Vigorously develop the circular economy and pursue a path of intensive development.
Vigorously develop the circular economy and pursue a path of intensive development.
Ten years of painstaking effort! The journey of scientific breakthroughs behind Qingli Calcium Formate.
2025-09-23
“At the time, everyone thought turning yellow phosphorus tail gas into calcium formate as a raw material was ‘a pipe dream,’ but we were determined to tackle this tough challenge.” Recalling the R&D journey of the core technology behind calcium formate, the head of research at Guizhou Qingli Group spoke with unwavering resolve. This product, which has earned a national invention patent, is the result of more than a decade of relentless scientific攻关—and a testament to the company’s steadfast commitment to green innovation.
“At the time, everyone thought turning yellow phosphorus tail gas into calcium formate as a raw material was ‘a pipe dream,’ but we were determined to tackle this tough challenge.” Recalling the R&D journey of the core technology behind calcium formate, the head of research at Guizhou Qingli Group spoke with unwavering resolve. This product, which has earned a national invention patent, is the result of more than a decade of relentless scientific攻关—and a testament to the company’s steadfast commitment to green innovation.
The story began around 2010, when Qingli Group had already established a solid foothold in the phosphate chemical industry. However, the treatment of yellow phosphorus tail gas remained a long-standing, intractable challenge for the company. The conventional combustion method not only wasted resources but also faced mounting environmental pressures. “Either we would be forced to transform by environmental policies, or we would take the initiative to break through and seize control,” said the leadership. With the firm backing of the group’s decision-makers, a research team comprising experts from the fields of chemical engineering, environmental protection, materials science, and more was officially formed, embarking on a journey to explore the resource utilization of tail gas.
In the early stages of research and development, the team encountered numerous challenges: yellow phosphorus tail gas has a complex composition, with impurities such as phosphine and hydrogen sulfide that are difficult to remove, directly affecting subsequent synthesis reactions; the reaction between carbon monoxide and calcium hydroxide requires stringent conditions, and even slight deviations in temperature or pressure can result in product purity falling short of specifications; moreover, improper handling of reaction byproducts can lead to secondary pollution. To overcome these obstacles, the team conducted thousands of experiments in the laboratory, refined more than 30 purification process schemes, and independently developed a highly efficient catalyst and a precision reaction control system.
The most challenging phase was the pilot-scale trial in 2015, during which three consecutive production runs all ended with insufficient product purity, putting millions of yuan in R&D investment at risk of being wasted. “Let’s give it one last shot—this time, we’ll adjust the reaction pressure parameters,” the team members stayed up through the night monitoring the data, and finally achieved a breakthrough on the fourth attempt: calcium formate purity exceeded 98%, while carbon emissions were reduced by 60% compared to conventional processes. In 2018, the technology successfully obtained national invention patent approval, and by 2020, it had scaled up to commercial production, generating tens of millions of yuan in output value that same year.
Today, as Qingli Group’s calcium formate is sold across the country, its research team continues to refine and upgrade its technology. “We can now boost exhaust gas utilization to 99%; our next step is to develop an even more efficient synthesis process,” says the team. This relentless pursuit of excellence is precisely the key to Qingli Group’s leadership in the green chemical industry, and it also imbues calcium formate with greater promise for groundbreaking advances in the sector.
Relevant documents
Relevant Information
Contact Us
Phone:+86-0851-86830567
Email:sales@qlgroupmci.com
Address: Unit 1, Floor 16, Building 6, Poly International Plaza, No. 42 Shinan Road, Nanming District, Guiyang City
Scan with WeChat
Learn more about Qingli Information
Copyright © Guizhou Qingli Group Co., Ltd. 2025 ( qingligroup.cn ) All Rights Reserved. Website Development: China Enterprise Dynamics Guiyang