Pingmei what energy chemical industry group limited liability company |
9 | Zhejiang Rongsheng Holding group co. LTD |
10 | Zhejiang Hengyi Group co. LTD |
11 | Shandong Dongming Petrochemical Group co. LTD |
12 | Wanda Holding group co. LTD |
13 | Lihua Yi group co. LTD |
14 | Jiangyin Chengxing Industrial Group co. LTD |
15 | Yuntianhua Group co. LTD |
16 | Shanghai Huayi company |
17 | China Chemical Engineering co. LTD |
18 | Yangquan Coal Chemical Industry Group co. LTD |
19 | Shandong Jingbo Holding co. LTD |
20 | Shandong Haike Chemical Group co. LTD |
Chinese companies plan to go into the specialties side of the market, and some of them already become one of the players in the market, such as Zhejiang NHU, a vitamin maker; Yantai Wanhua, an isocyanates maker; and Bairun, the leader in the Chinese flavors-and-fragrances market. [18]
The chemical market value of China had increased in the past 30 years. In 2015, it represented about 30% of the chemicals demand all over the world. [19]
China's demand growth of the chemical industry has slowed down from the two-digit rates in the past 10 years, but it still has 60% growth for the global demand from 2011 to 2020. [18]
As of the end of November 2011, there were 24,125 enterprises above designated size in the China national chemical industry, with a total output value of 6.0 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 35.2%, accounting for 58.61% of the total output value of the whole industry. In the first 11 months of 2011, the fixed assets investment in the chemical industry was 861.721 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 26.9%, which was 5.5 percentage points higher than the industry average, accounting for 70.12%. In the first 10 months of 2011, the total profit of the chemical industry was 320.88 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 44.4%, accounting for 47.1% of the total industry profits. The annual output value of the chemical industry is expected to be about 6.58 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 32%, and the total profit is 350 billion yuan, an increase of 35%. In 2011, the added value of the chemical industry increased by 14.8% year-on-year, and the growth rate slowed by 1% year-on-year. [20]
A list of China chemical industry's main products in 2011 shows below. [20]
Products | Output (million tons) | Increase rate |
---|---|---|
Ethylene | 15.28 | 7.40% |
Plastics | 47.98 | 9.30% |
Synthetic rubber | 3.49 | 13.10% |
Synthetic fibers | 30.96 | 13.90% |
Caustic soda | 24.66 | 15.20% |
Soda ash | 22.03 | 13.40% |
Synthetic fertilizer | 60.27 | 12.10% |
Pesticide | 2.65 | 21.40% |
Calcium carbide | 17.38 | 22.30% |
China government set up policy goals to solve the unemployment issue and boost the economy, in order to against the increasing population. The government's policies and goals have progressed as the economy was opened up in 1978. It can be divided into three periods:
1978-1990: China's market was opened to the world in 1978, and the government knew the importance of the chemical industry, so permitted the foreign direct investment get into domestic but control heavily. Meanwhile, China's domestic chemical demand increased, so most companies decided to invest in produce.
1990-2000: Multinationals were allowed to enter the Chinese market, to join the chemical produce cooperate with Chinese firms.
2000-2011: Foreign direct investment in this period has not to limit, while multinationals booming because China became a major exporter for chemical in the world. [19]
China's chemical industry has developed over the past 40 years, from an economic backwater to the largest chemicals manufacturing economy, that consumes raw materials and energy. This change has helped hundreds of millions of Chinese out of poverty but polluted China's air and water at the same time. [21]
China government has made efforts to fight the pollution. Free plastic shopping bags were banned in 2008. The production of plastic bags causes a waste of resource and energy and environmental pollution because plastic bags are non-recyclable. [22]
Chemical industries in China are starting to research and develop green technologies by the recommendation of the government such as the use of alternative fuels to produce chemical products. Some industries are using carbon dioxide and others naturally available to produce industrial products, fuels and other substances. For example, a specialty chemicals company called Elevance Renewable Sciences produces highly concentrated detergents by using green technology metathesis, which significantly lowers the energy consumption and minimizes pollution. [14]
Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, the primary means of manufacturing potash before the Industrial Era. The word potassium is derived from potash.
The chemical industry comprises the companies and other organizations that develop and produce industrial, specialty and other chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into commodity chemicals for industrial and consumer products. It includes industries for petrochemicals such as polymers for plastics and synthetic fibers; inorganic chemicals such as acids and alkalis; agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides; and other categories such as industrial gases, speciality chemicals and pharmaceuticals.
Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the properties it had in its original state. It is an alternative to "conventional" waste disposal that can save material and help lower greenhouse gas emissions. It can also prevent the waste of potentially useful materials and reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reducing energy use, air pollution and water pollution.
Eastman Chemical Company is an American company primarily involved in the chemical industry. Once a subsidiary of Kodak, today it is an independent global specialty materials company that produces a broad range of advanced materials, chemicals and fibers for everyday purposes. Founded in 1920 and based in Kingsport, Tennessee, the company operates 36 manufacturing sites worldwide and employs approximately 14,000 people.
Jiamusi is a prefecture-level city in eastern Heilongjiang province, People's Republic of China. Located along the middle and lower reaches of the Songhua River, it faces Russia's Khabarovsk Krai across the Ussuri River and the Heilongjiang. In 2018, Jiamusi had a GDP of RMB 101.2 billion with a 4.3% growth rate. Its population was 2,156,505 at the 2020 census whom 862,555 lived in the built up area comprising 4 urban districts.
Braskem S.A is a Brazilian petrochemical company headquartered in São Paulo. The company is the largest petrochemical company in Latin America and has become a major player in the international petrochemical market.
Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, known as SABIC, is a Saudi chemical manufacturing company. 70% of SABIC's shares are owned by Saudi Aramco. It is active in petrochemicals, chemicals, industrial polymers and fertilizers. It is the second largest public company in the Middle East and Saudi Arabia as listed in Tadawul.
Hanwha Solutions Corporation is a multinational energy services, petrochemical, and real estate development company headquartered in Seoul, South Korea. The company is part of the Hanwha Group, a large South Korean business conglomerate. Founded in 1965 as Hanwha Chemical, the company was rebranded as Hanwha Solutions in January 2020 when Hanwha Chemical merged with Hanwha Q Cells & Advanced Materials, which itself was formed out of a 2018 merger. The company added the Hanwha Galleria and Hanwha City Development real estate companies to its portfolio in April 2021. The Galleria division and the Advanced Materials division were spun off. The Electronic Materials business, which had remained part of the Advanced Materials division, was also transferred to a subsidiary of the company.
Brazilian industry has its earliest origin in workshops dating from the beginning of the 19th century. Most of the country's industrial establishments appeared in the Brazilian southeast, and, according to the Commerce, Agriculture, Factories and Navigation Joint, 77 establishments registered between 1808 and 1840 were classified as "factories" or "manufacturers". However, most, about 56 establishments, would be considered workshops by today's standards, directed toward the production of soap and tallow candles, snuff, spinning and weaving, foods, melting of iron and metals, wool and silk, amongst others. They used both slaves and free laborers.
Filler materials are particles added to resin or binders that can improve specific properties, make the product cheaper, or a mixture of both. The two largest segments for filler material use is elastomers and plastics. Worldwide, more than 53 million tons of fillers are used every year in application areas such as paper, plastics, rubber, paints, coatings, adhesives, and sealants. As such, fillers, produced by more than 700 companies, rank among the world's major raw materials and are contained in a variety of goods for daily consumer needs. The top filler materials used are ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, and carbon black. Filler materials can affect the tensile strength, toughness, heat resistance, color, clarity, etc. A good example of this is the addition of talc to polypropylene. Most of the filler materials used in plastics are mineral or glass based filler materials. Particulates and fibers are the main subgroups of filler materials. Particulates are small particles of filler that are mixed in the matrix where size and aspect ratio are important. Fibers are small circular strands that can be very long and have very high aspect ratios.
For millennia, agriculture has played an important role in the Chinese economy and society. By the time the People's Republic of China was established in 1949, virtually all arable land was under cultivation; irrigation and drainage systems constructed centuries earlier and intensive farming practices already produced relatively high yields. But little prime virgin land was available to support population growth and economic development. However, after a decline in production as a result of the Great Leap Forward (1958–60), agricultural reforms implemented in the 1980s increased yields and promised even greater future production from existing cultivated land.
At the time of its founding, the People's Republic of China was one of the poorest countries in the world. In the early 1950s, its industry developed rapidly through a state-led process heavily influenced by the Soviet experience. Aiming to close the gap between its political ambitions and its phase of development, China began the Great Leap Forward, which sought to even more rapidly industrialize the country. The effort largely failed, and its policies contributed to famine.
Crushed stone or angular rock is a form of construction aggregate, typically produced by mining a suitable rock deposit and breaking the removed rock down to the desired size using crushers. It is distinct from naturally occurring gravel, which is produced by natural processes of weathering and erosion and typically has a more rounded shape.
The industrial sector comprises 39.4% of the gross domestic product (GDP) of the People's Republic of China in 2022. In 2007, industry contributed 46.7 percent of GDP in 2010 and occupied 27 percent of the workforce. In 2015, the manufacturing industrial sectors contributed to 40% of China's GDP. The manufacturing sector produced 44.1 percent of GDP in 2004 and accounted for 11.3 percent of total employment in 2006.
Changyi is a county-level city of Weifang, Shandong province, People's Republic of China. The city is 1627.5 square kilometers in area, with a household population of 581,000 as of 2010. The city is under the administration of the Changyi Municipal People's Government, with three neighborhoods, six towns, 691 administrative villages, and one special economic development zone. Changyi has a long history that extends back into the Spring and Autumn period.
Shaodong is a county-level city in the Province of Hunan, China, it is under the administration of Shaoyang City. ShaoDong is located in the central part of Hunan Province, covering an area of 1,778 square kilometers, with a permanent population of 1.0385 million. It is renowned as the "hometown of a hundred trades," "city of commerce," and "capital of private enterprises."
Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be molded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptability, plus a wide range of other properties, such as being lightweight, durable, flexible, and inexpensive to produce, has led to their widespread use. Plastics typically are made through human industrial systems. Most modern plastics are derived from fossil fuel-based chemicals like natural gas or petroleum; however, recent industrial methods use variants made from renewable materials, such as corn or cotton derivatives.
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Industry plays an important role in the economy of Belarus. In 2020, industry accounted for 25.5% of Belarusian GDP. Share of manufacturing in Belarusian GDP was 21.3% in 2019. United Nations Economic Commission for Europe described Belarus as having "a well-developed industrial sector and highly skilled workforce". In 2020, 23.5% of the Belarusian workforce was employed in industry. In 2019, total industrial production amounted to 115.7 billion Belarusian rubles ; in 2020, it rose to Br 116.5 billion. Belarusian industry is export-oriented: in 2020, 61.2% of industrial output was exported. The most important sector is food industry. Other well-developed sectors of industry include chemical industry, automotive industry and manufacturing of other machinery equipment.