On July 13th, with the title of "Breaking the 'Import Monopoly' For Three Times, which is derived from the 'Finding' Ability” of Researcher and Developer"，"Science and Technology Daily" focused on the research and development technology of the three cutting-edge products of Dawn Polymer-HNBR, TPV, and DVA, and deeply explained the road of independent innovation of Dawn Polymer, highlighting the outstanding contribution of Dawn Polymer in the field of new polymer materials.

“As the main central media and the most authoritative media in the field of science and technology, our attention to Dawn reflects the implementation of the Chinese Party Central Committee’s requirements for' independence of science and technology' and the supports of core technology research of high-end enterprises.” Wang Yanbin, Reporter of Science and Technology Daily, said that.

On the same day, the media such as Xuexi.cn, China News, Haiwai Net, SOHU and other media forwarded the news one after another, which aroused a good response.

In a conspicuous position in the exhibition hall of Dawn Special Elastomer Co., ltd, a group of amber jelly dressed in big red flowers was ready to show for visitors. Many people don't know that it is Dawn’s unpretty hydrogenated nitrile rubber that declares that China has completely owned the independent intellectual property rights for the preparation of HNBR after Japan and Germany.

In ten years, Dawn finally conquered the above-mentioned core technology and industrialized it. Yu Xiaoning, the founder of Dawn Group, known as the "hidden champion", answered the question from the reporter of Science and Technology Daily about "How to achieve self-reliance in science and technology"- the key to achieving technological self-reliance lies in the ability to "find".

How to understand "find"? The first is to find the direction of research and development even though knowing that it is the frontier technology in the world, and dare to challenge the "stuck neck" problem; the second is to find R&D personnel and "pull the industry's top forces into the same trench"; the third is to carefully consider and decisively act in terms of family and country sentiments, capital reserves, technical strength, scientific research team, scientific research methods, and market space.

In fact, the preparation of hydrogenated nitrile rubber is very difficult, and it had always been one of the "stuck neck" technologies in the development of special rubber in China.

As one of the most excellent rubber with comprehensive performance, hydrogenated nitrile rubber has excellent oil resistance, heat resistance, corrosion resistance, ozone resistance, compressive permanent deformation resistance, high strength, high tear resistance, high wear resistance, and other excellent properties. It plays a unique role in important fields such as aerospace, automobile manufacturing, rail transportation, and oil field exploitation, which belongs to a national strategic material.

As early as 2009, Yu Xiaoning was optimistic about the testing results of Beijing University of Chemical Technology. He intervened in laboratory research and development, invested a lot of money, and researched selective and high-efficiency catalysts, high-efficiency catalytic hydrogenation processes etc. which finally achieved industrialization in 2019 and even developed into an industrialized platform.

The Fifth Plenum of the 19th CPC Central Committee emphasized the strategic supporting role of self-reliance science and technology in the development of China. Yu Xiaoning believes that, as a Chinese enterprise, it is incumbent to insist on self-reliance. He also believes that technological innovation must adhere to demand-oriented and problem-oriented.

Traditional rubber cannot return to the original linear molecular state due to chemical cross-linking, and it is difficult to repeat processing and recycling. Because traditional chemical cross-linking is irreversible, the black pollution is caused. Thermoplastic elastomer is a new type of polymer material between rubber and resin, which can replace a part of rubber and modify plastics.

As early as 2002, Yu Xiaoning was keenly aware of the direction of the national policy and initiated the world's leading research and development topic of high-performance thermoplastic elastomers (TPV).

This time, he chose to form a community of interests with Beijing University of Chemical Technology. From small test, pilot test, to mass production, the team finally succeeded in conquering the key process technology of 10,000-ton TPV preparation after countless days and nights, which broke technology monopoly from a few developed countries such as the United States and Japan.

In 2004, Yu Xiaoning and his colleagues established the first 1,000-ton high-performance TPV demonstration line in China through independent development of equipment, processes and formulas, filling the domestic gap. Four years later, the technology won the second prize of the National Technical Invention Award.

Adhering to the problem-oriented core technology development will not work without funds and system, but talent is the core factor.

The first time that a reporter from Science and Technology Daily heard Tian Hongchi's name was related to the emergency project of the Ministry of Science and Technology. In 2020, the Ministry of Science and Technology proposed a special emergency plan for the resumption of work and production that in a short period of time the world's first washable and reusable protective mask should be developed, which can ensure supply and reduce waste pollution.

A small mask contains a lot of difficult technologies, the core of which is the melt-blown fabric in the middle layer. The melt-blown fabric is electrostatic to absorb all kinds of germs. But the static electricity disappears after the mask being washed in water. This is a seemingly impossible task.

In order to solve the problem, Tian Hongchi called in the team of the R&D centers in Beijing, Qingdao, and Longkou to rotate 24 hours a day and carried out tens of thousands of tests. Four months later, the only re-washable mask in the world was born.

Tian Hongchi, born in Fujian, is a Ph.D. from Beijing University of Chemical Technology. Before joining Dawn, he faced the invitation of high salaries from foreign institutions. But in order to introduce him, Yu Xiaoning took much efforts. The facts proved that the "invisible champion" platform also provides Tian Hongchi with a stage to display. He not only won the National Technology Invention Award, but also served as the executive deputy director of the National Enterprise Technology Center and the director of the Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of High Performance Thermoplastic Elastomers, etc.

After going through ups and downs, Dawn and Tian Hongchi have achieved mutual achievements. The reporter found that in Dawn Group there are many talents like Tian. On the national platform, they have supported the emergence of core technologies one by one.

During the interview, Yu Xiaoning revealed a "secret" to reporters that the company is launching technical cooperation with Beijing University of Chemical Technology and Zhongce Rubber Group Co., Ltd on the application of the new thermoplastic elastomer DVA in the gas barrier of car tires and the new bicycle tire inner tube. The highlight of this project is that "under the same thickness, the airtightness of new tires is 7-9 times higher than that of traditional tires", which means that thinner and stronger tires will be available soon, and another new technology to break the monopoly is on the way