It is reported that the project has a total investment of approximately 150 million yuan, covering a total area of 757.75 m², with a construction period of 10 months. It mainly includes the pilot-scale R&D of three types of polyester elastomers (referred to as BPE), namely polyester elastomer BPE1, polyester elastomer BPE2, and polyester elastomer BPE3, with a designed total pilot-scale R&D capacity of 1,000 tons/year.

Elastomeric materials, with their unique high elasticity, have been widely used in various fields such as national defense and civilian applications. To simultaneously endow elastomeric materials with sustainability and biodegradability, Academician Zhang Liqun first proposed the concept of "bio-based biodegradable polyester elastomers" in 2008. Unlike elastomers with all-carbon backbones obtained through addition polymerization, bio-based polyester elastomers are synthesized via solvent-free condensation polymerization reactions using bio-based diols, dicarboxylic acids, and/or hydroxy acids derived from biomass fermentation. The abundant ester bonds formed within the polymer chains through condensation polymerization can impart unique biodegradability to the polyester elastomers.

Academician Zhang Liqun and his team have been dedicated to advancing the downstream application development and industrial production of biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers. In terms of application development, the team has successfully developed the use of biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers in various fields such as low-temperature and oil-resistant rubber, polylactic acid toughening agents, polyvinyl chloride plasticizers, biodegradable tires, and biodegradable footwear. On the industrial front, the team has successfully achieved the technological leap from laboratory-scale to pilot-scale and then to large-scale production of polyester elastomer products. In 2021, they implemented a continuous production process at the thousand-ton scale for the first time. In the same year, the technology for biodegradable bio-based polyester elastomers passed the scientific and technological achievement appraisal organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation. Additionally, in 2021, bio-based biodegradable polyester elastomers were included in the "First Batch of Key New Materials Application Demonstration Guidance Catalog" by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.