Cutting-edge new materials boost confidence in 'Made in China'

　　Excerpt from: Zhenjiang Daily, May 15, 2024, Front Page "New Materials Boost 'Made in China' Confidence - Exploring the Future Industry Series Report No. 6"

　　Zhenjiang Daily Reporter Shan Dan, Correspondent Liu Guangyan

　　Zhongzhu New Materials mainly produces and sells refractory materials, thermal insulation materials, high-temperature ceramic materials, and other products, primarily serving the high-end casting and aluminum processing industries, meeting the demand for high-temperature refractory materials in new industries such as high-temperature alloys, aerospace aluminum, new energy vehicles, battery aluminum foil, and photovoltaics. As of now, the company has developed over 1,300 customers.

　　The market is the 'touchstone' for products. In January-February this year, Zhongzhu New Materials' sales increased by more than 20% compared to the same period last year. In the future, the company will continue to deepen its market presence, strengthen cooperation with new energy vehicle manufacturers to provide refractory materials for their aluminum alloy frame production, and enhance collaboration with manufacturers of aerospace aluminum, high-performance special steel, and other products.

　　As an expert in the manufacturing of amorphous refractory materials, Zhongzhu New Materials was selected as one of the fifth batch of national-level specialized, refined, and innovative 'little giant' enterprises last year, holding multiple patents and high-tech products. The company's products are widely used in casting, aluminum processing, special steel, and other fields, laying a foundation for the development of new energy, aerospace, equipment manufacturing, and transportation rail sectors.

　　Entering the Zhongzhu New Materials office building, two display stands catch the eye. 'The amorphous refractory materials on the left are currently the company's main products, while the refractory material prefabricated parts on the right will be key products in the future,' He Shengping introduced. In the second half of the year, a new factory will officially be put into use, mainly producing refractory material prefabricated parts. At that time, the refractory material production line will be further expanded to diversify and meet the needs of downstream manufacturing enterprises, adding more confidence to 'Made in China.'

　　How do new materials boost confidence in 'Made in China'?

　　'Breaking foreign monopolies' is one of the important reasons. He Shengping explained that before Zhongzhu New Materials entered the market, new energy-saving high-temperature materials were almost entirely reliant on foreign products. The entry of Zhongzhu New Materials broke the previous reliance on imports, generating certain economic and social benefits. 'As the market share of the company's products continues to rise, our main competitors are currently among the top global European and American companies. In the future, we will further increase R&D investment, hoping to further enhance the replacement rate of imported products.'

　　In Zhongzhu New Materials' laboratory, researchers are busy with new product formulations; in the production workshop, workers perform their duties, and intelligent machinery operates at high speed, filling raw materials, bagging finished products, packaging, and storing... the entire production line runs smoothly. He Shengping, a materials major, said that at the beginning of the startup, Zhongzhu New Materials was just a small company with 10 refractory material technicians. After years of innovative development, it has now become a national high-tech enterprise with over 20 patents. With a series of documents being issued, the new materials industry has entered a period of accelerated development, and the future of the enterprise is promising.

　　Walking through this vibrant and hopeful modern factory, new momentum is continuously accumulating with the ongoing application of new materials and technologies. As new forces take shape at the confluence of rivers, new productive forces are also integrated into the fabric of urban development. By continuously breaking the foreign 'bottleneck' material monopoly, Zhongzhu New Materials is making continuous progress in the field of new materials; the rapid development of Zhongzhu New Materials is just a microcosm of our city's efforts to accelerate the creation of a new materials industry cluster.