Propylene oxide (PO) has a wide range of applications and large market development space

Propylene oxide (PO), also known as propylene oxide, 1,2-propylene oxide, and methylethylene oxide, has a chemical formula of C3H6O and is one of the important raw materials for organic compounds. Propylene oxide is a low-boiling flammable liquid with an ether-like odor. It has relatively active chemical properties and can react with water, carbon dioxide, ammonia, etc. to form polymers or compounds.

Propylene oxide is usually used to produce surfactants, cellulose esters, plasticizers, coatings, elastomers and other products, and is widely used in petrochemicals, building materials, daily chemical products, pesticides, furniture, textiles and other fields. Benefiting from the growing market demand, my country’s propylene oxide production has shown a substantial growth trend. According to the “2022-2027 Propylene Oxide Industry Market Status and Investment Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center, in 2021 my country’s propylene oxide production reached 3.576 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 32.7%. As the scope of applications continues to expand, it is expected that my country’s propylene oxide production will exceed 8 million tons by 2025.

The propylene oxide preparation process includes three types: chlorohydrin method (CHPO), direct oxidation method (HPPO) and co-oxidation method (PO/SM). As a traditional preparation process of propylene oxide in my country, the chlorohydrin method is prone to environmental pollution. Under the restrictions of national environmental protection policies, it is gradually being replaced by new preparation processes. The direct oxidation method and the co-oxidation method have the advantages of small environmental pollution, high recovery rate, and low energy consumption, and are suitable for large-scale production. As production companies continue to make breakthroughs in R&D technology, direct oxidation and co-oxidation are expected to become the mainstream preparation processes of propylene oxide in my country.

In terms of import and export, my country has long relied on imports of propylene oxide, and the industry has a large trade deficit. In recent years, benefiting from the continuous increase in my country’s propylene oxide production, the industry’s import substitution process has continued to accelerate. However, affected by factors such as rising raw material prices, the import amount of propylene oxide in my country has been increasing year by year. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, my country’s propylene oxide imports reached 434,000 tons in 2021, a year-on-year decrease of 7.8%, and the import value reached 900 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 54.5%.

my country’s propylene oxide industry is highly concentrated, with leading companies accounting for nearly 70.0% of the market. The main producers of propylene oxide in my country include Wudi Xinyue Chemical, Jishen Chemical Industry, China Shipping and Shell, Ningbo Zhenhai Refinery and Leander Chemical, and Shandong Sanyue Chemical. As my country’s largest propylene oxide producer, CNOOC and Shell have an annual production capacity of 580,000 tons of propylene oxide, ranking first in the industry.

Industry analysts said that with the rapid economic development, the application fields of propylene oxide in my country continue to expand, and market demand continues to be released for epoxy The development of the propane industry brings dynamic support. As new propylene oxide preparation processes, direct oxidation and co-oxidation are expected to be widely used under the promotion of national environmental protection policies. But at present, high import dependence is still the main problem facing the development of my country’s propylene oxide industry.