my country’s metallocene polypropylene (mPP) independent production capacity is gradually improving, and there is huge room for import substitution in the market

Metallocene polypropylene, referred to as mPP, is a new high-performance polymer material produced using metallocene coordination compounds as catalysts. It has high strength, excellent toughness, stable chemical properties, high temperature resistance, strong oxidation resistance, good transparency, and insulation. It has the characteristics of flame retardant, radiation resistance, non-toxic and odorless, and its overall performance is better than traditional polypropylene (PP).

Metallocene polypropylene can be made into fibers through spinning process, films through biaxial stretching process, and products of various shapes through injection molding process. It can be widely used in electronics, electric power, chemical industry, medical care, automobiles, packaging, construction, etc. in the industry. For example, in the medical industry, metallocene polypropylene is an ideal medical polymer material due to its advantages of high temperature resistance, stable chemical properties, and non-toxicity.

Metallocene polypropylene has high technical barriers and a small number of production companies worldwide, mainly ExxonMobil, LyondellBasell, Total, Japan Polypropylene Co., Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals, etc. Since 2011, the global demand for metallocene polypropylene has been relatively stable and has been between 170,000 and 180,000 tons. In 2020, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the production of meltblown cloth, a key material for medical masks, increased rapidly, driving global demand for metallocene polypropylene to rise rapidly, exceeding 200,000 tons.

According to the “China Metallocene Polypropylene (mPP) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2023-2028” released by the Industrial Research Center shows that my country’s metallocene polypropylene is mainly used in the medical field to produce melt-blown cloth, surgical gowns, infusion bags and other products. Since 2011, my country’s demand for metallocene polypropylene has remained between 40,000 and 50,000 tons. In 2020, due to the surge in demand for masks due to the COVID-19 outbreak, my country’s demand for metallocene polypropylene has increased significantly, exceeding 100,000 tons. In 2022, my country’s metallocene polypropylene market size will be approximately 1.6 billion yuan.

For a long time, my country’s metallocene polypropylene production capacity has been weak, and its demand has mainly relied on imports from European, American and Japanese countries. In the context of rapid growth in downstream market demand, in order to avoid being stuck, Chinese companies continue to increase their research efforts on metallocene polypropylene and gradually achieve independent production. my country’s metallocene polypropylene research and production enterprises are mainly enterprises under PetroChina and Sinopec, including Harbin Petrochemical, Lanzhou Petrochemical, Duzishan Petrochemical, Yanshan Petrochemical, Yangzi Petrochemical, etc. my country’s independent supply capacity of metallocene polypropylene is gradually improving, and import substitution is expected to be achieved in the future.

Industry analysts said that metallocene polypropylene has high costs and high product prices. It is currently mainly used in the high-end market. In 2020 The rapid growth in demand is due to the need for epidemic prevention. Its application fields are difficult to rapidly expand and its demand is difficult to expand significantly. After 2021, its demand will continue to show a slow growth trend. At present, the development space of my country’s metallocene polypropylene industry mainly lies in replacing imported products. If the industry wants to further develop in the future, it will need to continuously develop new products and expand application areas.