The development of propylene oxide industry is accelerating, and the market space of dimethyl benzyl alcohol continues to expand.

Dimethylbenzyl alcohol, also known as dimethylbenzyl alcohol, is a chemical substance with the chemical formula C9H12O. Dimethylbenzyl alcohol appears as white crystals and turns into a colorless and transparent liquid after dissolution. It smells of roses and sweet vanilla. It is soluble in ethanol but insoluble in water. Dimethylbenzyl alcohol has the advantages of good chemical stability, good solubility, and good oxidation resistance, and is widely used in synthetic fibers, organic chemicals, medicine and other fields.

Dimethylbenzyl alcohol is a by-product of isopropyl hydroperoxide. The main preparation process of isopropyl hydroperoxide is the cumene oxidation method, which refers to using benzene and propylene as raw materials to produce isopropyl hydroperoxide through an oxidation reaction, and then using a catalyst to decompose the by-product dimethylbenzyl alcohol. The propylene to propylene oxide method is a method derived from the cumene oxidation method. This method can produce isopropyl hydroperoxide and dimethyl benzyl alcohol at the same time.

Propylene oxide is the end product of dimethyl benzyl alcohol. Propylene oxide (PO), also known as propylene oxide, is an organic chemical product that is widely used in synthetic resins, engineering plastics, surfactants and other fields. After years of development, the technological maturity of propylene oxide in my country has continued to improve, with cumene oxidation method (CHP method) and hydrogen peroxide method (HPPO method) as its main preparation methods. In 2022, my country’s propylene oxide production will reach nearly 4 million tons, setting a record high. Benefiting from the increase in propylene oxide production, the development speed of my country’s dimethyl benzyl alcohol industry has accelerated.

According to the “2023-2028 China Dimethyl Benzyl Alcohol Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center It shows that dimethylbenzyl alcohol, as an organic intermediate, is widely used in synthetic fibers, organic chemicals, medicine and other fields. In the field of synthetic fibers, dimethyl benzyl alcohol can improve the comprehensive properties of synthetic fibers; in the field of organic chemicals, dimethyl benzyl alcohol can be used to prepare ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), 2,3-dimethyl benzyl alcohol Bromine, etc.; in the pharmaceutical field, dimethylbenzyl alcohol can be used to produce anti-tuberculosis drugs. In the future, as downstream demand continues to grow, the market space for dimethylbenzyl alcohol will further expand.

my country’s dimethylbenzyl alcohol industry has a high degree of concentration. Market participants are mainly propylene oxide manufacturers, including Hongbaoli, Sinopec, Wanhua Chemical, etc. The above three companies all use the CHP method to prepare propylene oxide. According to Hongbaoli Enterprise’s semi-annual report, in March 2023, the company’s technological transformation project with an annual output of 160,000 tons of propylene oxide has been registered with the government. After the project is completed, its annual dimethyl benzyl alcohol production capacity will reach 10,000 tons.

Industry analysts said that my country’s dimethyl benzyl alcohol production has increased due to the accelerated development of the propylene oxide industry. In the future, as downstream demand becomes increasingly strong, the market space for dimethylbenzyl alcohol will further expand. In recent years, Chinese companies have continuously improved the CHP process for producing propylene oxide. With technological advancement in the future, the development trend of my country’s dimethyl benzyl alcohol industry will continue to improve.