The demand for antimony for photovoltaics is strong and the sodium pyroantimonate market has broad development space

Sodium pyroantimonate, also known as sodium antimonate, is an inorganic salt compound of antimony and appears as a white powder. Sodium pyroantimonate is soluble in tartaric acid, concentrated sulfuric acid, etc., slightly soluble in alcohol and ammonium salt, and insoluble in acetic acid, dilute alkali, dilute inorganic acid, etc. Sodium pyroantimonate can be used as an opaque filler, opalescent agent, glass clarifier, flame retardant synergist, etc., and is used in ceramics, steel, photovoltaics, textiles, plastics, construction and other fields.

According to the “2023-2028 China Sodium Pyroantimonate Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center , my country’s sodium pyroantimonate manufacturers include Hubei Jusheng, Hubei Yongcheng, Changsha Yexing, Yiyang Shengli, Zhuzhou Ant, etc. Against the background of tight antimony ore supply, in order to reduce raw material procurement costs, Henan Ancai Hi-Tech plans to invest in the construction of a sodium pyroantimonate project with an annual output of 20,000 tons. In the future, as related projects are put into production, my country’s sodium pyroantimonate supply capacity will be further improved.

Glass clarifiers can be used to improve the color and transparency of glass. Common glass clarifiers mainly include sodium pyroantimonate, white arsenic, sulfate, variable oxide, etc. Compared with other glass clarifiers, sodium pyroantimonate is more cost-effective and environmentally friendly. It has certain advantages in terms of technology, economy and clarification effect. In the context of cost reduction and efficiency improvement in the photovoltaic industry, the application proportion of sodium pyroantimonate will continue to increase.

Photovoltaic glass is one of the important components of photovoltaic power generation. In recent years, my country’s photovoltaic glass production has shown a rapid growth trend. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, in the first half of 2023, my country’s cumulative production of photovoltaic rolled glass was 11.565 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 68.7%. my country is a country with a large installed photovoltaic capacity, the photovoltaic industry is developing rapidly, and the market demand for photovoltaic glass clarifiers is strong, which is good for the development of the sodium pyroantimonate market.

Globally, antimony ore resources are mainly distributed in China, Russia, Bolivia and other regions, among which China ranks first in antimony ore reserves. In recent years, due to restrictions on mining indicators and environmental protection policies, my country’s antimony production has shown a downward trend, and the growth of antimony supply will be limited in the future. Sodium pyroantimonate is a deeply processed product of antimony ore. In the future, the antimony market supply will be insufficient and the demand for photovoltaic antimony will be strong, which may cause the market price of sodium pyroantimonate to rise.

Sodium pyroantimonate is produced from antimony products such as antimony oxide through alkali and hydrogen peroxide. The production methods of sodium pyroantimonate include hydrogen peroxide oxidation method, air oxidation method, etc. Among them, the hydrogen peroxide oxidation method has high yield, simple process and stable quality, but the cost and raw material requirements are high. In recent years, with the advancement of production technology, the sodium pyroantimonate industry has been gradually upgraded. Environmental protection, high purification, and high quality are important upgrade trends in the sodium pyroantimonate industry.

Industry analysts said that sodium pyroantimonate is a deeply processed product of antimony ore. In recent years, my country’s antimony ore production has shown a downward trend. Moreover, new production capacity will be limited in the future. On the demand side, the photovoltaic industry is developing rapidly and the application demand for sodium pyroantimonate is strong. The imbalance between supply and demand may cause the market price of sodium pyroantimonate to rise. In the future, as demand escalates, sodium pyroantimonate production companies with advantages in technology, scale, quality, etc. will have greater development potential.