Polypropylene lactone (PPL) is a biodegradable material with broad prospects for industry development

​​ ​​Polypropyllactone (PPL) is a biodegradable polymer that appears as a white solid powder and is easily soluble in organic solvents. High-purity acrylic acid can be obtained by pyrolysis of polypropylene lactone, which is an important synthetic resin monomer and organic synthesis raw material. Polypropiolactone has the characteristics of easy hydrolysis, low melting point, and biodegradability. It is widely used in plastic materials, synthetic fibers, medical materials, plastic films and other fields.

            β-Propyrolactone is the main raw material of polypropiolactone. β-propionolactone, also known as β-propionyl lactone, is commonly used as fiber, resin and pharmaceutical intermediates. Beijing Zhongsheng Ruitai Technology Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Xibao Biotechnology Co., Ltd. are the main manufacturers of β-propiolactone in my country. At present, the development of β-propiolactone preparation technology in my country is not yet mature, and demand is highly dependent on imports. Insufficient supply of raw materials poses challenges to the development of the polypropylene lactone industry.

Ethylene oxide is an important raw material for organic synthesis and is widely used in the chemical industry. In recent years, the American company Novomel has developed a method of converting ethylene oxide (EO) and carbon monoxide (CO) into β-propiolactone and preparing polypropiolactone through continuous reaction. The method used in this method is The raw materials are all renewable and degradable materials, and have been introduced by many polypropylene lactone companies in my country. my country is a major producer of ethylene oxide. As the industry’s prosperity continues to improve, my country’s ethylene oxide production continues to grow. With the continuous innovation of preparation technology, it is expected that my country’s polypropylene lactone production will increase significantly in the future.

According to the “2022-2027 China Polypropylene Lactone (PPL) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center 》 shows that polypropylene lactone is widely used, including synthetic fibers, plastics, medical materials and other fields. As the national environmental protection policy gradually takes effect, the development speed of my country’s degradable plastics industry continues to accelerate. In 2021, my country’s degradable plastic market will reach 19.16 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 21.3%. Compared with traditional plastics, polypropylene lactone degradable plastics have the advantages of being pollution-free and recyclable, and have broad product application prospects. As the market demand for degradable plastic products becomes increasingly strong, the prosperity of the polypropylene lactone industry will continue to increase.

my country’s polypropylene lactone industry started late, with a small number of production companies, and local companies do not yet have large-scale production capabilities. Novomer, an American company, is the world’s largest polypropylene lactone manufacturer. Currently, the company is focusing on the research, development and production of new biodegradable plastics such as polypropylene carbonate and polypropylene lactone.

Industry analysts said that the polypropylene lactone industry has high technical and financial barriers, a small number of production companies, and leading companies occupy market monopoly status. Compared with overseas companies, local companies lack experience accumulation in technology, production and other aspects, resulting in the slow development of my country’s polypropylene lactone industry. It is expected that in the future, companies that take the lead in achieving technological breakthroughs in polypropylene lactone will gain a larger market share.