Coach catalyst

Russian chemistry expert Sitlivy Dmitry works with his colleagues in Zhejiang Jushen Fluoro Chemical Corp in Quzhou, Zhejiang province. Photos By Shi Kelan / For China Daily

Russian engineer Sitlivy Dmitry has trained many in East China over two decades, He Keyao reports.

"I've already got an ID card from my second home, because I can eat spicy food and use chopsticks just like you," says Sitlivy Dmitry, a Russian engineer who has been associated with China's chemical industry for more than two decades and has long held a Chinese "green card".

Dmitry, 85, is also one of the three Russian experts who was highlighted by President Xi Jinping when he visited Russia in 2015.

In 1992, Dmitry, then-chief engineer of the Russian Scientific Center of Applied Chemistry, came to Quzhou city in East China's Zhejiang province to work as a directing engineer and deputy general manager for Zhejiang Jushen Fluoro Chemical Corp, which was jointly built by his organization and Juhua Group Corp, a Chinese company.

So began his love story with China.

Under his leadership, experts from both sides worked hard to start the production of polytetrafluoroethylene at the unit within three months, leading to the largest-scale cooperation at the time between the two countries in such a field.

Discovered in 1983, PTFE is a synthetic compound of carbon and fluorine, and has found applications in nonstick cookware, among other daily-use items.

In the 1990s when China's fluorine industry was still in its infancy and relevant expertise was limited, Dmitry put all his efforts into training his Chinese colleagues.

From chemical mechanisms, material supplies, use of facilities, analysis methodologies to security and environmental issues, he taught Chinese technicians without reservation and gradually cultivated a number of talents.