In the field of chemical new materials, gas-phase white carbon black, as a key high-performance material, is widely used in many high-end industries such as new energy, electronics, and pharmaceuticals. Sinopec, with its outstanding technological research and development capabilities and forward-looking strategic layout, occupies a leading position in the domestic gas-phase white carbon black market, firmly occupying the first tier of technology and becoming the core force driving industry development.
Unique: Core Process Technology Route
Sinopec has established an efficient and environmentally friendly production system for gas-phase white carbon black, with the gas-phase process as the core. This process uses high-purity silicon tetrachloride (SiCl ₄) with hydrogen and air as raw materials, and generates white carbon black through high-temperature hydrolysis reaction of SiCl ₄+2H ₂+O ₂ → SiO ₂+4HCl. On this basis, the company continuously carries out technological innovation and introduces plasma enhanced vapor deposition technology. By using RF plasma to activate the reaction, precise control of particle size has been achieved, stabilizing it at 7-40nm (accuracy ± 3nm). Compared with traditional processes, the uniformity has been greatly improved by 50%, providing a solid guarantee for the stability of product performance.
In terms of environmental protection and resource recycling, Sinopec has also performed well. By using a closed-loop HCl recovery system, the recovery rate of by-product hydrogen chloride is increased to ≥ 95% and converted into high-purity hydrochloric acid for reuse. This not only effectively reduces environmental costs but also maximizes resource utilization, reflecting the concept of green development.
Surface modification technology is another major highlight of Sinopec. The company adopts in-situ hydrophobicity process and injects hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) during the vapor deposition stage, successfully producing hydrophobic white carbon black with DBP oil absorption value ≥ 300ml/100g and hydrophobicity>99%. It is widely used in fields such as silicone rubber and lithium battery separators, significantly improving the performance and application range of the product. In addition, the company also has strong customization modification capabilities, supporting 8 types of modifications such as amino and vinyl, which can accurately benchmark against the Innovent Aerosil series and meet the personalized needs of different customers.
Strength demonstration: industry status and market recognition
Sinopec's strength in the field of gas-phase white carbon black has been widely recognized by the market. In terms of production capacity, the company actively lays out its layout. The Shanghai base will build a thousand ton pilot line in 2023 and plans to expand its production capacity to 20000 tons per year by 2025, demonstrating strong development momentum.
The company has established a comprehensive quality and environmental management system, obtained a series of international certifications such as ISO 9001/14001/45001, as well as professional certifications such as IATF 16949 (automotive grade) and UL certification (electronic materials), providing strong support for products entering the high-end market. Its customers include leading enterprises in industries such as CATL, Changdian Technology, and AVIC. Its products are widely used in key fields such as lithium battery separators, chip packaging, and aerospace materials, fully reflecting the high trust of the market in the quality and technical strength of Sinopec products.
Facing challenges head-on: the path of technological breakthroughs and breakthroughs
Although Sinopec has made significant achievements in the field of gas-phase white carbon black, it still faces some technical challenges. In terms of cutting-edge materials, the electronic grade raw material high-purity silicon tetrachloride (SiCl ₄) has long relied on imports, with a purity of ≥ 99.9999%. Currently, the company is building a production base and plans to start pilot testing in 2024 to break the monopoly of international giants such as Japan's Shinetsu and Germany's Evonik.
The upgrading of chip packaging materials is also an important research direction for the company. Sinopec and SMIC jointly develop ultra-low dielectric constant white carbon black (ε<2.8) to support the development of process chips below 3nm. At the same time, the company is also striving to break through surface passivation technology, reduce silicon hydroxyl residue (- OH ≤ 5/nm ²), and improve the reliability of chips.
In the field of pharmaceutical grade products, Sinopec has not yet passed FDA certification and cannot enter the pharmaceutical carrier field. Currently, it is cooperating with Shanghai Medical Institute to increase research and development efforts. In addition, in terms of ultra-fine control, the yield of ultrafine powders below 3nm is only 65%, which is lower than the 85% of Yingchuang; In terms of surface modification freedom, the number of functional groups is also less than that of Winco (8 vs 12), which are the technical bottlenecks that the company needs to focus on breaking through in the future.
Looking ahead to the future: a technological layout that combines green and high-end elements
In the face of future development, Sinopec has formulated a clear and forward-looking technological layout. In terms of innovation in new energy materials, the company will continue to increase research and development investment, promote the continuous improvement of product performance, and meet the rapid development needs of the new energy industry.
The industrialization of rice husk ash regeneration technology is an important measure taken by Sinopec in the field of green manufacturing. By replacing quartz sand with agricultural waste to prepare white carbon black, not only has the carbon footprint been reduced by 65%, but the pilot cost has also been reduced by 30%, achieving a win-win situation of economic and environmental benefits.
The zero carbon process closed-loop is another innovative move by Sinopec. The company's unique by-product HCl 100% recycling silane technology is expected to reduce energy consumption by 22%, benchmarking against EU carbon tariff standards and laying a solid foundation for the company's sustainable development.
Sinopec has become a leader in the domestic substitution of high-end white carbon black in the field of gas-phase white carbon black with advanced technology, excellent products, and forward-looking layout. In the future, the company will continue to increase its efforts in technological breakthroughs, break through key technological bottlenecks, and achieve greater breakthroughs in high-end fields such as new energy, electronics, and medicine, making greater contributions to promoting the development of China's chemical new materials industry.