Diethylene glycol production capacity continues to grow and supply capacity is enhanced

Diethylene glycol, also called diethylene glycol ether, diethylene glycol or diethylene glycol, etc., has a chemical formula of C₄H₁₀O ₃, CAS number 111-46-6, molecular weight 106.11, boiling point 244.8℃, melting point -10.45℃, is a toxic organic compound. In its general form, diethylene glycol is a colorless, odorless, transparent, hygroscopic, viscous liquid with a spicy and sweet taste, non-corrosive, and low toxicity. It can be mixed with water, ethanol, acetone, chloroform, ether, and ether. Glycol is miscible and insoluble in benzene, toluene and carbon tetrachloride.

The solubility of diethylene glycol is similar to that of ethylene glycol, but it has stronger solubility for hydrocarbons. It can be used in the production of various chemical products such as ethers, acids, and amines. It can also be widely used as various solvents, such as gas dehydrating agents and aromatic hydrocarbons. Extraction solvent, antifreeze, textile softener, printing ink solvent, etc. In addition, diethylene glycol can also be used in polyester resin, fiber glass, urethane foam, etc.

Diethylene glycol is a by-product when ethylene oxide is hydrated to produce ethylene glycol. Industrially, ethylene oxide and water are dehydrated and reacted with the ethylene glycol mixture under high temperature and high pressure in proportion. The impurities generated by the reaction are distilled under reduced pressure. Then it crystallizes step by step to generate diethylene glycol. At present, diethylene glycol production companies are mainly concentrated in East my country and South China. The main production companies include Lianyungang Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Sinopec Hainan Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd., Shenghong Refining and Chemical (Lianyungang) Co., Ltd., Fujian Gulei Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Sinochem (Guangdong) Refining and Chemical Co., Ltd., Sinochem Quanzhou Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Hengli Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Petrochemical Co., Ltd., etc. According to the“China Diethylene Glycol (DEG) Industry Market Monitoring and Future Development Prospects Research Report 2020-2024” released by the Industrial Research Center shows that since 2020, many domestic chemical companies’ refining units have been put into operation one after another. While the production capacity of ethylene glycol has increased, the production capacity of its by-product diethylene glycol has also increased rapidly. For example, Hengli Petrochemical has added 150,000 tons of diethylene glycol production capacity. , Zhejiang Petrochemical added 60,000 tons of diethylene glycol, Sinochem Quanzhou added 42,000 tons of diethylene glycol, and Zhongke Refining and Chemical added 32,000 tons of diethylene glycol. In 2020, China’s diethylene glycol production capacity was 879,200 tons. The increase was 35.91%; in 2021, China’s diethylene glycol production capacity continued to increase, reaching 1.2052 million tons, an increase of 37.08% over the previous year.

Industrial analysts said that with the development of downstream resin, solvent and other industries, the demand for diethylene glycol in the Chinese market continues to grow, and the gap is relatively large. Large, it needs to import products from the United States and other countries to meet domestic demand, and is highly dependent on imported diethylene glycol products. Since 2020, domestic chemical companies have launched a large number of diethylene glycol production capacity. Hengli Petrochemical, Zhejiang Petrochemical, Sinochem Quanzhou, Zhongke Refining and Chemical and other companies have built new diethylene glycol production capacity, which has greatly eased the shortage of diethylene glycol production capacity in my country. Tight supply situation; in 2021, the second phase of Zhejiang Petrochemical, 126,000 tons, Satellite Petrochemical, 56,000 tons, and Gulei Petrochemical, 144,000 tons of new production capacity will be put into operation, further supplementing my country’s diethylene glycol production capacity. At present, my country’s diethylene glycol production capacity continues to grow, and its price has a great advantage in the global market. Under the background of slow growth in supply and continuous increase in demand in the international market, the export of its products may bring higher profits to enterprises, and it is expected to be exported To markets such as Turkey, Egypt, Vietnam, and Russia with large supply gaps.