Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) has broad application prospects and my country’s production capacity continues to improve

Polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) belongs to the polyaryletherketone series and is a high-performance special engineering plastic. PEKK is polymerized by diphenyl ether and isophthaloyl chloride or terephthaloyl chloride. As a special polymer material, PEKK has the characteristics of high temperature resistance, chemical corrosion resistance and adjustable crystallization temperature. It can be used to prepare high temperature resistant structural materials, Electrical insulation materials, reinforced materials, etc. are widely used in new energy vehicles, medical equipment, 3D printing, 5G electronics, oil and gas exploration, aerospace and other fields.

According to the “2022-2026 China Polyether Ketone Ketone (PEKK) Industry Application Market Demand and Development Opportunities Research Report》shows that in 2021, the global PEKK industry output will be approximately 1,150 tons. Against the background of high-quality development of the global economy, PEKK has broad application prospects. It is expected that the global PEKK market size will reach 580 million yuan in 2026. The PEKK market is highly concentrated. In the global market, PEKK suppliers mainly include French Arkema, Solvay, Shandong Kaisheng New Materials, etc. Among them, French Arkema is the largest PEKK supplier, with production capacity accounting for approximately 50.0% of the global production capacity. %.

PEKK was industrially produced by DuPont in the 1980s, using a two-step process. Due to the high production costs of this process, DuPont sold the PEKK business. After several acquisitions, the business fell into the hands of Solvay. PEKK has excellent comprehensive properties, but due to the complex synthesis process and high commercialization costs, its market promotion is relatively difficult. Currently, global PEKK consumption is still small.

In recent years, with the development of my country’s aerospace, 3D printing, national defense and military industries, the market demand for PEKK has continued to grow. In 2021, my country’s PEKK demand will reach more than 65 tons. The market price of PEKK is relatively high. Specifically, the price of imported PEKK raw powder is around 1.5 million yuan/ton, and the average international transaction price of PEKK raw powder exceeds 500,000 yuan/ton.

Domestically, Shandong Kaisheng New Materials is the only enterprise with large-scale production capacity for PEKK. However, because its production capacity cannot meet the demand of the domestic market, part of the demand for PEKK still relies on imports. Against the background of intensifying international conflicts, there is an urgent need for domestic substitution of PEKK. Shandong Kaisheng New Materials uses the Lewis acid/Lewis base co-catalytic method invented by Raychem to produce PEKK, and independently developed technologies such as gradient differential homogeneous polymerization. In November 2022, Shandong Kaisheng New Materials stated that the company’s “2,000 tons/year polyetherketoneketone (PEKK) resin and molding application project”, the first phase of the 1,000 tons/year production device is already in the trial production stage. The commissioning of this project will accelerate the localization process of PEKK.

Industry analysts said that PEKK is a special polymer material. Due to high market prices and limited production capacity, PEKK is mainly used in aerospace. High-end fields such as aviation, medical care and 3D printing. The PEKK market is highly concentrated. There is only one domestic manufacturer, Shandong Kaisheng New Materials. With the gradual release of relevant production capacity in the future, my country’s PEKK production capacity will be further improved and the localization process will be accelerated.