Paraformaldehyde has high application value and my country’s market has low dependence on imports.
Paraformaldehyde, with a molecular formula of (CH2O)n and an n value between 8 and 100, is a formaldehyde polymer. It appears as white solid particles or powder, has a pungent odor like formaldehyde, and is toxic. Paraformaldehyde is easily soluble in hot water, slowly soluble in cold water, insoluble in alcohols and ethers, and soluble in caustic alkali and carbonate solutions. It is easy to burn and can burn and emit toxic formaldehyde gas when exposed to high heat, open flames, and oxidants.
Paraformaldehyde is easily decomposed into formaldehyde, which can be regarded as solid formaldehyde. Compared with gas or liquid formaldehyde, it has obvious storage and transportation advantages. In addition, paraformaldehyde with a low degree of polymerization has the advantages of high purity, good water solubility, and complete depolymerization, and can be used instead of high-concentration formaldehyde. Paraformaldehyde is used in the field of chemical synthesis to improve product yield and quality. It has high application value especially in the field of chemical synthesis that requires anhydrous formaldehyde as a raw material.
Paraformaldehyde can be used as organic synthetic raw materials, paper enhancers, release agents, adhesives, disinfectants, sterilants, etc., in chemical industry, resins, coatings, papermaking, casting, medical treatment, pesticides, breeding and other fields. In the field of pesticides, paraformaldehyde can be used to synthesize glyphosate, etc.; in the field of resins, paraformaldehyde can be used to synthesize urea-formaldehyde resin, phenolic resin, polyacetal resin, etc.; in the field of organic chemicals, paraformaldehyde can be used to synthesize glycerin, acrylic acid, Methyl acrylate, pentaerythritol, polymethoxydimethyl ether, N-hydroxymethacrylamide, etc.
The preparation method of paraformaldehyde mainly includes: using 37% concentration formaldehyde aqueous solution as raw material, under vacuum and certain temperature conditions, concentrating to obtain a high concentration paraformaldehyde aqueous solution, adding suspension liquid to suspend, and extruding, drying and other processes to prepare the paraformaldehyde. Obtained; using 37% concentration formaldehyde aqueous solution as raw material, add methenamine and stir evenly under certain temperature conditions, and obtain it through evaporation concentration, spray granulation, drying and other processes; use 45%-50% concentration formaldehyde aqueous solution as raw material, It is produced through evaporation, separation, concentration, spray granulation, drying and other processes under certain temperature and vacuum conditions.
According to the “2022-2026 Paraformaldehyde Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report” released by the Industrial Research Center, my country The paraformaldehyde industry started late and relied heavily on external markets for early market demand. Around 2005, the annual net import volume exceeded 41,000 tons, but by around 2015 it had dropped to less than 500 tons. From 2016 to 2021, my country’s paraformaldehyde imports and exports showed a fluctuating growth trend, with imports growing relatively faster. In 2020, my country’s net imports of paraformaldehyde reached more than 4,000 tons.
Industry analysts said that in the 21st century, my country’s paraformaldehyde industry has developed rapidly and its production capacity has continued to expand, so the import volume has continued to shrink. Export volume continues to increase, and by around 2015, the market’s dependence on foreign countries was low. Since 2015, my country’s environmental protection policies have become increasingly stringent, coupled with fierce competition in the paraformaldehyde market, many backward production capacities have been forced to exit. Therefore, the net import volume of paraformaldehyde has shown an upward trend. However, with the optimization of the industry structure, the overall competitiveness of my country’s paraformaldehyde industry is constantly increasing, and net imports will continue to be at a low level in the future.
The main paraformaldehyde production companies in my country include Nantong Jiangtian Chemical Co., Ltd., Shandong Aldehyde Chemical Co., Ltd., Zibo Qixing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., Linyi Shengyang Chemical Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Airide Chemical Co., Ltd., Zhenjiang Li Changrong High Performance Materials Ltd. etc.