Cellulose acetate (CA) has good application prospects and broad industry development space

Cellulose acetate (CA), also known as cellulose acetate, is produced by esterification of hydroxyl groups in cellulose. Cellulose acetate appears as white or transparent granular, powdery or fibrous solid. It is insoluble in water and ethanol, but soluble in methanol, formic acid, acetone and methylene chloride. Cellulose acetate has the advantages of large specific surface area, non-toxicity, mildew resistance, and low production cost. According to the different acetyl content, cellulose acetate can be divided into three types: cellulose acetate, cellulose diacetate and cellulose triacetate. Cellulose diacetate, also known as vinegar tablets, is widely used in my country.

The production process of cellulose acetate is relatively complex and requires multiple processes such as acetylation reaction, hydrolysis reaction, exothermic reaction, and esterification reaction. At present, the preparation process of cellulose acetate is mainly divided into two categories: solvent method and non-solvent method. The solvent method refers to placing the crushed raw materials in the preprocessor, adding glacial acetic acid to activate it and causing an esterification reaction, then using a hydrolyzer to reduce the degree of esterification, and finally making cellulose acetate through water washing, drying and other steps. The solvent method is the most commonly used method for preparing cellulose acetate in industry, but the materials used are mostly high in pollutants and can easily cause environmental pollution.

According to the “2022-2027 China Cellulose Acetate Industry Market Monitoring and Future Development Prospects Research Report released by the Industry Research Center , the raw materials of cellulose acetate mainly include cellulose, acetic anhydride and acetic acid. Acetic acid accounts for the main production cost of cellulose acetate. In 2021, my country’s acetic acid production reached 8.125 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 12.6%. Although acetic acid production continues to grow, it is still unable to meet my country’s market demand. Coupled with restrictions such as national environmental protection policies, the acetic acid market is in short supply. Against this background, the price of acetic acid in my country has shown a fluctuating upward trend, and the production cost of cellulose acetate has increased, hindering the development of the industry.

Cellulose acetate is mainly used in tobacco, LCD panels, glasses frames, pharmaceuticals, plastic products, automobile manufacturing, textiles and other fields. Eyeglass frames and tobacco are the largest demand ends for cellulose acetate. Acetate fiberglass frames are a common product on the market. According to different materials, acetate fiberglass frames can be divided into two types: plate frames and injection molded frames. The plate frame is not easily deformed and is suitable for different types of lenses; the injection molded frame has low production cost and is light in weight, making it suitable for mass production. In the tobacco field, cellulose acetate is often used to make cigarette filters and is currently the most ideal filter material.

Industry analysts said that cellulose acetate, as a thermoplastic resin, has a wide range of applications. As market demand continues to be released, my country’s cellulose acetate market will further expand and production capacity will increase significantly. At this stage, due to limitations of technology and other factors, my country’s cellulose acetate production capacity is still low. With the continuous expansion of application fields, my country’s cellulose acetate industry will develop rapidly.