Jiangsu Hangnuo announces $140 million biodegradable polyester rubber plant in China

Nantong, China – On 20th July 2023 the signing ceremony of bio-based biodegradable polyester rubber project with 10,000-ton capacity was held in Nantong City, Jiangsu Province, China.

The project is jointly invested by Jiangsu Hanvo Safety Product Co., Ltd., Rudong Yineng Management Consulting Company, Shenzhen Lixin Low Carbon Technology Co., Beijing University of Chemical Technology, South China of University of Technology and Red Avenue New Materials Group Co., Ltd.

The new company is named Jiangsu Hengnuo New Material Technology Co., Ltd, which will push the industrialization process of biodegradable polyester rubber and the application in biodegradable gloves, biodegradable tires and biodegradable shoes materials. And it will support R&D program of its industrial application.

The total investment is USD 140 millions，covering 80,000 square meters. The capacity of the planned production line for producing biodegradable polyester rubber is 110000 tons per year. In the first phase, a continuous production line with an annual output of 10,000 tons will be built before the end of 2024.

Bio-based polyester rubber is the only present biodegradable rubber material in the world. It is a great breakthrough in the development of original rubber varieties in China’s rubber industry. Academician Liqun Zhang and Professor Zhao Wang’s team of Beijing University of Chemical Technology have been working on this project for 20 years, and get great results.

It has successfully passed 100-tons’ testing production, and realized 1000-tons’ pilot production. The new biodegradable polyester rubber has been found potential applications, such as biodegradable tires, biodegradable shoes, biodegradable chewing gum, biodegradable plastic toughening agent and fully biodegradable masks. It is expected to fundamentally solve the microplastic pollution caused by wearing of tire, shoes or other rubber products.