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Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co.,Ltd Full Analysis of PE Products: Supply Record of HDPE & LLDPE Raw Materials from an Integrated Ethylene Base

1. Basic Overview of the Enterprise and PE Production Units

Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical Co.,Ltd (abbreviated as SS-TPC) is a joint venture with 50% equity held by China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) and SABIC (Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) respectively. Registered in 2009 and fully commissioned in 2010, the plant is located in Dagang Petrochemical Park, Tianjin Binhai New Area. The total investment of Phase I project reached RMB 18.38 billion, supported by a core 1.3 million tons/year ethylene cracking unit. Two independent polyethylene production lines are constructed in parallel with a combined total PE capacity of 600,000 tons per year, making it a rare Sino-foreign joint polyolefin base in the Bohai Rim region with large-scale production capacity for both HDPE and LLDPE.

The polyethylene division consists of two separate units with fully differentiated hardware, processes and product portfolios:

  1. 300,000 tons/year LLDPE Unit Adopting Sinopec’s proprietary gas-phase fluidized bed polymerization technology, the unit is designed for 8,000 operating hours per year with an hourly output of 37.5 tons and an operating flexibility range of 60%–110%. It uses self-produced ethylene as the primary feedstock with butene and hexene as co-monomers. Thirteen standardized grades are developed to cover five major application fields: film, injection molding, rotomolding, cables and pipes.
  2. 300,000 tons/year HDPE Unit Introducing INEOS INNOVENE S dual-loop slurry process, the unit also runs 8,000 hours annually. It supports free switching between Ziegler-Natta and chromium catalyst systems. Equipped with tandem dual-loop reactors and intermediate treatment units, it stably produces unimodal and bimodal HDPE. Twelve mainstream factory-designed grades are available for pressure pipes, blow molding, injection molding, monofilament and modified substrates.

Ethylene feedstock for both PE units is directly delivered via pipelines from the on-site 1.3 million-ton ethylene cracking plant without external procurement and transit, delivering superior raw material purity and supply stability compared with standalone PE manufacturers. Finished pellets are automatically packed in 25kg coated paper bags and intelligently palletized for warehouse storage. Bulk material delivery by full trucks is also available to satisfy mass purchasing demands of large film manufacturers, pipe producers and compounding factories. Closed-loop pneumatic conveying and online physical property inspection systems are deployed throughout the whole process to minimize impurity contamination and keep batch performance fluctuations at a low industry level. The plant is equipped with waste heat recovery and advanced waste gas treatment facilities to ensure steady pollutant discharge meeting national standards, winning recognition as a benchmark for green production. All conventional grades comply with GB 9685 National Standard for Food Contact Materials.

2. Core Technical Advantages of Two PE Production Processes

2.1 Advantages of LLDPE Gas-phase Fluidized Bed Process

  1. Flexible co-monomer adjustment enables precise control of butene/hexene dosage, delivering products with outstanding puncture resistance, low-temperature impact resistance and wide processing window;
  2. Controllable molecular weight distribution supports narrow-distribution high-transparency film grades and broad-distribution high-flow masterbatch carrier grades, allowing one single unit to produce both general-purpose and high-end specialty materials;
  3. Flexible load adjustment allows fast switching between film, injection molding and cable specialty grades in peak and off seasons, minimizing downtime losses and enabling stable long-term continuous operation.

2.2 Advantages of HDPE Dual-loop Slurry INNOVENE S Process

  1. Tandem dual-reactor structure delivers high heat transfer efficiency. Light isobutane is used as diluent to lower residual VOC content and elevate hygiene standards, ideal for food and drinking water pipe applications;
  2. Free switching between two catalyst systems: unimodal HDPE features high gloss and low shrinkage for injection molding and monofilament; bimodal HDPE excels in rigidity, creep resistance and environmental stress cracking resistance, serving as core raw materials for pressure pipes and large blow-molded containers;
  3. Strong raw material impurity tolerance with low failure rate, maintaining top-tier long-term operation rate among domestic facilities adopting the same process.

3. Main LLDPE Grades, Performance and Downstream Applications

Supported by the gas-phase process portfolio, Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical offers 13 standardized LLDPE grades with fixed factory specifications for all mainstream circulating grades:

  1. Agricultural Film Series 222WT (MFR 2.0, density 0.918): Special mulch film resin with uniform light transmittance, anti-aging property and strong tensile toughness; 920NT (MFR 1.0, density 0.918): Greenhouse film grade with superior wind and puncture resistance, suitable for long-cycle greenhouses in North China.
  2. Packaging Film Grade 218NT (MFR 2.0) Low crystal spots and stable film blowing performance, compliant with food contact standards for food packaging bags and inner liners of industrial heavy-duty packages.
  3. Cable Specialty Grade 320BT (MFR 3.0) Stable insulation performance and resistance to acid, alkali and aging, applied to low-voltage wire & cable sheaths and small conduit pipes.
  4. General Injection & Rotomolding Grade M200024T (MFR 20) Balanced fluidity with low cracking risk under low temperature, used for daily plastic products, small rotomolded containers and turnover parts.
  5. High-end Masterbatch Carrier TJZS-2650 (MFR 50) Narrow molecular weight distribution with excellent pigment dispersion and low precipitation. It works as carrier for black and color masterbatches, and fits high-speed thin-wall injection molding. It has long replaced imported high-MFR LLDPE and is supplied in both pellet and powder forms.

