The market size of α-methylstyrene (AMS) continues to expand, with wind power as its emerging demand end.

​​​​ α-Methylstyrene (AMS), also known as 2-phenyl-1-propene, is an organic compound with the chemical formula C9H10. Alpha-methylstyrene appears as a transparent to yellow liquid with a pungent odor. It is soluble in benzene, carbon tetrachloride, ethanol and chloroform, but insoluble in water. Alpha-methylstyrene can be used as a polymer monomer and is widely used in engineering plastics, synthetic rubber, coatings, wind power generation and other fields.

The main preparation methods of α-methylstyrene include phenol waste liquid recovery method and cumene catalytic dehydrogenation method. The phenol waste liquid recovery method, also known as the by-product recovery method, refers to using the phenol waste liquid as the main raw material and producing finished products through processes such as heating, cooling, and liquefaction; the cumene catalytic dehydrogenation method uses cumene as the main raw material and oxidizes it. Afterwards, a precious metal catalyst is added, and α-methylstyrene is obtained through dehydrogenation reaction. At present, the output of α-methylstyrene produced by Chinese enterprises using the above two methods is small and unable to meet market demand, and the products are highly dependent on imports.

α-Methylstyrene has a wide range of applications. In the field of engineering plastics, α-methylstyrene can be used as a plasticizer to improve the rheological properties of plastics; in the field of synthetic rubber, α-methylstyrene can effectively improve the wet slip resistance of rubber and can be used to produce nitrile rubber, Neoprene and automobile tires are its end products; in the field of coatings, α-methylstyrene can be used to modify acrylic resin coatings. Benefiting from the growth in downstream demand, the alpha-methylstyrene market continues to expand. According to the “2023-2028 China α-methylstyrene (AMS) industry market in-depth research and development prospect forecast report” shows that the global alpha-methylstyrene market size will reach 3.12 billion yuan in 2022.

The wind power generation field is an emerging demand end for α-methylstyrene, which can be used to produce modified insulation impregnating varnish for wind power motor coils. According to statistics from the National Energy Administration, my country’s wind power installed capacity will reach 370 million kilowatts in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 11.2%. As the development of the wind power industry accelerates, my country’s α-methylstyrene market demand will further grow.

Major global α-methylstyrene producers include CEPSA, INEOS, Kumho P&B, SI Group, etc. . Due to factors such as high technical barriers, the number of α-methylstyrene manufacturers in my country is relatively small, and the market competition pattern is relatively fragmented. The main players include Evergreen Technology, Runfeng Co., Ltd., Xinlong Chemical, etc.

Industry analysts said that driven by positive factors such as national policy support and the increasing investment in R&D by local companies, my country’s α- The methylstyrene industry is gradually developing in a green and environmentally friendly direction. In the future, as technology maturity improves, my country’s α-methylstyrene production will further increase, and the industry’s localization process will accelerate.