my country’s demand for n-octyl mercaptan is limited and highly dependent on imports

n-Octyl mercaptan, namely 1-octyl mercaptan, also known as octyl mercaptan, octane mercaptan, thioctanol, mercaptooctane, CAS number is 111-88-6, chemical formula is C₈H₁₈S, molecular weight 146.29, melting point -49°C, appearance is colorless and transparent liquid with special odor. n-Octyl mercaptan is insoluble in water, but soluble in organic solvents such as ethanol, ether, acetone, and benzene. N-octyl mercaptan dissolves in sodium hydroxide solution to form sodium mercaptide, and can react with heavy metals to form water-insoluble mercaptide salts.

n-Octyl mercaptan is a type of compound with a sulfhydryl group formed by replacing the oxygen atom of the alcohol hydroxyl group with a sulfur atom. It is similar to alcohol in physical and chemical properties, is weakly acidic, and is easily oxidized to form disulfide. In addition, n-octanethiol has strong nucleophilicity and is a strong nucleophile. It can undergo substitution and addition reactions with hydrocarbons, epoxy compounds, unsaturated carbonyl compounds, etc.

n-Octyl mercaptan is an organic synthetic raw material that can be used in the production of antioxidants, stabilizers, catalysts, etc., such as antioxidant-1520, antioxidant-565, platinum and other precious metal catalysts; used as a catalyst in the production of synthetic rubber Polymerization regulator, vulcanization regulator; used as an organic synthesis intermediate for medicines, dyes, pesticides, etc.; used in the production of sodium mercaptide, metal thiolate; used as surfactant. In addition, n-octanethiol can also chemically adsorb on the surface of heavy metals to form a monolayer self-assembled film, which can be used as a metal surface strengthener, organic additive, modifier, metal corrosion inhibitor, etc.

There are many methods for synthesizing n-octyl mercaptan, among which the more suitable ones include sodium hydrosulfide alkylation method, thiourea alkylation hydrolysis method, olefin addition method, etc. The main production companies include international import companies represented by Phillips, Arkema, Korean Lishu Chemical, etc., and domestic n-octane mercaptan production companies represented by Sanmenxia Aoke Chemical Co., Ltd., Cangzhou Enke Pharmaceutical Technology Co., Ltd. enterprise. However, because the domestic n-octane mercaptan process still has shortcomings such as difficulty in operation and serious environmental pollution, as well as limited domestic demand, there are fewer companies with n-octane mercaptan production capacity and the production scale is small. Domestic n-octyl mercaptan is mainly monopolized by the three giants of Phillips, Arkema and Korean Lishu Chemical. According to the“China 2018-2023” released by the Industrial Research Center “N-Octyl Mercaptan Market Analysis and Development Prospects Research Report” shows that in 2022, three companies, Phillips, Arkema, and Korean Lishu Chemical, will account for more than 90% of the market share of n-Octyl Mercaptan in China. %.