Titanium is a rare metal with a strong sense of "technology". From the domestically produced large aircraft C919 to the Shenzhou series of manned spacecraft, "Baoji titanium" can be found in them. In Baoji, there are more than 600 titanium-related enterprises, and about 50,000 people are "embedded" in the titanium and titanium alloy industry chain. Leading enterprises and specialized and new enterprises are booming.
In 2023, Baoji's titanium production and processing volume will account for about 65% of the country and 33% of the world, and the scale of the titanium industry will lead the world. From January to July this year, the output value of Baoji's titanium enterprises increased by 9.7%, and the titanium industry has been developing all the way.
However, Baoji does not produce titanium, and the nearest raw material supplier is in Panzhihua, Sichuan, thousands of miles away. Without producing titanium, why does Baoji occupy the "C position" in the global titanium industry?
Recently, the reporter visited the growing "China Titanium Valley" to explore the logic of industrial development here.
Baoti Group's high-quality titanium and titanium alloy pipe profile production line (data photo). Photo provided by the interviewee
A leading leader
If you choose one of the many titanium products to show the strength of Baoji's titanium industry, which one would you choose?
On June 27, at the Baoti Group Exhibition Hall, He Shulin, deputy general manager of the group, pointed to a spherical behemoth and said: "This is the core component of the titanium alloy manned spherical cabin we developed - the 10,000-meter manned submersible 'Struggler', which fills many gaps in domestic titanium alloy research."
Baoti Group is the leader of the titanium and titanium alloy industry chain in Shaanxi Province, and is also a leading enterprise in my country's titanium industry. Its titanium production ranks first in the world, and its comprehensive strength ranks among the top three in the global titanium industry.
"The titanium materials we developed are used in national key projects such as the Shenzhou series of manned spacecraft, making important contributions to the development of my country's major weapons." He Shulin said.
Aiming at world-class, Baoti Group is climbing new heights. "Although the company is large in size, the proportion of high-profit and high-tech products still needs to be improved compared with world-class companies." He Shulin said.
Developing first-class technology requires first-class talents. How can Baoji "introduce wisdom" for the titanium industry?
Not long ago, Baoti Group took a big step in the construction of its R&D team. The Shaanxi Titanium-Nickel Materials Innovation Center, initiated by Baoti Group, has started preparations for construction. After completion, it will provide a more flexible carrier for talent gathering.
"The center will form a technology-led, industry-university-research-application-coordinated titanium-nickel materials innovation platform through strong cooperation between enterprises and universities, effectively promote the high-end, intelligent and green development of the titanium-nickel materials industry, and create a more internationally competitive strategic emerging titanium-nickel industry cluster." Wang Jian, general manager of Baoti Group, said.
Today, Baoji has three provincial chain-leading enterprises: Baoti Group, China National Nuclear Zirconium Industry and Topda Titanium Industry. Among them, China National Nuclear Zirconium Industry has developed the first approved nuclear-grade zirconium and zirconium alloy standard sample in China, breaking the situation where my country's nuclear-grade zirconium material detection and traceability has long relied on imported products.
Specialization and innovation dance together
In Baoji, the development of the titanium industry is not a single chain-leading enterprise, but a flourishing of many specialized and innovative enterprises. These specialized and innovative enterprises rely on their expertise to achieve innovative development in different links of the titanium industry.
At the end of last year, Baoji Xintaicheng Metal Composite Materials Co., Ltd. developed and produced the world's longest and largest single-blast-formed titanium-steel composite plate, which is 3.5 meters wide and 16.2 meters long.
This record was hard-won.
"For larger titanium-steel composite plates, every meter of breakthrough in length requires repeated process tests. With the help of advanced mechanical and microscopic detection methods, we continuously adjust the explosive formula and process parameters, and finally form a mature and stable explosion welding process." said Yang Xueshan, the company's technical director.
