The market demand for ferric phosphate continues to grow, and competition in the industry is fierce.

Iron phosphate, also known as ferric phosphate and iron orthophosphate, has a molecular formula of FePO4 and is a white or light red crystalline powder. It is insoluble in cold water and nitric acid, but soluble in hydrochloric acid and sulfuric acid. There are various preparation methods for ferric phosphate, including template method, hydrothermal method, ultrasonic chemical method, solid phase synthesis method, air oxidation method, etc.

The upstream of the ferric phosphate industry chain is the supply of materials such as iron ore, phosphate ore, PH regulators; the midstream is the production of products; the downstream is widely used in agriculture, medicine, electronics, metallurgy and other fields.

According to the “China Ferric Phosphate Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2023-2028” released by the Industrial Research Center, from From the perspective of the upstream market, my country is rich in phosphate rock resources. In 2022, my country’s phosphate rock production will exceed 100 million tons, which can provide sufficient raw material supply for the ferric phosphate industry.

Iron phosphate is an important precursor for lithium iron phosphate cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries. As my country’s new energy vehicle industry continues to develop, the market demand for lithium iron phosphate continues to grow, driving the production of iron phosphate to rise significantly. In 2021, my country’s iron phosphate output will be approximately 330,000 tons, and in 2022, my country’s output will be approximately 900,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of approximately 172%.

Affected by rising phosphate ore prices, rising labor costs, stricter environmental protection policies, and high market demand, the average market price of iron phosphate has maintained an upward trend in recent years. The average market price of ferric phosphate in 2020 is approximately 10,000 yuan/ton, and in 2022 it will be approximately 23,000 yuan/ton.

In recent years, the state has issued a number of policies to encourage and support the development of the new energy vehicle industry. In January 2022, the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and other departments jointly issued the “Implementation Plan for Promoting Green Consumption”, proposing to vigorously promote new energy vehicles and gradually lift purchase restrictions on new energy vehicles in various regions; vigorously promote the electrification of public sector vehicles, Increase the proportion of new energy vehicle applications in urban public transportation, urban logistics and distribution, postal express delivery, civil aviation airports, and official fields of party and government agencies. Iron phosphate has a broad consumer market.

Driven by market dividends, more and more companies have entered the iron phosphate market. At this stage, there are a large number of ferric phosphate production companies in my country, and industry competition is fierce. Affected by the distribution of raw materials, production companies are mainly concentrated in areas rich in phosphate rock resources such as Southwest and South China. At present, domestic ferric phosphate manufacturers include Chengdu Yuntu Holdings Co., Ltd., Longbai Group Co., Ltd., Zhongwei New Materials Co., Ltd., Guizhou Chuanheng Chemical Co., Ltd., Beijing Hezong Technology Co., Ltd., etc.

Industry analysts said that driven by national policy support and downstream market demand, industries such as new energy vehicles will maintain a growth trend. The market demand for ferric phosphate will continue to grow, and the industry is booming. As competition in the industry continues to intensify, small and medium-sized enterprises with low technical levels, weak R&D capabilities, and poor product quality will gradually withdraw from the market. Large enterprises will occupy most of the market share by virtue of their advantages in technology and scale, and industry concentration is expected to further increase.