The market demand for isocyanates is high, and there are great development opportunities in the field of specialty isocyanates.

Isocyanate is the general name for various esters of isocyanate and is a key raw material for the production of polyurethane. my country’s isocyanate industry is very influential in the world. After decades of development, the current production capacity of toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) and other products ranks first in the world, controlling the global isocyanate supply. market.

Globally, the total isocyanate production capacity in 2019 was approximately 13 million tons, of which MDI accounted for approximately 72%, followed by TDI which accounted for approximately 23%. The current production capacity of special isocyanates is relatively low, with a production capacity of only 650,000 tons in 2019. Around tons. In 2019, there were approximately 25 isocyanate manufacturers in the world, mainly concentrated in Asia, North America, Europe and South America. The world’s major isocyanate manufacturers include Wanhua Chemical, BASF, Covestro, Dow Chemical, Huntsman and other companies. The above companies account for about 77% of the world’s total production capacity.

According to the “2025 Isocyanate Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Analysis Research Report” released by the Industrial Research Center, my country has approximately With a production capacity of 5.1 million tons, accounting for 39% of the world’s total, it is the world’s largest isocyanate producer. In terms of exports, my country’s annual isocyanate export volume is approximately 920,000 tons, making it an important isocyanate exporting country in the world. In terms of export structure analysis, my country’s isocyanates are mainly exported to the United States, the Netherlands, South Korea and other countries. The United States is the main export destination of my country’s isocyanates, accounting for about 23% of the total export volume.

Regarding the analysis of isocyanate segmented products, my country has few special isocyanate products with independent intellectual property rights, including only IPDI, HDI, HMDI, etc. New products such as PDI and XDI are still under research and development. Japan and Germany lead the world in the production of specialty isocyanates. Mitsui Chemicals has a production capacity of approximately 7,000 tons of specialty isocyanates, covering a variety of products.

The entry threshold for the isocyanate industry is high, and the projects currently under construction are relatively small. During the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, my country may have a production capacity of 300,000 tons of TDI and 1.2 million tons of MDI. In terms of special isocyanates, only Wanhua Chemical has relatively high production capacity in China, but its output cannot meet market demand. Special isocyanates have good application prospects in fine chemicals such as high-end surface coatings and optical materials, and market demand will continue to rise in the future. At present, domestic special isocyanates rely on imports, and there is broad room for domestic substitution in the future. In terms of special isocyanate technology, my country has made breakthroughs in the production technology of HDI, IPDI, H12MDI and other products, and has also achieved breakthrough results in XDI and PDI. The production capacity and output of special isocyanates will continue to rise in the future.

Industrial analysts said that my country is the world’s major isocyanate producer, with a relatively high production capacity and output in the global market. Isocyanate producing and exporting countries. However, analysis of the isocyanate product structure shows that my country’s special isocyanates are limited by technology, with low production capacity and output, and some models have not yet achieved technological breakthroughs, and market demand relies on imports. It can be seen from this that there will be great development opportunities in the field of special isocyanates in my country in the future.