Huangshi City Friction Material Raw Material Association | Voice of Friction Materials, Issue 2, 2016

Newsletter

1. From May 6 to 7, invited by Huangshi Xinyi Mineral Co., Ltd., Professor Zou Wenjun, Dean of the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Henan University of Technology, and three others visited Huangshi to conduct a special research on the application of large-sized grinding wheels by several enterprises in the Huangshi area, and exchanged and discussed with relevant technical personnel from several enterprises. Fu Shunyu, Secretary-General of the Huangshi City Enterprise Federation and Entrepreneur Association, accompanied the research discussion. Zhang Huanming, Director of the Huangshi Economic and Information Commission, also exchanged and discussed with Dean Zou and his team, and they had lunch together.

2. On May 13, 2016, the 18th China International Friction Sealing Materials Technology Exchange and Product Exhibition opened grandly in Nanjing, Jiangsu. Six member units of the Huangshi City Enterprise Federation Friction Material Raw Material Branch exhibited together. In this exhibition, the branch enterprises unified their booth design, background wall, and business cards, attracting the attention and response of leaders from the China Friction Sealing Materials Association and attending clients, achieving the effect of collective exhibition.

During the exhibition, Wang Yao, Chairman of the China Friction Sealing Materials Association, was invited to inspect the branch enterprises' booths and took group photos, which helped promote the branch and expand its influence.

At the thank-you dinner, a skit titled 'Integrity' and a crosstalk performance 'Strong Alliance' were presented by the branch, bringing bursts of laughter and leaving a deep impression on the audience present.

3. On May 27, entrusted by Wang Yao, Chairman of the China Friction Sealing Materials Association, the branch arranged for Zhao Lihai from Qifa Company, Zhao Zhipeng from Duxin Company, and Wang Jian from Wangping Company to visit Wuhan specifically to conduct on-site research on the exhibition halls in the Wuhan area, which are planned for next year's industry exhibition, and reported the research findings to Chairman Wang Yao in a timely manner, receiving recognition and praise.

For our enterprises to achieve breakthroughs, transitions, and substantial long-term development, we must start with technological transformation. However, this is precisely a weak link for our traditional small and medium-sized enterprises, as we lack R&D talent, cannot bear R&D costs, and have long R&D cycles. This is a continuous investment in waiting, which our small and medium-sized enterprises cannot bear alone. Therefore, we need to unite, face challenges together, and solve problems collectively.

Now, we have established the Huangshi Friction Material Raw Material Branch, and it should play its role, with everyone doing their part and resources being utilized effectively. We should fully leverage the branch's role to strengthen information flow between enterprises and share resources among them. The following initial ideas are proposed:
1. Member enterprises of the branch jointly invest in scientific and technological research and development, share research results, and share market benefits or distribute them according to investment proportions.
This can reduce the burden and risk on each enterprise while providing follow-up strength for enterprise development. The specific process will be jointly negotiated and voted on by the member enterprises.

2. The branch will hold a training session once a month, with member enterprises taking turns to give lectures. The main topics will focus on the current severe challenges in the raw material market for friction materials, as well as the decision-making, strategies, and directions of each member enterprise.
This project aims to gather the development ideas and directions of member enterprises, providing more development directions and routes for each enterprise. It will enable each enterprise to gain multi-directional, multi-angle, and multi-thinking development ideas and decision-making.

3. The branch will hold a market information exchange and sharing meeting once a month, with each enterprise sending one representative to share and explain the market trends and business opportunities of the month.
This way, our enterprises can fully understand more market information, market trends, and development trends without spending a lot of human and material resources.

4. A materials technology exchange meeting will be held once a month (quarterly or annually), with each member enterprise sending one representative to share and exchange their research directions and trends in materials, as well as showcase their research results.

If any member enterprise has research results, they can first briefly introduce them to the branch enterprises. The branch enterprises will jointly decide whether to recognize them, and if so, they will jointly fund the purchase of the research results, making them jointly owned by the branch enterprises, achieving a mutually beneficial situation of resource and research result sharing.

Thus, enterprises can develop in multiple dimensions and directions, and member enterprises can negotiate and allocate benefits and market information resources amicably. The specific details and steps will be jointly negotiated and decided by the member enterprises.

The above three proposals involve the fundamental development of enterprises, and even their secrets. Member units should carefully negotiate and decide together, cooperate amicably, and hope to achieve sustainable development and a win-win situation.

Analysis of the Application Fields of Wollastonite

(National Building Materials Industry Technology Information Research Institute, Li Ke)

With the development of modern industry and the advancement of wollastonite deep processing technology, the application range of wollastonite is increasingly expanding. China has a wide distribution of wollastonite resources, with concentrated reserves that are easy to mine. Relying on this characteristic resource, it has significant economic and social benefits for promoting the high value-added transformation of local characteristic resources.

The ceramic industry is the main application field of wollastonite, accounting for about 40% to 45% of the total usage. In the ceramic industry, wollastonite can significantly reduce energy consumption and increase output, while greatly improving the mechanical properties of ceramic products, thus enhancing product quality. In recent years, the role of ceramic materials in the medical field has become increasingly important.

Wollastonite has low oil absorption, low moisture absorption, high insulation, and good high-temperature resistance, making it particularly suitable for coatings.

In the rubber and plastic industry, wollastonite is mainly used for its needle-like crystal structure, which provides a fiber-like reinforcement effect, replacing more expensive glass fibers, carbon fibers, and harmful asbestos. Moreover, high aspect ratio wollastonite, after surface modification, can be used as a filler in plastics, rubber, and polymers, reducing production costs and improving the mechanical properties of the products, while endowing plastics, rubber, and polymers with special functions that they do not possess.

Wollastonite has low-temperature fluxing properties and is widely used in the metallurgical industry. Especially in continuous casting, wollastonite is used as a metallurgical protective slag base material, where its superior performance is even more evident.

High aspect ratio needle-like wollastonite powder, with its non-toxic, odorless, and non-radioactive advantages, is gradually replacing asbestos and glass fibers, becoming a new raw material for high-quality environmentally friendly building materials.

Wollastonite can also be used as a filler in papermaking, replacing 25% to 35% of wood pulp, and significantly reducing pulp consumption after modification.

In terms of environmental protection, wollastonite particles can utilize their surface adsorption properties to remove harmful impurity ions from aqueous solutions, achieving the goal of purifying water quality.
 

(Excerpt from 'China Non-Metallic Mineral Information Platform')

Conference Notice:

2016 China Non-Metallic Mineral Science and Market Exchange Conference

and Non-Metallic Mineral Products and Equipment Exhibition

Date: June 28-30, 2016, registration all day on the 28th;

Location: Jinmanlou Mingzhu International Hotel, Hefei City, Anhui Province;

Organizer: National Research Institute of Architectural Materials Industry Technology Information;

Contact Person: Li Ke 13521754528 QQ: 928592234

Companies interested in attending can contact the organizer.