The market price of methyl ethyl ketone has risen sharply, and the improvement of the export market is its main support

Methyl ketone, also known as methyl ethyl ketone and methyl ethyl ketone, is an organic compound that can be produced industrially by secondary butanol dehydrogenation or by oxidation of butene with water. Methyl ketone appears as a colorless and transparent liquid, is easily volatile, has an odor similar to acetone, and is miscible with ethanol, ether, benzene, chloroform, and oil. As a chemical raw material, MEK has a wide range of applications. It can be used as a diluent, extraction agent, mineral processing agent, etc. in the fields of synthetic fibers, ore mining, resins, pesticides, adhesives, etc. Adhesives are the main application fields of METH. Its market development has a greater impact on the butanone industry.

From the perspective of production technology, the preparation technology of methyl ethyl ketone includes four methods: sec-butanol dehydrogenation method, butane liquid phase oxidation method, isobutylbenzene method and butene liquid phase oxidation method. my country is the world’s largest producer of METH, with many domestic METH manufacturers, including Hebei Shixing Chemical, Taizhou Donglian, Hebei Zhongjie Petrochemical, Hunan Zhongchuang, Taizhou Petrochemical, Ruiyuan Petrochemical, Heilongjiang Petrochemical, etc. However, due to the serious backlog of production capacity and weak downstream demand in the early stage, the operating rate of my country’s METH enterprises has been low in recent years.

According to the “2022-2026 Methyl Ketone Industry Venture Investment Situation and Investment and Financing Strategy Guidance Report released by the Industrial Research Center, the global Within the scope, Asia is the largest butanone production region, with China and Japan as the main suppliers. my country’s butanone production capacity utilization rate is low, and the market is in a situation of oversupply. In order to seek markets, domestic companies have expanded overseas. Against this background, my country has gradually become a major exporter of butanone in the world.

Domestic METH occupies an important position in the international market. According to data from the General Administration of Customs, in the first half of 2021, my country’s METH export volume was 83,389.42 tons, with an export value of US$85.8688 million. Domestic METH is mainly exported to South Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and other regions. The export volume in other regions is relatively low, mostly below 5000.00 tons. Domestically, Shandong Province, Guangdong Province, Zhejiang Province and Hunan Province are the top four exporters of METH. Cargo place.

Since 2021, the market price of METH in my country has been in a volatile upward trend. The reasons include rising raw material costs, frequent equipment maintenance incidents in enterprises, and increased export demand. Entering 2022, the market price of METH has continued to rise. As of March 2022, the price of METH in East China has risen to about 15,000 yuan/ton, a new high in the past 10 years. The reasons include the rise in crude oil prices caused by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Indirectly driving the cost of METH; the export market of METH continues to improve, and there is a supply gap in the international METH market, which is good for domestic METH exports.

Industry analysts said that as a chemical raw material, MEK has a wide range of applications. my country is a major producer and exporter of METH in the world. Due to domestic The contradiction between market supply and demand is obvious, and the export market has become a new growth point for MEK companies. In 2021, under the influence of multiple factors, the international METH market is in short supply, providing good opportunities for domestic METH exports. It is expected that my country’s METH export market will remain at a high level in the short term, and its entry will bring strong support to the domestic market.