Li Dichuan, founder of Jiangsu SECCO Chemical Co., Ltd
From April 11 to 12, 2024, Hangzhou held the "2024 (8th) Surfactant High-end Application Technology Exchange Conference". The event brought together experts, professors and representatives from leading companies, scientific research institutions and services in the surfactant industry to discuss the future trends of surfactant application technology. Li Dichuan, founder and general manager of Jiangsu SECCO Chemical Co., Ltd., was invited to attend the event and expressed his views on the topic of "Development and Application of Isomeric Alcohol Ether Sulfate".
With the deepening of the concept of environmental protection, the demand for efficient and environmentally friendly products in the chemical industry continues to rise. As an emerging surfactant, isomeric alcohol ether sulfate has attracted much attention in the market due to its excellent performance and environmental advantages. Li Dichuan elaborated on the original intention of the research and development of isomeric alcohol ether sulfate, and looked forward to its application prospects in many fields such as cleaning, washing and cosmetics. Li Dichuan's sharing brought a feast of knowledge to the audience and brought new thinking to the industry.
Li graduated from Tsinghua University with a bachelor's degree in chemical engineering and subsequently received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Rice University in the United States. He is not only the founder and general manager of Jiangsu SECCO Chemical Co., Ltd., but also a member of the Surfactant Special Committee of the China Washing Association and the deputy director of the Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Committee of the Lianyungang Federation of Industry and Commerce. Li Dichuan is deeply engaged in the development and application of surfactants, is the leader of the localization project of secondary alcohol surfactants, and has won the title of "Entrepreneurship and Entrepreneurship Talent" of the Organization Department of Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and "Huaguoshan Talent" of Lianyungang City, and has published a number of SCI papers and domestic and foreign patents. As a true scientific research explorer and innovation manager, Li Dichuan has continuously made breakthroughs in the field of science with his deep insight into scientific research and unique insights into innovation management. His research and technological innovations demonstrate his outstanding talents, but also reflect his boundless passion and unwavering pursuit of science.
Before starting his own business, Li Dichuan was a pure researcher. He immersed himself in the vast field of science, digging deep into the unknown. His deep love and persistence in technology, like a navigator's yearning for the sea, continues to push him to explore and move forward. His research is meticulous, every step is thoughtful, and every detail is innovative. With his unique perspective and innovative thinking, he has achieved remarkable results in the field of science.
From December 2006 to May 2011, while working as an independent researcher in the Surface Engineering Laboratory of Rice University, Li Dichuan developed the "Flux Force Probe" technology, which can measure forces at the level of picoNewton forces, and its distance measurement accuracy reaches the sub-nanometer level. In addition, he completed the first measurement of the axial rotational diffusivity of a rigid rod, putting an end to a long-standing theoretical controversy. At the same time, he also invented a method to study the behavior of colloidal phases using a rotating magnetic field, which can realize the switching of two-dimensional long-range interactions.
In June 2011, he joined Shell Global Solutions Westhollow Technology Centre in Houston, Texas as a Research Engineer. During this time, he focused on providing technical advice and support for NEODOL surfactants to laundry, personal care, and industrial and institutional consumer goods companies. His contributions include: the development of a new NEODOL product that is expected to add $6 million to the company's annual profits; A hard surface cleaning performance test method was developed that allows for on-site photometric characterization. During his tenure at Shell, he was involved not only in scientific research, but also in management, including responding to customer requests, organising customer meetings and managing sustainability issues. In August 2014, Li Dichuan decided to return to China and joined a chemical technology company in Shanghai as general manager.
Li Dichuan has been widely praised for his extraordinary talent and leadership, both as a student and as an entrepreneur. During his semester at Rice University, he wore many hats, serving as president of the Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Association, hosting events, organizing social gatherings, and serving as a committee member at academic conferences. He also serves as Vice President of the Southwest Chinese American Chemical Society, actively organizes professional events, manages the Society's website, and serves as a committee member at leadership meetings.
Li Dichuan's academic achievements have also been widely recognized. In 2008, he was awarded the Kobayashi Chemical Engineering Scholarship at Rice University, which is awarded annually only to outstanding students with the best doctoral dissertation proposals. Two years later, he was awarded the Chinese Government's Outstanding Overseas Student Award by the China Scholarship Council, which is given to only 500 overseas students each year.
In the eyes of the outside world, Li Dichuan is a research-focused scientist, and his daily work is mainly with laboratories and data. But his achievements in the field of scientific research are not the end, he has a bigger dream - to translate scientific research results into practical applications with social value. In order to achieve this goal, he chose the challenging path of entrepreneurship.
In 2018, Li Dichuan successfully transformed from a scientific researcher to an entrepreneur and founded Jiangsu SECCO Chemical Co., Ltd. He has demonstrated exceptional talent and leadership in both the rigorous academic field and the complex and dynamic field of market management. In the early days of his business, in the face of difficulties such as tight funds, lack of talents, and fierce market competition, he always unremittingly led the team to overcome technical difficulties one by one, and gradually began to gain a firm foothold in the market.
It is worth mentioning that Li Dichuan invented and established the world's second industrial-scale secondary alcohol ethoxylate production line. By optimizing the production process, he was able to produce the world's leading quality secondary alcohol ethoxylates at a lower cost. As a result of his efforts, SE ethoxylates have successfully entered a wide range of industries including home care, textiles, coatings, agrochemicals, industrial and industrial cleaning, paper and pulp. In 2023, the annual revenue of Jiangsu SECCO Chemical Co., Ltd. will exceed 100 million yuan.
Li Dichuan has successfully taken into account the dual identities of "scientist" and "entrepreneur". Looking back on his journey, he emphasized the importance of perseverance and cooperation. Whether it is in-depth scientific research or the establishment of a business, it requires long-term focus and continuous efforts, and only perseverance can finally reach the top of success. At the same time, he attaches great importance to teamwork, knowing that it is difficult to achieve great things by himself, and the strength of the team is the magic weapon to overcome difficulties.
From the palace of science to the stage of business, Li Dichuan's life is full of legends. He wrote his own success story with determination and courage, and at the same time showed us another dimension of a scientist – not only a knowledgeable person, but also a forward-looking business acumen and a strong sense of social responsibility. Li Dichuan's story tells us that dreams, courage and perseverance are indispensable elements to write a brilliant chapter in life.
Author/Wang Jian Editor/Wang Wenxi, Xue Zhengyu