Nitrocellulose (NC) has a wide range of applications and market demand continues to grow.
Nitrocellulose (NC), also known as nitrocellulose, nitrocellulose, and cellulose nitrate, is the product of the esterification reaction of cellulose and nitrate. The chemical formula is (C6H7N3O11)n, and it is an organic polymer compound. Nitrocellulose has a white or yellowish cotton-like appearance, no special smell, is soluble in acetone, benzene and other organic solvents, and is insoluble in water. Nitrocellulose is resistant to dilute acids, water, and weak alkali, and is widely used in adhesives, inks, explosives, coatings, medicine, and other fields.
The main raw materials of cellulose nitrate are wood pulp, linter pulp, sulfuric acid and nitric acid. my country is a major wood pulp producer, and its output has maintained a steady growth trend for a long time. According to statistics from the China Paper Association, my country’s wood pulp output will reach 18.09 million tons in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 21.4%. Affected by factors such as the deepening of supply-side structural reforms and the tightening of national environmental protection policies, my country’s nitric acid production has declined, but it can fully meet downstream demand. The advantages of raw materials have laid a good foundation for the development of my country’s nitrocellulose industry.
Cellulose nitrate is mainly used in adhesives, inks, explosives, coatings, medicine and other fields. In the field of adhesives, nitrocellulose can be used as a solvent-based adhesive and is widely used in the preparation process of engineering plastics; in the field of inks, nitrocellulose can increase the rapid drying characteristics of printing inks; in the field of explosives, nitrocellulose The element is flammable, and torpedoes, smokeless explosives, mines, etc. are its end products; in the field of coatings, nitrocellulose can be used to produce cement coatings, decorative coatings, and metal coatings; in the medical field, nitrocellulose membranes can be used to make Viral antigen detection reagents.
According to the “2023-2028 China Nitrocellulose (NC) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 》 shows that with the accelerated development of downstream industries, the market demand for nitrocellulose is becoming increasingly strong. In 2022, my country’s demand for nitrocellulose will reach 159,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%. In the future, as research continues to deepen, the application scope of nitrocellulose will be further expanded. It is expected that my country’s demand for nitrocellulose will exceed 250,000 tons by 2028.
The main players in my country’s nitrocellulose market include Northern Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Jiaao Environmental Protection Technology Co., Ltd., Shanghai Anpu Experimental Technology Co., Ltd., Ningbo Jialian Technology Co., Ltd., etc. Beihua Chemical Co., Ltd. is my country’s leading nitrocellulose company, and its products have been widely used in celluloid products and national defense weapons and equipment.
Industry analysts said that cellulose nitrate has a wide range of applications and strong market demand has accelerated the development of the industry. Benefiting from sufficient supply of raw materials and improved technological maturity, my country’s nitrocellulose production continues to grow. In terms of market competition, my country’s nitrocellulose industry is highly concentrated, with leading companies occupying a dominant position in the market.