In recent years, our district has actively deepened school-enterprise cooperation and accelerated the in-depth integration of the talent chain, industrial chain, and innovation chain. As another implemented school-enterprise cooperation project in the district, Shanxi Wanxinyuan Technology Co., Ltd.’s annual production project of 710 tons of thiophene series products and prasugrel pharmaceutical intermediates has been progressing intensively since construction began in April this year, ensuring that the project can be completed on schedule and put into production as soon as possible.
Thiophene is a sulfur-containing aromatic compound that can be used to synthesize a variety of medicines. The annual production project of 710 tons of thiophene series products and prasugrel pharmaceutical intermediates is a fine chemical production project that uses thiophene, a by-product of coal chemical products, as the starting raw material to produce pharmaceutical intermediates such as 2-acetylthiophene, 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid, and prasugrel.
According to reports, 2-acetylthiophene is widely used in the medical, chemical, and food industries, especially as a food flavoring agent in overseas markets. 2-thiophenecarboxylic acid is an important reagent in organic synthesis; prasugrel is a new type of cardiovascular drug with a clinical effectiveness rate as high as 90%, which can replace drugs currently used clinically in China, such as clopidogrel and ticlopidine, whose effectiveness rate is only 72%. At present, it is still under patent protection, and there are no domestic manufacturers in China. Through deep cooperation between enterprises providing resources and universities providing technology, large-scale production can be achieved. This not only promotes the transformation of scientific research achievements from Taiyuan University of Technology, but also meets market demand and drives the development of the pharmaceutical industry. Yan Shuming, chief engineer of the project, said: “In terms of technology, this project uses thiophene, a by-product from the refining process of crude benzene in coking by-products, as the starting raw material. Through a series of targeted synthesis technologies, followed by post-treatment processes such as washing, filtration, rectification, and refrigeration, purified final products are obtained. Based on the laboratory technology of Taiyuan University of Technology, we have already carried out industrial demonstration of the project products at a dedicated R&D base and passed the project acceptance organized by the Shanxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology. The product quality, production process, and safety control have all reached an advanced level in the industry. Shanxi is an important energy and heavy chemical industry base. Thiophene mainly comes from the by-products generated during the extraction and refining of crude benzene from coking by-products. Concentrating coking by-products to produce downstream high value-added products will undoubtedly be the development direction of Shanxi’s coal chemical industry.”
The project covers a total area of 35 mu, with an investment of 100 million yuan. It includes living areas, office areas, and production areas to meet the production needs of the project. After completion, the research team from Taiyuan University of Technology will also be stationed at the site to provide the enterprise with scientific and comprehensive technical guidance as well as technical reserves for subsequent products. “After two months of operation, the overall project has been more than 75% completed. So far, about 40% of the production area has been completed. The next step is to carry out the reinforced concrete structure work. In terms of environmental protection, we have done a lot of work, including the installation of atomization and dust prevention facilities,” said Miao Hailin, deputy manager of the project.
At present, Shanxi Wanxinyuan Technology Co., Ltd. is making every effort to complete the construction goals and tasks. The company has increased manpower, worked overtime, accelerated the construction schedule, and pushed forward the overall project construction. After the project is put into production, it will promote the coal chemical industry toward high-end, diversified, and low-carbon development, thereby improving the overall competitiveness of the industry. Miao Hailin expressed full confidence: “We are striving to put the project into operation and achieve results by the end of the year. Once the project reaches full production capacity, the benefits will be very promising. The output value is expected to exceed 200 million yuan, with profits and taxes of about 50 million yuan. In addition, the project will also generate foreign exchange through exports. We currently have agreements with the Canadian pharmaceutical industry, and orders have already been placed during the production and construction period. After reaching full production capacity, this will become a high-quality and highly efficient enterprise.”