Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) has a large market space and the industry is still in its infancy.

Ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH) is a crystalline polymer with a chain molecular structure. Due to the strong molecular force between adjacent hydroxyl groups, its appearance is usually crystalline. EVOH is a widely used high-barrier material with excellent barrier properties, processability and thermal stability. It is widely used in the fields of pharmaceutical packaging and food packaging. EVOH film is the mainstream product in the EVOH market. According to different processing methods, it can be divided into aluminum evaporation type, non-stretch type, adhesive coating type, and biaxially oriented film.

Extrusion technology is the main processing technology of EVOH, including co-extrusion blow molding, single-layer or multi-layer film extrusion, co-extrusion coating, sheet and profile co-extrusion, etc. Multi-layer structures can be prepared through thermal modification and co-extrusion coating technology, which has long been monopolized by overseas companies. The extruder is a key equipment for EVOH processing and plays a decisive role in product quality and performance. my country is a major manufacturing country, and the output of extruders continues to grow. Extruders have high production efficiency and sufficient supply, which will provide driving force for the development of my country’s EVOH industry.

Ethylene and vinyl alcohol are the main raw materials for EVOH. As an important organic raw material in the chemical industry, ethylene has strong market demand, driving its production to continue to grow. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, my country’s cumulative ethylene production in 2021 will be 28.257 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 18.3%. East China is the main ethylene production area in my country. The advantages of raw materials will provide the foundation and guarantee for the development of my country’s EVOH industry. However, currently, due to technical barriers, Chinese companies do not yet have the capacity to produce EVOH on a large scale, and demand is highly dependent on imports.

According to the “2022-2026 China Ethylene-Vinyl Alcohol Copolymer (EVOH) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center 》shows that EVOH has a wide range of applications and is mainly used in the production of packaging materials for food, medicine, electronic components, air conditioning structural parts, gasoline barrel linings and chemical reagents. In the local market, EVOH has extremely high barrier properties, and the food preservation field has its largest demand. In the global market, EVOH is mainly used in the production of gasoline barrel linings and gas packaging films, accounting for 70.0% of the demand. North America is the main consumer market for EVOH, accounting for 50.0%.

Global EVOH leading companies include Japan Synthetic Chemical Industry Group and Japan Kuraray Chemical Industry Group. As the world’s largest EVOH manufacturer, Japan’s Kuraray occupies a monopoly position in my country’s market. my country’s EVOH industry is still in its infancy, with low market penetration and few related production companies.

Industry analysts said that EVOH has excellent performance and is widely used in many packaging fields. Driven by market demand, the industry will continue to have room for development. expand. Benefiting from sufficient supply of raw materials, my country’s EVOH production capacity is expected to further increase. At present, my country’s EVOH industry is still in its infancy, and companies lack large-scale production capabilities. Driven by the technological innovation of local companies, my country’s EVOH industry will develop rapidly.