Hard-core technology is the stepping stone to the market. "We are developing marine titanium composite plates. Compared with traditional special steels, this new material is light and corrosion-resistant. The amount used on a large ship is more than 100,000 tons, and the market potential is very large." Yang Xueshan said.
In addition, titanium is often used in the medical field. Due to its good biocompatibility and high strength, the market size of medical titanium has grown significantly.
Baoji Xinnuo Special Materials Co., Ltd. is a high-end medical titanium manufacturer. Zheng Yongli, the head of the company, introduced that in China, one out of every four medical human implant titanium materials comes from Xinnuo.
In order to solve the problems of vanadium cytotoxicity in conventional medical implant titanium alloys and aluminum accumulation in the human body that may harm the nervous system, Baoji Xinnuo Special Materials Co., Ltd. has continuously made efforts in research and development. "After two years of independent research and development, the company has successfully developed a biomedical titanium alloy material with excellent comprehensive performance, non-toxic elements, elastic modulus closer to human bone tissue, low raw material cost and feasibility of mass production." Ma Hongfang, deputy director of the company's enterprise technology center, said.
Li Jingxue, deputy director of the Titanium Industry Development Promotion Center of the Baoji Municipal Bureau of Industry and Information Technology, introduced that through leading and chain group development, at present, Baoji titanium industry chain has 13 national-level specialized and new "little giant" enterprises, 51 provincial-level specialized and new small and medium-sized enterprises, 5 provincial-level manufacturing single champion demonstration enterprises, and 182 above-scale enterprises.
"Territories" continue to expand
Dealing with Baoji titanium-related enterprises, you may hear accents from all over the country, and often foreign languages. With a complete titanium industry chain, Baoji has attracted businessmen from Fujian, Zhejiang and other places, as well as European and American customers to discuss cooperation.
14 years ago, Fujian businessman Wang Yongjin invested in Baoji to set up a factory and entered the titanium industry. Today, Baoji Topda Titanium Co., Ltd., which he is in charge of, is the leader of the titanium industry chain in the province.
"Baoji has a good titanium industry foundation, has gathered a large number of relevant talents, and has good industrial policies. We focus on the integration of upstream and downstream of the industrial chain, actively pay attention to market trends, continuously optimize product processes, and adapt to new market changes. We are actively planning the application of titanium in the fields of new energy and consumer electronics products." Chairman Wang Yongjin said.
As an important base for the research and development and production of titanium and other rare metal materials that the country has focused on, Baoji will develop the titanium and new materials industry as the first industry. The titanium and new materials industry has also been included in the first batch of strategic emerging industry cluster development projects by the state and selected as a national small and medium-sized enterprise characteristic industry cluster.
Last year, Baoji issued the "Baoji Titanium and New Materials Industry Chain Improvement Three-Year Action Plan (2023-2025)" and the "1+5+N" series of policies to support the high-quality development of the manufacturing industry, comprehensively improving the advanced level of the titanium industry foundation and the modernization level of the industrial chain.
At the same time, Baoji has set up a special working group covering the government, leading enterprises, industry institutions and experts, established a working mechanism such as leadership and specialist services, organized titanium industry chain special meetings and salon activities, coordinated with relevant departments, and effectively solved the practical difficulties of enterprises.
In order to accelerate the transformation of industrial scientific and technological achievements, Baoji established the Northwest Nonferrous Metals Baoji Innovation Institute, held the 2022 Titanium Zirconium Hafnium Branch Annual Meeting and Titanium Zirconium Hafnium Industry Development Summit Forum, and the 2023 China Titanium Valley International Titanium Industry Expo, further improving the titanium industry ecosystem and enhancing China's titanium international voice.
Driven by Baoti Group, more than 600 titanium and titanium alloy processing and trading companies have settled in Baoji. The more than 300 varieties and 5,000 specifications of titanium products produced are widely used in aerospace, navigation, new energy, chemical industry, medical health and other fields, and are exported to more than 70 countries and regions. (Reporter Liu Kun)
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