The Southwest Research & Design Institute of the Chemical Industry (SWRDICI), which was founded in 1958, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the China Haohua Chemical (Group) Corp and a key Ministry of Chemical Industry R&D institute engaged in scientific research, technological development, engineering design, project contracts, technical consultation, manufacturing, and trade in technology. It became a State-run company in July 1999. It is registered as a part of the Chengdu Hi-tech Industrial Development Zone and has registered capital of 106.03 million yuan.
The institute is also a National Center of C1 Chemical Engineering Research, National Center of PSA Separation Engineering Research & Popularization, Key State Laboratory of Industrial Vent Gas Reuse, National Gas Standardization Technical Committee, National Technical Committee 469 on Coal Chemical Industry of Standardization Administration, and a National Natural Gas and C1 Chemical Industrial Information Center. It is also an innovation-based pilot and national model for intellectual property development. Over time, its fields of research expanded from the comprehensive utilization of natural gas chemicals to more than ten areas, such as C1 chemical, gas separation and purification, the recycling of industrial vent gas, special-purpose gas, automation, new energy sources, energy conservation, environmental protection, and standardization. It holds some real technological advantages in C1 chemical and gas separation and purification and is in a leading position in China, while closely following global research land playing an important role in technological development.
In fact, the institute has been doing R&D in all the above areas since it was founded and has undertaken many key scientific and technological projects closely related to the nation's economy and social development. Developing key technologies for the domestic chemical, petrochemical, and other sectors are its fundamental task. By 2011, it had completed more than 660 scientific research projects and had won more than 60 national or provincial/ministry-level science and technology awards. It had applied for 190 patents (159 of them for inventions), with 93 of them (66 for inventions) having been granted. A number of its research findings have been industrialized -- for example low-pressure synthesis of methanol and catalyst, hydrocarbon conversion process and catalyst, PSA gas separation, carbonyl synthesis of acetic acid from methanol, methanol-to-dimethyl ether, methanol-to-hydrogen, refining of crude benzene, and the synthesis of NFM by methyl formate process -- all of which are at the international level, and play an important role in technologically supporting the sector and generate a large amount of economic and social benefits. Nearly 10 units for producing synthetic natural gas through methanation of coke oven gas have been applied. The preparations of ethylene glycol from synthetic gas, comprehensive utilization of tail gas of calcium carbide furnaces, and other new technologies at the international levels have been widely advertised and save energy, reduce emissions, turn waste into resources, and can generate remarkable social and economic benefits.
At the business level, the institute mainly engages in the transfer, consulting and design of chemical technology, and the manufacturing and sale of catalysts, fine chemicals, special-purpose gases, chemical instruments and meters and other related products.
The institute does research in new chemical products and technologies, engineering development and technology transfers, production of catalysts, special-purpose solvents, gases and other chemical products, and mechanical manufacturing, automation and instrumentation and has helped develop the NFM, reforming catalyst, dimethyl ether catalyst, and pressure vessel manufacturing industries.