A 40-year historical review of the foundation stone of the new Chinese chemical fiber industry

Liaoyang Petrochemical Chemical Fiber Plant is the largest and most installed project among the "four major chemical fibers", with 65,000 people participating in the construction. In August 1974 and March 1975, the domestic supporting project and the introduction of equipment project began successively; In October 1979, the first set of imported equipment was put into trial production, and olefin, aromatics, polyester and nylon devices were subsequently put into trial production. In November 1982, it passed the national acceptance and put into production.

Tianjin Petrochemical Fiber Plant started in September 1977, more than 25,000 people participated in the construction; In August 1981, dimethyl terephthalate plant produced polyester staple fiber. In 1983, it passed the national acceptance and put into production.

At this point, the "four chemical fiber" project has come to a successful end.

(4) Overcome difficulties, create a "Yizheng model", and build a large state-owned chemical fiber base (1978-1990). The early establishment of a chemical fiber industry with an annual output of one million tons is the central expectation of the textile industry, and it is also the long-cherished wish of the first generation of textile industry leaders. 

In early 1978, the Ministry of Light Industry was divided into the Ministry of Textile Industry and the Ministry of Light Industry, and Qian Zhiguang was the minister of Textile Department. Minister Qian envisioned that after the completion of the "four major chemical fibers", and then as soon as possible to build a 500,000 tons/annual capacity of super large chemical fiber base, chemical fiber industry will have an annual output of one million tons of scale. In mid-1977, the site of this large chemical fiber base was selected in Xupu Commune, Yizheng County, Jiangsu Province. In July 1978, Yizheng Chemical Fiber Plant preparation headquarters was established, and Wang Ruiting, Vice minister of the Textile Department, served as the general commander. In October 1978, the state approved the construction project of Yizheng chemical fiber factory.

In February 1978, the central Government approved: in the next eight years, the foreign exchange of 18 billion US dollars, in three batches to introduce 68-69 large-scale complete sets of technical equipment involving coal, petroleum, chemical and textile industries. In October 1978, the chemical fiber Phase II project of Shanghai Petrochemical Plant, Yizheng Chemical fiber Plant and Pingdingshan Cord plant were included in the introduction plan.

However, during this period, there were major problems in the macro economy. The reason is that after the crushing of the "Gang of Four" in October 1976, the economic situation improved after vigorous rectification, but there was a rash mood in the construction. In July 1977, The State Council put forward: "A new leap forward situation in the national economy is emerging." In order to achieve the goal of "leap forward", there has been a large-scale construction situation beyond the possibility and regardless of the cost. In December 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee decided that, starting from 1979, the focus of the Party's work would be shifted to modernization. In response to the problem of recklessness, in April 1979, the central government decided to regulate the economy, and the introduction of complete sets of technical equipment signed in 1978 was the focus of regulation. The second phase of the Shanghai Petrochemical Complex and the Pingdingshan Cord Plant were not affected, while the Yizheng Chemical Fiber Plant was listed as a suspended construction project by the central government in November 1980.

Resume construction. During the preparation period, after investigating the petroleum chemical fiber technology of developed countries, the preparation headquarters of Yizheng Chemical fiber Plant signed a contract for the introduction of complete sets of polyester equipment with ZIMMER, Germany, in September 1978, according to the plan of "introducing host and software and domestic supporting". From April 1979 to November 1980, the two sides completed the negotiation and signing of the technical agreement. In March 1981, the first set of imported equipment arrived at Yizheng.

In June 1981, the state approved the delayed construction plan reported by the textile Ministry: reduce the scale, borrow foreign capital, use the equipment that has arrived, supporting domestic equipment, and first build a polyester plant.

In December 1981, with the approval of the state, the Textile Department and CITIC Group established Yizheng Chemical Fiber Industry Joint Company to jointly construct and operate the first branch of Yizheng Chemical Fiber Factory Polyester, Wang Ruiting as chairman and general manager. The first phase of the project began in January 1982 and was completed in December 1987, producing 175,600 tons of polyester staple fiber and polyester chips in that year, exceeding the target of 170,000 tons per year, and the product quality was excellent. Polyester and polyester staple fiber devices reached the international level in the 1970s and 1980s, respectively. The national acceptance opinions of the first phase of the project believe that the construction speed is fast, the quality is good, and the investment is provincial. In 1985, the state approved the second phase of construction. In October 1990, the third Polyester plant was completed and put into operation, marking the completion of the Yizheng project 14 months ahead of the national plan. Yizheng Chemical Fiber Factory annual output of polyester chips and polyester staple fiber 500,000 tons, is the largest state-owned chemical fiber production base at that time.