A research team led by Professor Liang Changhai at Dalian University of Technology, in collaboration with Sinopec’s Zhenhai Refining branch, has produced 4‑methyl‑1‑pentene (4M1P) with a reported purity of 99.3% on a hundred‑ton‑scale propylene dimerization pilot plant. The team describes the result as a major technical breakthrough in the domestic synthesis of a high‑end specialty monomer, and says the product quality exceeds that of imported equivalents.
4M1P is the key monomer for poly(4‑methyl‑1‑pentene) (PMP), a polymer used as the core raw material for membranes in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) devices — commonly called “artificial lungs.” ECMO is a critical life‑support technology for patients with severe respiratory or cardiac failure; membrane performance and material purity are decisive for device reliability and patient safety. Achieving high‑purity monomer at pilot scale is therefore a prerequisite for robust domestic production of medical‑grade membranes.
The project demonstrates a close industry‑university partnership: academic process know‑how coupled with refinery‑scale engineering at a Sinopec facility. Running a hundred‑ton‑class dimerization trial indicates the team has moved beyond laboratory demonstration toward industrial feasibility, addressing both chemical synthesis and downstream purification challenges that determine polymer quality and cost. By claiming better purity than imports, the developers signal potential for import substitution and local supply security for a medical device component that proved strategically important during pandemic surges.
Caveats remain. The report does not disclose production costs, long‑run yield, intellectual property status or a timetable to full commercialisation, nor does it detail certification pathways for medical‑grade membrane manufacture. Turning a pilot success into a stable domestic supply chain will require scale‑up, integration with membrane fabricators and regulatory approvals for device materials. Still, the achievement fits a broader push in China for advanced materials self‑reliance and shows how targeted chemical engineering advances can have outsized effects on healthcare resilience.