China’s solid sodium ethoxide industry continues to develop but still faces many problems

The molecular formula of sodium ethoxide is C2H5ONa, with a molecular weight of 68.05. Its products are available in liquid and solid forms. The liquid product is an ethanol solution containing about 20% sodium ethoxide and has a light yellow viscous appearance. The sodium ethoxide content of the solid product is generally above 98.5%. , appears as white or light yellow hygroscopic powder or granules, decomposes and turns black when stored in the air, decomposes into sodium hydroxide and ethanol when exposed to water, and dissolves in absolute ethanol without decomposition. Solid sodium ethoxide is an important intermediate in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and pesticides. It is mainly used as a strong alkaline catalyst, ethoxylating agent, coagulant, reducing agent and other auxiliary products.

After years of development, my country has developed into an important producer of solid sodium ethoxide in the world, with many solid sodium ethoxide production enterprises. At the same time, with the in-depth research on solid sodium ethoxide related technologies by solid sodium ethoxide enterprises and related research institutions, my country’s solid sodium ethoxide production technology has made significant progress, and product quality has also been improved. However, in the solid sodium ethoxide cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and energy saving Further efforts are needed in terms of consumption reduction, cleaner production, and automated production. According to the released “2022-2026 Solid Sodium Ethoxide Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report“, in 2021, China The output of solid sodium ethoxide is nearly 30,000 tons, which can basically meet domestic demand. However, in terms of industry development trends, analysts believe that China Solid sodium ethoxide also has the following problems:

1. Rise in raw material prices

The metallic sodium method production process is widely used in the solid sodium ethoxide industry because of its low pollution and simple process. The raw materials required for the metallic sodium method are mainly metallic sodium and ethanol. Since the second half of 2020, affected by global inflation and rising commodity prices, the prices of metallic sodium and ethanol have generally increased, raising the production costs of enterprises in the solid sodium ethoxide industry. In order to pass on cost pressure, solid sodium ethoxide manufacturers have to increase the selling price of their products, which is not conducive to the growth of demand for solid sodium ethoxide.

2. Mismatch between production capacity and demand

The supply chain disorder caused by the COVID-19 epidemic is superimposed with inflationary factors, which increases the volatility of the production and demand sides of the industrial chain. When the epidemic prevention and control situation tightens, production and demand drop sharply, and some companies withdraw from production; the epidemic prevention and control situation improves. At that time, demand rebounded rapidly. However, due to the relatively slow recovery of production capacity, or even difficulty in recovery, the market was in a situation of short supply. In addition, environmental protection inspections were intensified and some companies suspended production for rectification, exacerbating the mismatch between actual production capacity and demand. Recently, due to the mismatch between production and demand, the supply and demand imbalance in the solid sodium ethoxide market has caused some companies to place orders, and this phenomenon may continue for some time.

3. The new crown epidemic affects the industrial chain

The COVID-19 epidemic has had a negative impact on the solid sodium ethoxide industry chain. From the perspective of raw materials, the solid sodium ethoxide production capacity is concentrated in East China, especially in Zibo, Qingdao, Shandong and other places, but its important raw material, sodium metal, is concentrated in Inner Mongolia and other places. Long-distance transportation of metallic sodium requires frequent nucleic acid testing and even isolation of transport personnel, which increases the production cost of solid sodium ethoxide enterprises and also prolongs the delivery cycle of solid sodium ethoxide to a certain extent. In addition, due to the epidemic, some areas in Shanghai are still under lockdown, which has affected the export of solid sodium ethoxide.