"Grassroots Industry" Weaves "Small Silk Thread" Chain To Strengthen "Big Industry"

Fuzhou Changle District is the largest production base of nylon civil silk, warp knitting lace fabric and chemical fiber blended yarn in China. "Thousands of people's yarn and thousands of people's cloth" was once a true portrayal of the traditional textile industry. Now, relying on digitalization and intelligence, Changle's textile industry has accelerated its transformation to a technology intensive one, forming a whole industrial chain layout from "one drop of oil", "one rope" to "one piece of cloth".

　　 Overcome the "neck jam" problem

Starting from "grassroots industry", Changle Textile has now occupied an important position in the domestic textile industry. This is due to the important organic chemical raw material caprolactam. From being controlled by others to independent production, the problem of caprolactam "choking neck" can not be solved without the unremitting efforts of Hengshen Group, headquartered in Changle, Fujian.

Benzene is separated from petroleum to produce cyclohexanone, the upstream material of caprolactam. Caprolactam is mainly used to synthesize polyamide fibers. Polyamide fiber, commonly known as nylon or nylon, is an important material for weaving. There are many different types, including "nylon 6".

At one time, caprolactam was highly dependent on the supply of international chemical giants. Chen Jianlong, chairman of Hengshen Holding Group Co., Ltd., said that when caprolactam was bought from abroad to produce chips, continuous polymerization was needed, and production could not fluctuate. Once it fluctuated, production order was disordered and product quality declined.

"Caprolactam was mainly monopolized by large foreign enterprises before. For a while, we didn't see caprolactam in the market. If people didn't sell it to us, it was a big blow to the enterprise and to me personally." Chen Jianlong was still very excited when recalling the scene of that year.

In 2013, Hengshen Holding Group Co., Ltd. established Fujian Shenyuan New Material Co., Ltd., aiming at one goal: self production of caprolactam.

Kemengang Economic Zone Chemical New Material Industrial Park in Lianjiang County, Fuzhou City is the location of Shenyuan New Material Integration Industrial Park. In 2017, Shenyuan Phase I project with an annual output of 400000 tons of caprolactam and polyamide was put into production here. In 2018, Hengshen Group acquired Fubont caprolactam and related businesses in the Netherlands, becoming a global caprolactam supplier giant, and took the lead in completing the complete layout of the eight industrial chains of "nylon 6" in the world.

Gu Jun, general manager of the chemical sector (Lianjiang District) of Hengshen Holding Group Co., Ltd., said that "nylon 6" had only six industrial chains, namely polymerization, spinning, texturing, dyeing and finishing, and few chemical fiber enterprises dared to integrate upstream. "We span two industries, taking the lead from the old line - chemical fiber into a new field - chemical industry. We started with the production of cyclohexanone from the upstream of caprolactam, and then started with caprolactam. We have made great efforts."

　　 Old clothes are "reborn"

Extending the chain, anchoring innovation and promoting industrial transformation and upgrading have become a consensus among leading textile enterprises in Changle. In the workshop of Fujian Yongrong Jinjiang Co., Ltd., located in Changle District, the production line is running at full speed. The raw material used to produce nylon yarn is no longer petroleum extract, but waste textiles are treated in more than ten processes, and finally the waste is recycled to produce fiber varieties of various specifications.

According to Liming, the R&D director of Fujian Yongrong Jinjiang Co., Ltd., this kind of post consumer recycled nylon fiber, known as "Aisailun", is an environmental renewable green product independently innovated by the enterprise. Through the supercritical technology route with independent intellectual property rights, recycling and recycling of waste nylon fabrics on the market has been technically realized.

Compared with the original fiber, each ton of "Aisailun" produced will reduce about 3 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. In the sample display area of the enterprise, the reporter saw that "Aisailun" has been used for outdoor sports goods, windbreaker, underwear and other products.

According to Wang Zhiqiang, senior manager of the spinning mill of Fujian Yongrong Jinjiang Co., Ltd., at present, the production line has passed the certification of recycling standards in the international textile trade industry, and many brands from Europe and the United States have cooperated with Yongrong Jinjiang to develop and consume recycled nylon fiber. After the Spring Festival holiday this year, "Aisailun" was officially put into mass production, which will drive thousands of downstream weaving enterprises and promote more green fiber products to market.

"Aisailun" is a microcosm of Changle textile enterprises actively promoting technological innovation and green transformation. Wu Huaxin, chairman and president of Yongrong Holding Group Co., Ltd., said that Yongrong always aims to save energy and reduce consumption, and minimize the amount of pollutants generated in the whole process of industrial production through management and technical means. At the same time, we always pay attention to sustainable development, promote the transformation of waste into treasure, and achieve the unity of green, recycling and high utilization.

　　 Layout the whole industrial chain

In recent years, based on its own industrial foundation, Changle has fully supported textile enterprises to become bigger and better, promoted a new round of expansion of the textile industry, and especially guided advantageous enterprises to become better and stronger. Driven by the leading enterprises in the textile industry, the upstream and downstream industrial chains have developed together to form a complete textile industrial chain from petrochemical raw materials to chemical fiber, cotton spinning, knitting, dyeing and finishing.

Lin Lei, vice president and secretary-general of Fujian Textile and Garment Industry Association, pointed out that in the past two years, it has been impossible to rely on foreign suppliers to purchase white cloth and then turn it into a product after printing and dyeing. "Now, Changle textile enterprises have consciously increased printing and dyeing and product development, directly connecting with downstream enterprises with finished fabrics, which not only improves the added value of products, but also improves competitiveness."

Lin Lei believes that enterprises should rely on special products to expand the market, so Changle Textile Cluster has made a lot of efforts in product innovation. Fujian Province has recommended and announced the list of new textile shoes and clothing products for two consecutive years. The industry has tasted the benefits of innovation and has increased innovation investment.

According to the statistics of the Bureau of Industry and Information Technology of Changle District, in 2024, the number of textile and clothing enterprises above the designated size of Changle District will grow to 279, with a total industrial output value of 164.4 billion yuan, accounting for 63% of the total industrial output value above the designated size of the district. As a "cotton free land", Changle has "weaved" a textile city of hundreds of billions through decades of unremitting efforts.

"We will continue to deepen the chain length system of the textile industry chain, and promote the extension of the textile industry chain." Wang Liqin, chief engineer of the Changle District Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, said that in the future, Changle will deeply implement the industrial Internet innovation and development strategy, promote the enterprise's "cloud based, digital and intelligent" action, and create industry leading industrial Internet platforms such as "Zhonghaichuang" and "Auxiliary Cloth Company", Promote scientific research and industrialization of scientific and technological achievements. (Reporter Lin Kaimi Yingting)

(Source: Economic Information Daily)