Polymethoxydimethylether is in high demand and diesel additives are its important downstream market

Polymethoxydimethyl ether, referred to as DMMn or PODEn in English, is also known as polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether, polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether, and polymethoxymethyl ether. The chemical formula is CH3O(CH2O)nCH3, and the n value is Generally between 2-8. Polymethoxydimethyl ether is a type of low molecular weight acetal polymer. It appears as a colorless or light yellow liquid with a slight ether-like odor. It is volatile and flammable.

There are many preparation methods for polymethoxydimethyl ether, mainly using formaldehyde/polyformaldehyde, methylal/methanol as raw materials, adding catalysts and reacting under certain temperature and pressure conditions. Common preparation methods for polymethoxydimethyl ether include liquid acid catalysis, solid acid catalysis, cation exchange resin catalysis, ionic liquid catalysis, metal oxide catalysis, etc. These processes vary in the selection of specific raw materials and catalysts. There are differences in reaction conditions, conversion rates and by-products.

According to the “Polymethoxydimethylether (DMMn) Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report 2022-2026” released by the Industrial Research Center It shows that polymethoxydimethyl ether is mainly used as a diesel additive and environmentally friendly solvent, and diesel additives are its largest downstream market. The n value of DMMn refers to the degree of polymerization of polymethoxydimethyl ether. Due to its strong solubility, green and pollution-free, DMM2-4 is generally used as an environmentally friendly solvent; DMM3-6 has a high cetane number, high oxygen content, It has good miscibility with diesel and other advantages. It is an important diesel additive and is generally added at a proportion of 10%-30%.

Diesel will emit nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, solid particulate matter and other waste during the combustion process, causing pollution to the atmospheric environment. Diesel additives are an effective means to improve the quality of diesel and reduce its pollutant emissions. In order to achieve sustainable development, my country’s motor vehicle exhaust emission standards continue to improve. Polymethoxydimethyl ether is an internationally recognized new environmentally friendly fuel oxygen-containing component that reduces fuel consumption and smoke emissions, and its demand continues to grow.

my country’s diesel is mainly heavy oil refining, and the diesel quality is average. As emission standards continue to improve, the original diesel quality cannot meet the low-emission demand. If the refinery equipment is modified to improve diesel quality and reduce pollutant emissions, it is necessary to Invest a lot of money. In this case, diesel blending is the most economical method. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, my country’s diesel output in 2020 was 159.049 million tons, and from January to September 2021 it was 115.534 million tons. The addition ratio of polymethoxydimethylether is calculated based on the median value of 20%, and its annual demand Between 31 million and 32 million tons.

Industry analysts said that in overseas markets, DuPont was the first to synthesize polymethoxydimethyl ether, and other manufacturers include BP, BASF, etc. In my country, the earliest research institutions on polymethoxydimethyl ether include Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tsinghua University, Jiangsu Kaimao Petrochemical, China University of Petroleum, and Xuyang Chemical Technology Research Institute. Currently, they have mass production of polymethoxydimethyl ether. Companies with high capabilities include Jiangsu Kaimao Petrochemical, Shandong Chenxin New Energy, Shandong Yuhuang Chemical, Henan Yijianeng, Jinchang Combustion Support Materials, Yanzhou Coal Mining Yulin Nenghua, Ningxia Xibei Chemical, etc.