4. Main HDPE Grades, Performance and Downstream Applications

Leveraging the dual-loop bimodal process, the HDPE unit covers full categories including pipes, blow molding, injection molding and monofilament. Key circulating grades are listed below:

  1. PE80 Pressure Pipe Grade K44-08-122 Bimodal copolymer resin with long-term water pressure resistance, anti-creep performance and environmental stress cracking resistance, widely adopted by northern pipe manufacturers for municipal water supply and mine drainage pressure pipelines.
  2. Blow Molding Special Grades 5502XA, 5502TA High rigidity, drop resistance and low-temperature impact strength for 10–50L chemical drums, food pails and large storage tanks.
  3. General Injection Molding Grades High-gloss unimodal HDPE with high flexural modulus for logistics turnover boxes, plastic pallets, safety helmets, sanitation waste bins and industrial housings.
  4. Monofilament & Fishing Net Special Grades High tensile strength and seawater corrosion resistance for fishing nets, sunshade nets, packing monofilaments and ropes.
  5. Bimodal HDPE for Compounding Substrates Balanced rigidity and toughness for filling and toughening modification, used in new energy equipment housings and outdoor engineering plastics.

5. Core Competitive Advantages of Sinopec SABIC Tianjin PE Products

  1. Integrated Raw Material & Stable Supply with Geographical Edge Self-produced ethylene is directly fed to both PE units, eliminating costs of external ethylene procurement and long-distance transportation. Located in Tianjin Binhai Lingang Industrial Zone adjacent to Tianjin Port, it cuts short-distance logistics costs for downstream processors in North China, Shandong and Northeast China. Backed by Sinopec’s national chemical sales network, the combined stable PE capacity of 600,000 tons guarantees sufficient supply in peak and off seasons, supporting bulk long-term order procurement.
  2. Full-category Dual-line Production for One-stop Sourcing It is one of the few domestic manufacturers operating parallel 300kt/a LLDPE and 300kt/a HDPE lines. Customers can source all PE raw materials for film, pipe, blow molding, injection molding, masterbatch and compounding in one stop, reducing coordination costs with multiple suppliers. Minor adjustments to co-monomer ratio and melt index can be made to provide small-batch customized specialty grades as required by clients.
  3. Differentiated Quality Control via Dual Processes The LLDPE gas-phase process focuses on film and high-flow masterbatch segments, while the HDPE slurry bimodal process targets high-end pressure pipes and large blow-molded containers. The two units cover over 90% of domestic downstream polyethylene processing scenarios with distinct positioning. Real-time online monitoring of melt index, density, ash content and impact strength is implemented throughout production, resulting in minimal batch physical property variations and eliminating frequent parameter adjustments for downstream processing equipment.
  4. Green Compliance & Import Substitution Strength Complete environmental treatment facilities are installed to maintain industry-leading clean production standards. All conventional grades pass food contact compliance tests, enabling direct application in drinking water and food packaging. Multiple bimodal HDPE pipe grades and high-flow LLDPE masterbatch carriers match the performance of imported counterparts, continuously lowering domestic plastic processors’ reliance on imported high-end PE materials.

6. Industrial Chain Positioning & Industry Value Summary

China’s polyethylene market is divided into two major categories: LLDPE and HDPE. Suppliers fall into three groups: Sinopec & PetroChina refining bases, private integrated refining & chemical complexes, and coal chemical enterprises. With a total PE capacity of 600,000 tons, integrated 1.3 million-ton ethylene supporting facilities, dual LLDPE & HDPE production lines and core Bohai Rim location, Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical has secured stable market share in four segmented tracks: agricultural film, food packaging film, PE pressure pipes and high-end masterbatch carriers.

From an industrial chain perspective, the two PE units fully consume self-produced ethylene from cracking to realize efficient conversion of upstream refining resources. Downstream trillion-yuan manufacturing sectors covered include agriculture, food packaging, municipal construction, wire & cable, daily plastics, advanced modified materials and chemical packaging, supplying raw materials for both civilian consumer goods and industrial manufacturing. As a landmark Sino-Saudi energy cooperation project, its products combine SABIC’s global polyolefin R&D expertise and Sinopec’s localized production and operation technologies. The enterprise keeps upgrading high-end bimodal HDPE and high-flow LLDPE specialty grades to fill the domestic supply gap of high-performance polyethylene.

Driven by industrial trends including upgraded long-life agricultural films, lightweight food packaging, municipal water supply & drainage pipeline renovation and high-end plastic modification, the full series of LLDPE and HDPE grades from Sinopec SABIC Tianjin Petrochemical precisely meet industrial upgrading demands. Supported by stable production capacity, comprehensive port logistics and standardized full-process quality control systems, the company consistently delivers cost-effective domestic polyethylene raw materials for plastic processing manufacturers nationwide.