The green and intelligent transformation of the polyester fiber industry is accelerating from a technological vision into quantifiable industrial practice. In the 2025 National Science and Technology Awards, the project 'Key Technologies for Green and Intelligent Manufacturing of Polyester Fiber Industry Chain', led by Tongkun Group and ten other institutions including Donghua University, won the first prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award. This is the first time the general fiber full-chain sector has received this top honor, following previous awards for carbon fiber and digital dyeing.
Technological Breakthrough: From Single-Point Innovation to Full-Chain Restructuring
Polyester fiber accounts for over 70% of China's total chemical fiber output, serving as a foundational raw material for the global textile industry. Over the past decade, the industry has achieved significant improvements in single-point technologies such as spinning speed and dyeing efficiency, but integrating green and intelligent manufacturing across the entire chain has remained a challenge. The core value of this award-winning project lies in its holistic approach, connecting the entire process from PTA (purified terephthalic acid) to PET (polyethylene terephthalate) and then to spinning and texturing.
The team's pioneering PTA-PET direct-coupled low-carbon manufacturing model eliminates the intermediate step of solid chip production, directly reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions per unit product. Additionally, the independently developed environmentally friendly titanium-based catalyst replaces traditional antimony-based catalysts, eliminating heavy metal pollution risks at the source. The large-scale domestic replacement of DCS (Distributed Control Systems) means production automation and data collection no longer rely on imported systems, reducing costs and increasing production line flexibility.
For downstream buyers, this means significantly improved batch consistency in polyester fiber products and enhanced customization capabilities. The 'one-head, three-tail' multi-point addition polymerization platform enables the same production line to quickly switch between different specifications of differentiated fibers, directly supporting the flexible supply chain needs of apparel brands and home textile companies.
Industry-Academia Collaboration: From Lab to Hundreds of Billions in Output
The speed of this project's industrial application is noteworthy. According to publicly available industry data, the relevant technologies have been deployed in major chemical fiber bases in Tongxiang (Zhejiang), Wujiang (Jiangsu), and Korla (Xinjiang), covering over ten leading enterprises and generating cumulative new sales exceeding 200 billion RMB. This achievement reflects a decade-long deep collaboration between Donghua University's research team and Tongkun Group.
The project's technology system includes 76 authorized invention patents, 10 software copyrights, and 14 national and industry standards, forming a complete intellectual property moat covering process parameters, equipment control, and product testing. For the industry, the establishment of these standards means latecomers face higher learning costs for adopting this technical route, while also providing a domestic standard basis for polyester fiber product exports to align with international certification.
Notably, Tongkun Group has been selected as one of the first batch of national 'Zero-Waste Enterprise' demonstration cases and recognized as a 'National Exemplary Intelligent Manufacturing Demonstration Factory', proving that green transformation in the large chemical industry can be achieved through process reengineering rather than just end-of-pipe treatment.
International Collaboration: From One-Way Import to Two-Way Empowerment
The concurrently awarded International Science and Technology Cooperation Award was given to Professor Elsa Reichmanis from Lehigh University. Her collaboration with Donghua University's State Key Laboratory for Advanced Fiber Materials began in 2013, covering joint graduate training, research, and talent development. This partnership model has evolved from early 'brain gain' to deep, shared research and outcomes.
For the textile industry, the significance of this international award goes beyond the honor itself. It reflects that China's academic influence in fiber materials has attracted top global scholars, and this collaboration opens a window for domestic companies to access cutting-edge cross-disciplinary technologies in semiconductor materials and flexible electronics. Reichmanis's expertise in photoresists and flexible transistors could inspire new ideas for underlying material innovation in smart textiles and wearable devices.