China Energy Uses Coal to Produce Raw Materials for Face Masks

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, face masks have become a necessity for the prevention and control of the epidemic. To meet the urgent needs under this circumstance, the chemicals companies affiliated to China Energy Investment Corporation quickly rolled out key project “Remodeling S2040 Polypropylene Fiber Material,” which has resulted in a successful production conversion within a short period of time. The new product, S2040 polypropylene fiber material with high melt flow rate, is developed as a raw material for medical protective supplies such as masks and protective clothing. As of March 10, nearly 12,000 tons of such products had been produced, with a high quality rate reaching 100 percent.

After processing, coal can be made into polypropylene fiber material with high melt flow rate (S2040 polypropylene), which can be used to produce nonwoven fabric for surgical masks after melting and molding. The production conversion project was undertaken by Baotou Chemical Industry Company and Yulin Chemical Industry Company under China Energy Investment Corporation. Overcoming various difficulties, the two subsidiaries successfully produced S2040 polypropylene fiber material remodeled from L5E89 polypropylene fiber material and S1003 polypropylene fiber material on March 2 and March 4, respectively. The success marks the first production of S2040 polypropylene fiber material with high melt flow rate in the field of Unipol polypropylene process.

A Baotou Chemical Industry Company technician on field sampling of polypropylene products.

Baotou Chemical Industry Company has successfully developed S2040 polypropylene products.

Calculation shows that this batch of S2040 polypropylene fiber material with high melt flow rate can meet the needs of producing about 10.8 billion to 12 billion surgical masks and 2.4 billion to 3 billion N95 medical masks. These products have been loaded on trains bound for Hubei, Shandong, Tianjin, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong and other regions.

1 ton

polypropylene fiber material with high melt flow rate

900,000-1 million

disposable surgical masks

200,000-250,000

N95 medical masks