The Road of China’s Scientific and Technological Transformation(1974-1987):The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Polypropylene Tackle
HAN Hao1,2**, GUAN Xiao-Wu2
1. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; 2. Institute for the History of Natural Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Abstract As an independent innovation achievement in China’s chemical fiber industry from the 1970s to 1980s,polypropylene fiber marked a significant breakthrough in China’s high-tech chemical fiber field.From 1974 to 1987,China successfully achieved the industrial production of polypropylene fiber through basic applied research and two joint research projects,making it the only variety among the five major chemical fibers that was completely independently developed by China.The research and development of polypropylene fiber not only became a model of the close integration of scientific research and production and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements into productivity in China,but also a microcosm of the transformation of China’s scientific and technological work during this period.In this project,the Institute of Chemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences provided solid theoretical and technical support for the research and development of polypropylene fiber through deep research on spinning physics,theinvention of the technology of processing aid for lowering processing temperature of polypropylene,the development of new resins,and the exploration of stable spinning processes.Focusing on the work of the Institute of Chemistry,this paper systematically examines the spinning physics research of the Institute and its participation in the research and development of polypropylene fiber through the excavation of archives and documents,objectively analyzes the roles and interactive relationships played by various units,and explores the transformation of China’s scientific and technological innovation and research work in the 1970s and 1980s,as well as the role played by the Chinese Academy of Sciences.The research results of this paper can provide a reference for China to realize high-level scientific and technological self-reliance in the new era.
HAN Hao, GUAN Xiao-Wu. The Road of China’s Scientific and Technological Transformation(1974-1987):The Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Polypropylene Tackle[J]. Chinese Journal of Chemical Education, 2025, 46(14): 118-129.
