Grand Pacific Petrochemicals Corp (GPPC) established its R&D way back in 1984, dedicating, then and as now, to the improvement of manufacturing processes and the innovation of new products or their derivatives. It purports to build up dynamics internally within R&D; to associate externally with renowned universities, such as Ching-Hwa, Cheng-Kong, and Kaohsiung or the world-class research institutes, all in Taiwan; and to do research incessantly to gain the cutting edges of new technologies, processes, and products that deem relevant to the growth of GPPC proper.

So, in addition to focus on the conventional R&D of its core business, e.g. SM, ABS and HIPS, GPPC, in 2010, started to participate in the R&D advancing projects sponsored by MOEA (經濟部), elevated R&D unit to a higher managerial ladder and, as consequence, reorganized it to be the new Corporate R&D (CRD). Some of the main goals of newly structured CRD’s were to recruit new graduates with a MS or Ph.D. degree and to span research efforts, upwardly and outwardly, into the areas of 3C, E/E, auto, bio-materials, and the high-value added petrochemicals. In order to facilitate and assist the new research, to expedite its progress, and to horde its newly released dynamics, high-tech analytical instruments with high power and precision, such as GC, HPLC, GPC, UV, FTIR, DLS, AA, ICP-MS, were so procured. Thus, from detailed analysis on the products and raw materials, the CRD can, in practice, conduct first in-lab experiments which are backed up by sounding theories, and then span and scale further up into the mini-pilot runs before a real-world try is carried out in plant. The products from plant run are then followed by the field-trials in market. All these research efforts propel GPPC’s products, new, old, or renovated, into a high standard, which are also in line with green chemistry, precision analysis, environmental friendliness, and the extra-added value to the products.

One result of the R&D efforts is that, in 2012, GPPC succeeded in setting up a brand-new production line of PA66, the first and only in Taiwan with annual capacity of 13,000 metric tons. Domestic market shares, covering cable tie and compounding applications, expand quickly and widely. The second line of 15,000 metric tons is being installed in 2016, after de-bottling of the first line to 15,000 metric tons in mid-2015. The newly added capacity of PA66 will penetrate into the usages of both industrial and wearing yarns. Engineering compounding of PA66 will followed next. Special and high temperature nylons will be in tow along the line.

One of GPPC’s mantras is rooted deeply is to sustain R&D efforts to pave the way for the growth in future of new products, and, in meantime, to improve current, existing ones, Thus, by so doing, we will sustainably and prosperously set up new milestones, step-by-step, to a new, millennial GPPC.