Production of high-demand resin

While the construction market in the country is developing rapidly, there is an obvious shortage of domestic products made of modern building materials. According to the KazDataInsider portal, approximately 15% of domestic manufacturers that means 3767 enterprises are engaged in the production of building materials. However, this is quite insignificant indicator for a member state of the Eurasian Economic Union. The most effective way to change the situation is to develop innovative competitive production of import-substituting products.

A group of scientists of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have developed the technology for producing unsaturated polyester resin in the laboratory within the framework of scientific research. Such scientists as G. S. Irmukhametova, S. A. Efremov, S. V. Nechepurenko, El-Said Negim, D. Lisyukov have worked on the project "Production of Polyester Resin and its finished products ". The goal is to increase the intellectual potential of the country. As a result, optimal conditions for the ratio of monomers and polycondensation were determined. This made it possible to obtain an inexpensive product that is not inferior to foreign resins in terms of physico-chemical features.

Polyester resin is used as building, structural and composite materials for various industrial and household purposes. Including the composite materials producing industry that consumes 98 percent of the polyester resin produced. In other industries, such as the production of paint and varnish materials, building materials, thick masses, the overall indicator of the content of the resin is insignificant, since unsaturated polyester resin is one of the main binding materials in the production of composites. Currently, polyester resins are the main binding component both in the global production and in the market of the neighboring Russian Federation.

By analyzing the consumption of polyester resins in Kazakhstan, it is possible to indirectly predict the main problems of the composite materials market. Thus, in 2015 the volume of polyester resin consumption in Kazakhstan exceeded 5 thousand tons. At the same time, there are no special enterprises for its production in the country. The production costs of composite materials with the addition of polyester resin are also minimal, therefore economically beneficial. Another advantage of using polyester resins is that those materials obtain regenerative features, hence physical and mechanical characteristics of the finished product do not change. Consequently, composite materials that contain polyester resin are competitive in the consumer market.

Prototypes of polyester resin suitable for various usage in laboratory conditions, produced at the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University have passed industrial tests at LLP ‘VASTE’ LLP in the process of manufacturing decorative products made of fiberglass and tiles made of artificial stone. The main goal is replace imported alternatives by domestic resin with further reduce of raw material costs.

The novelty of the project called ‘Creation of Pilot Production of Polyester Resins for Special Purposes’ under the leadership of G. S. Irmukhametova is the production of unsaturated polyester resins of high strength, toughness and hardness. This is a new technology developed by an advanced approach. It can be used in the manufacture of the following composite materials: building materials, fiberglass, artificial stone, car’s bodywork details, radio screens. The project is financed by JSC "Science Foundation" and the main partner company LLP ‘VASTE’.

On October 31, 2018 on the basis of the production site of LLP ‘VASTE’ a pilot production of polyester resins was launched, which was developed as part of the implementation of the project indicated above.

As part of the production, up to 200-300 tons of polyester resins can be produced per year. Two brands of unsaturated polyester resins are produced at the initial stage.

The first is ALMAPOL 111 TP, a general-purpose orthophthal used in the production of unsaturated polyester resin, thixotropic supplements and fiberglass. Moreover, ALMAPOL 111 TP is used in the production of fiberglass products by manual molding, spraying, in the production of fiberglass molds for the manufacture of fiber concrete, auto tuning and other industries.

The second is ALMAPOL 121 P, an orthophthal unsaturated polyester resin used for the production of artificial stone and polymer concrete. ALMAPOL 121 P is used in the manufacture of souvenir products by casting, in the manufacture of furniture decoration, sculptures and etc.

The creation of an enterprise for the production of polyester resins will not only increase number of domestic producers, but also offer domestic raw materials at a price 15-20 percent lower than imported. This will support the producers of composite materials in the country.

Over the past twenty years, the consumption of unsaturated polyester resins on the world market has been steadily growing by an average of 6 per cent. Apparently, the pandemic has contributed to the change of many statistic data. Nevertheless, world experts predict that this indicator will continue in the next decade.

An alternative to traditional materials is the use of composite materials in the production of vehicles, building construction, electronics and infrastructure. It is well known that the growth of resin usage is uneven in all countries. So experts claim that in the most developed countries of Europe and North America there will be 2-3 percent, and in the middle-developed countries of Asia and Europe-7-8 percent. The main reason of relocation of composite materials production from more developed countries to less developed countries is cheaper labor, high environmental standards and requirements in Western Europe and North America.

Kazakhstan being among the developing countries will become a part of this global trend and will path the way to the development of regional markets. In addition, the export of products to the EEC countries will aggregate the volume of production and increase profit. This method serves to the purpose of import substitution. Successful implementation of the project will have a positive impact on both the economy and society, since Kazakhstan’s production of polyester resins uses its domestic raw materials. Secondly, it contributes to the development of other industries. For instance construction, mechanical engineering, wind power, non-ferrous metallurgy and etc.