On June 24, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) announced winners of the 22nd China Patent Award. The Liming Research Institute of Chemical Industry won a silver award for “high-performance polyurethane elastomer and preparation method thereof” (patent No.: ZL201410124379.7). The Bluestar Chengrand Chemical Research Institute won an excellence award for “process for continuous production of polycarbonate by transesterification method” (patent No.: ZL201110449955.1). Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Group, Jiangsu Ruixiang Chemical, and Ningxia Ruitai Technology won an excellence award for “a method of catalyzing and synthesizing -3,4 dihydropyridine -2(1H of 5- methyl) -one chemical intermediate” (patent No.: ZL201710671635.8), a patent jointly owned by the three companies.

Jointly awarded by the Chinese government and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the China Patent Award is the highest in the field. The award aims to guide and uplift the role of intellectual property in supply-side structural reforms, the building of a country of innovators, and the advancement of high-quality development. They serve as encouragement and commendation of the outstanding contributions of patentees and inventors (designers) to technological (design) innovation and socio-economic development.

The invention patent No. ZL201410124379.7, which won a silver award, has addressed current technical problems that affect polyurethane elastomers, such as high permanent deformation; poor resilience, heat resistance and mechanical properties; and their toxic, harmful, and high energy-consumption in preparation processes. In addition, it adopts a production technique where elastomer products are directly formed in one process, which reduces pollution and saves energy while improving material stability. High-performance polyurethane elastomer cushioning and vibration-damping products produced using this patented technology can be widely applied in sectors such as heavy machinery and high-speed railways.

The invention patent No. ZL201110449955.1, which won an excellence award, fundamentally eliminates reliance on phosgene, a toxic raw material. The production process has eco-friendly attributes such as closed-loop manufacturing, zero by-products, and near-zero pollution. A pilot plant has been built and is operating stably. Building on this foundation, a complete set of software packages has been developed for the production process, successfully achieving the commercialization of the patent.

The invention patent No. ZL201710671635.8, which won an excellence award, addresses problems in the production of pyridine-class agrochemicals, such as lengthy production processes, high energy consumption, and high levels of solid, liquid and gaseous waste that are hard to remediate. The world’s kiloton-class industrialized plant for producing intermediates using the morpholine-propionaldehyde method has been built. Through its exemplary role as an industry innovator, the plant has promoted the advancement of clean technologies for delivering efficient and low-toxic agrochemicals.