Isoprene has high technical barriers and few Chinese companies

As an important chemical raw material, isopentene is mainly used in the production of pesticides, antioxidants and high-end spices. Isopenten has three isomers, namely 2-methyl-1-butene, 2-methyl-2-butene, and 3-methyl-1-butene. Due to high technical barriers, isoprene in the market currently still appears in the form of 2-methyl-1-butene, 2-methyl-2-butene and their mixtures, and no company has yet to produce 3-methyl alone. -1-Butene products.

Isopentene can be used to generate isoprene, which can be used to synthesize pesticides such as triadimefon, paclobutrazol, tebuconazole, fentriconazole, hexaconazole, and subconazole. It can also be used to prepare spices and flavors. Currently, in my country Isopentene has been applied on a large scale in the fields of flavors, fragrances, pesticides and other fields. According to the “2023-2027 Isoprene Device Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report released by the Industrial Research Center, In 2022, China’s isoprene demand will reach about 30,000 tons.

There are many production routes for isopentene, including crude isopentene method, isopentane method, isopentyl alcohol method and n-pentene method. Among them, the crude isopentene method is the most important application method in industrial production at this stage. This method makes full use of the by-products of the cracking carbon five separation unit, reduces product production costs, and improves product quality. Germany is an early region in the development, production and application of isoprene. It has profound technology and experience accumulation in isoprene product development. The quality and performance of isoprene products are better and the product system is richer.

Affected by various factors such as technology, demand, and environmental protection, there are not many isoprene manufacturers in the world. They are mainly distributed in China, Germany and the United States. Key isoprene manufacturers include Ineos, ExxonMobil, and Sinopec. Shanghai Petrochemical Co., Ltd., Ningbo Jinhai Chenguang Chemical Co., Ltd., Zibo United Carbide Chemical Co., Ltd., etc. Generally speaking, China’s isoprene market is highly concentrated and market competition is relatively relaxed. Since the second half of 2022, domestic isoprene has been actively expanding its production capacity, leading to intensified market competition and a price war between isoprene companies.

Industry analysts said that the increasingly stringent environmental protection policies in recent years have put the development of the chemical industry with serious pollution into a greater dilemma. , among which the development of the isoprene industry has also been greatly affected. The implementation of new environmental protection policies has caused some isoprene production companies to close or suspend production, resulting in a tight supply of isoprene in the country. In addition, rising raw material prices and environmental protection costs have also affected the development of the isoprene industry to a certain extent.