兰州化物所

What 兰州化物所 does

Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (兰州化物所), a directly administered institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a comprehensive national research institution founded in 1955 as the Northwest Petroleum Research Office and officially named in its current form in 1962. Headquartered in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, with operations in Qingdao and Baiyin, the institute employs approximately 709 staff including 3 CAS academicians and multiple national-level talents. Its strategic positioning is "Resource and Energy Chemistry and New Materials Western Innovation Research Base," focusing on three domains: resource and energy, new materials, and ecology and health.

LICP operates two national key laboratories — the State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication and the State Key Laboratory of Low-Carbon Catalysis and CO2 Utilization — alongside a National Innovation Center. Its core technology portfolio includes space-grade lubrication materials (which have supported 278 Chinese launch missions), solid lubricants that enabled the "Two Bombs, One Satellite" strategic program, domestically pioneering dehydrogenation catalysts, butanol distillation residue recovery technology (a global first), and breakthrough polybutadiene rubber industrial technology. The institute produces 1,000+ academic papers and 400+ patents per year, and has accumulated 260+ science and technology awards including 1 National S&T Progress Special Prize. Five wholly-owned industrial subsidiaries (Qingdao Runmei, Kaidi, Kaihua, Kailu, Kaite) plus the Baiyin industrial base serve as the primary commercialization channels.

The institute's revenue model combines four streams: national fiscal appropriations as the primary funding source, technology transfer and patent licensing to enterprises, revenue from industrial subsidiaries focused on lubrication materials and industrial development, and contracted research and technical services commissioned by local governments and state-owned enterprises. Customers include China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp and other national aerospace programs for space-grade lubrication, the national defense sector for solid lubricants under extreme operating conditions, domestic refining enterprises for catalysts, and healthcare institutions for novel drug candidates. The institute publishes three core Chinese journals (Tribology, Journal of Molecular Catalysis, Chinese Journal of Analysis and Testing) and the English-language Tribology Advances, supported by the Gansu Provincial Chemical Society.

Name

兰州化物所

Legal name

中国科学院兰州化学物理研究所

Website

https://licp.cas.cn

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics (兰州化物所) is a Chinese Academy of Sciences research institute headquartered in Lanzhou that conducts basic and applied research in catalysis, lubrication materials, and separation chemistry. It serves national strategic programs in aerospace and defense, domestic refining enterprises, and healthcare institutions through technology transfer and five wholly-owned industrial subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Research and Technology Development

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Chemicals & Allied Products (2800)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with National Laboratories/Big Science Facilities (EDAHAAAJ)

Keywords

• Lubrication materials research
• Catalysis science
• Tribology research
• Advanced materials chemistry
• Resource energy chemistry

Headquarters

HQ city

Lanzhou

HQ country

China

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. 国家财政科研拨款: 作为中国科学院直属研究机构，主要依托国家财政拨款维持运营，承担国家重大科技任务和基础研究项目。
2. 技术转让与许可: 将研发的专利技术和技术成果转让或许可给企业使用，获得技术转让收入。
3. 产业化公司运营: 通过控股或参股产业化公司（凯迪、凯华、凯路、凯特、青岛润美等）实现技术成果的产业化转化。
4. 政府及企业委托项目: 承接地方政府和企业委托的横向科研项目、技术服务合同获取收入。

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics is a national research institution under the Chinese Academy of Sciences that conducts basic and applied research in resource & energy chemistry, new materials, and ecology & health. It does not sell commercial products; its outputs are research results, scientific papers, patented technologies, technology transfer/licensing, and academic publications. Core research areas include catalysis, lubrication materials, tribology, separation analysis, and green chemistry, supporting national strategic missions such as aerospace launches and major equipment development.

Product overview

兰州化物所（中国科学院兰州化学物理研究所）是一家综合性国立科学研究机构，主要围绕资源与能源、新材料、生态与健康等领域开展基础与应用研究。研究所设有润滑材料全国重点实验室、低碳催化与二氧化碳利用全国重点实验室等科研平台，研究方向涵盖润滑与密封材料、催化技术、分离分析化学、绿色化学与碳中和新材料等。研究所不销售商业产品，其核心产出为科研成果、学术论文、专利技术、技术转让以及学术专著和期刊出版。代表性学术出版物包括《摩擦学学报》《分子催化》《分子测试技术与仪器》等中文期刊，以及英文期刊Tribology Advances（《摩擦学进展（英文）》）。

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Tribology Advances (《摩擦学进展（英文）》)

