Yan Luo
Monash University
Gitanjali Bedi
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The eco-friendly water-based adhesive series products of Taiqiang Chemicals have close to "zero" VOCs emissions, less than 5 g/L, far better than the national standard. The strong promotion of Taiqiang Chemicals from oil-based adhesive to water-based adhesive products is a solid step for humans to reduce air pollutants, and, also a step closer to a healthy living environment.
Speaking of one of the innovations of eco-friendly water-based adhesive series products, general Manager Li Manlin first asked me to search for the definition of VOCs. Then, I did. VOCs fully named as Volatile organic compounds, emitted as gases from certain solids or liquids including a variety of chemicals, some of which may have short- and long-term adverse health effects, leading to atmospheric environmental problems such as haze and photochemical smoke.(EPA) After that, Manger Li explained that interior decoration VOCs emissions mainly comes from especially, coatings and adhesives, solvent-based release agent, released in organic solution. He expressed that to achieve the business philosophy of Taiqiang Chemicals," keep green, keep quality", creating environmentally friendly adhesive products is necessary which must starts with the solvents.
The enterprise has long advocated the transformation from traditional oil-based adhesive products to water-based products. He explained that the water-based adhesive is a natural polymer or synthetic polymer as the adhesive, with water as the solvent or dispersant, instead of toxic organic solvents that pollute the environment, and made into a kind of environmentally friendly and healthy adhesive. As early as 2008, the company independently developed a single component water-based spray glue trial success and put it into the market. It took five years for the tests of the product, and ten years from the experiment to the production. Over these decades, Taiqiang Chemicals not only rely on its own research and development group but also cooperate with the domestic famous universities who good at science and technology. Another general manager, Li Manlin said," Business has to be smart. Experiment equipment and complete supply chain are already, which means flowing brilliant ideas are the clues."
The inspiration for all these innovations is complex but obviously, inner goals, customer requirements, and policies.
Taiqiang Chemical was founded in Shenzhen city in 1997, when the founder, Mr. Liu Xianrui, realized that almost all the domestic all-purpose adhesive products could only be imported from abroad. At first, his wish was to realize self-production and self-sale eco-friendly. So he looked for an experienced technician to jointly research out of the omnipotent glue which far from the green product, but still open the inland market of China in 2003, said by the general manager, Hu Kexi, who worked in this company since 2002. And he also mentioned that the biggest dilemma of the company was that with the development of Shenzhen, the factory had to rebuild to meet higher production standards, and the problem of product supply in a short time needed to be overcome in December 2006. Then, a new production base was established in Qingyuan city in 2007. Manager Hu said that it pushed the company to upgrade everything and stepped closer to the original business idea," keep green, keep quality." And in 2014, a fully automated production base in Yingde City was invested and established, covering an area of more than one hectare.
For now, all aspects of product performance are required to be excellent in usage, as well as, friendly environmental function, and the scale of production is improved and expanded to meet better customers. The product category is also from a single all-purpose adhesive, gradually innovating. So far, based on the high-end market, aiming for high-quality brand service, Taiqiang has launched environmentally friendly water-based adhesive, hot melt adhesive, nano-meter odorless spray adhesive, spray adhesive for thick or artificial leather, sponge spray adhesive, spray adhesive for thermo-insulant materials, spray adhesive for retardant materials, self-jet spray and other products. Most of them are zero benzene and zero formaldehyde with low VOC emissions and could not be smelt. In the meantime, the environmental protection policies of various countries and regions are also driving the environmental protection of adhesive products. With export cooperation with more than 80 countries, Taiqiang Chemicals must pay attention to the most stringent international environmental protection standards in order to better meet market competition. "In terms of environmental protection innovation, it cannot be taken lightly.“Manager Hu said.
The main buyers of adhesive are the furniture industry. Daqing has long-term cooperation with internationally famous brands, such as IKEA, Mousse Bedding, Kinkel, and so on. As known, furniture is a kind of durable consumption closely linked with mankind's daily life. The environmental performance of the furniture products can affect people's health directly. Therefore, as part of cannot avoidable composition of furniture, chasing green and healthy adhesive products is absolutely positive effect on human and the environment that what water-based adhesives aim for.
The annual production value amount of Taiqiang Chemicals is about 450 million RMB. At present, the water-based chlorophyll adhesive series products directly accounting for 30% of the total income of the business. Its mature product performance connecting with years of accumulated sale channels overtakes more than 60% of the domestic market share in the same type of product. With growing supplements, new production lines increase labor opportunities for local people. The total number of employees is about 300, including Yingde city and Qingyuan city production area, which promotes the development of local employment and economy.
Taiqiang Chemical always pursues the highest latitude of product environmental protection, advocates to improve the environmental protection performance of products, such as reducing VOC emissions of products, designing chlorine-free detergent, no sewage discharge in the production process, high production automation coverage, energy-saving, and quantitative production, and paying attention to the health of employees.
Focusing more than itself. Taking the initiative to help furniture enterprises in environmental protection transformation, since 2016, Taiqiang Chemical has provided furniture enterprises with on-site spraying display, application explanation, sample testing, process diagnosis, technical training, equipment solution and so on, In order to leave a deep understanding of the specific operation of "oil to water" to furniture enterprises, Taiqiang Chemicals has accumulated more than 100 furniture companies spraying equipment installation experience in 2019. In the future, there will be more furniture enterprises by sturdy chemical unique products and perfect supporting, easily implement of oil to water environmental targets, and let the furniture enterprise products on "green" label, glow the new vitality and competitiveness.
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Li Manling, General Manager
Hu Kexi, General Manager
Taiqiang Chemicals is a large environmental protection adhesive production enterprise. Its enterprise goal is to build the world's first brand of environmental protection adhesive. Water-based adhesive products lead the development of the industry.