Quantifiable outcome

• 空间润滑材料为我国278次航天发射提供保障
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 青岛润美coreStrategic or Co-development Partner青岛润美是兰州化物所旗下的产业化公司之一，依托研究所技术成果进行润滑材料及相关产品的生产与销售，是研究所技术产业化的重要载体。
• 凯迪公司coreStrategic or Co-development Partner凯迪公司是兰州化物所控股/参股的产业化公司之一，围绕润滑材料技术进行成果转化与市场推广。
• 凯华公司coreStrategic or Co-development Partner凯华公司为兰州化物所产业化公司之一，依托研究所技术开展相关产品的产业化工作。
• 凯路公司coreStrategic or Co-development Partner凯路公司为兰州化物所产业化公司之一。
• 凯特公司coreStrategic or Co-development Partner凯特公司为兰州化物所产业化公司之一。
• 白银基地coreStrategic or Co-development Partner白银产业化基地是兰州化物所在甘肃白银设立的产业化平台，围绕地方资源开展技术转化工作。
• 德国于利希研究中心coreStrategic or Co-development Partner兰州化物所与德国于利希研究中心在橡胶摩擦磨损领域开展联合研究，在橡胶磨损定量预测模型、摩擦理论等方面取得系列成果，发表多篇高水平论文。
• 德国萨尔大学coreStrategic or Co-development Partner兰州化物所联合德国萨尔大学在断层摩擦微观力学机制方面开展合作研究并取得新进展。
• 新加坡国立大学minorStrategic or Co-development Partner新加坡国立大学吕炯教授到兰州化物所进行学术交流，推进双方在化学物理领域的科研合作。
• 中国节能环保集团有限公司minorStrategic or Co-development Partner中国节能环保集团有限公司一行到兰州化物所交流调研，探索在节能环保领域的合作可能。
• 苏州国家实验室coreStrategic or Co-development Partner兰州化物所与苏州国家实验室开展"十五五"大科学装置专项技术交流。
• 盱眙县人民政府minorStrategic or Co-development Partner兰州化物所与盱眙县人民政府续签共建协议，推进地方合作。
• 暨南大学minorStrategic or Co-development Partner暨南大学刘明贤教授到兰州化物所进行学术交流。
• 西北天然药物（中藏药）产业技术创新战略联盟coreStrategic or Co-development Partner兰州化物所作为联盟重要成员单位，与盟内企业、高校、科研院所共同推进西北特色植物资源化学的技术创新与产业化。
• 阿拉善盟行署minorStrategic or Co-development Partner兰州化物所与阿拉善盟行署签署合作协议，推进区域科技合作。

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• 中科院长春应用化学研究所: CAS applied chemistry institute focused on polymer, materials, and analytical chemistry. Comparable in applied chemistry research mandate, scale (~700+ staff), academician count, industrialization subsidiary structure, and tech-transfer operating model.
• 中国科学院上海有机化学研究所: Another top-tier CAS chemistry institute with comparable scale, multiple national labs, 3+ academicians, large patent output, and industrial subsidiaries (e.g., 上海有机化学研究所 has its own industrialization arms). Comparable in research intensity and commercialization model.
• 中国科学院大连化学物理研究所: Sister CAS chemistry/physics institute. Both are CAS direct affiliates with similar scale (~700+ staff, multiple national labs), energy/catalysis/materials focus, and industrialization subsidiary models. LICP was originally spun out of DICP in 1958, making them historically and structurally the closest peer.
• 中国科学院上海硅酸盐研究所: Sister CAS materials research institute focused on advanced ceramics, energy materials, and structural materials. Comparable in mission (national strategic materials), talent base (academicians), and industrialization subsidiary structure.
• 中国科学院化学研究所: CAS chemistry research institute in Beijing with similar structure, scale, and operating model — government-funded R&D with national labs, technology transfer, and industrial spinoffs. Direct institutional peer under the same CAS umbrella.

Regional players

• 中国科学院青岛生物能源与过程研究所: CAS research institute also based in Qingdao (overlapping with LICP's Qingdao operations). Focuses on bioenergy and chemical engineering processes, with similar state-funded R&D model and industrialization approach. Geographically and structurally comparable.
• 中国科学院兰州地质研究所 (now IGCAS Lanzhou Branch): CAS earth-science/geology institute historically based in Lanzhou. Geographically co-located with LICP; comparable in state-funded research model and regional resource utilization focus (oil/gas, mineral resources in Western China).

Broad incumbents

• 中国石化石油化工科学研究院: Large state-owned enterprise R&D institute under Sinopec focused on petrochemical catalysts, refining processes, and chemical engineering. Comparable in the petrochemical catalyst and refining technology domains where LICP has customers (domestic refining enterprises).
• 中国科学院过程工程研究所: CAS institute focused on chemical engineering and process technology. Comparable in applied chemistry, separation/purification, and industrial process R&D — overlapping with LICP's separation analysis and resource utilization domains.

Emerging players

• Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM: German applied-research institute specializing in materials mechanics, tribology, and surface engineering. Conceptually a close international analog to LICP's Solid Lubrication lab, with similar government/contract R&D model and industry tech-transfer orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%E5%85%B0%E5%B7%9E%E5%8C%96%E7%89%A9%E6%89%80

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about 兰州化物所