China Sebacic Acid Industry Analysis 2024

China Sebacic Acid Industry Analysis 2024

1) Overview of the sebacic acid industry

Sebacic acid belongs to aliphatic dibasic acid, which is found in baking tobacco, white-ribbed tobacco, and spice tobacco. At room temperature, sebacic acid is white flake crystals, and industrial products is slightly yellow. Slightly soluble in water, insoluble in benzene, petroleum ether and carbon tetrachloride, and soluble in ethanol and ether. Sebacic acid is inflammable and has low toxicity. Oral administration is harmful and irritating to eyes, respiratory system and skin. Made from natural castor oil or adipic acid monoester, it is mainly used to make sebacate, and its ester has a wide range of applications.

2) Sebacic Acid Industry Policies

The development of sebacic acid industry in China is supported by many policies, mainly in environmental protection, green chemistry and sustainable development. These policies promote the development of the industry in the direction of environmental protection, low energy consumption and sustainable development. Green production processes, such as bio-fermentation and catalytic oxidation, are encouraged to reduce the environmental pollution caused by the traditional chemical oxidation process. Driven by the 'dual-carbon 'goal, the Chinese government has also increased its support for low-carbon industrial chains and high-value-added products, promoting the transformation and upgrading of the sebacic acid industry in the direction of high efficiency and environmental protection. At the same time, the domestic policy also encourages technological innovation, clean production and industrial chain extension, so as to promote the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries and improve market competitiveness.

3) Industrial chain structure of the sebacic acid industry

The industrial chain structure of sebacic acid industry in China mainly includes raw material supply in the upstream, sebacic acid production in the middle and application fields in the downstream. Upstream, the main raw materials are ethanol, mineral oil, sodium hydroxide, iron oxide, etc. These raw materials undergo a series of chemical reactions and processing to generate sebacic acid. In the middle reaches, sebacic acid is an important chemical intermediate, and its production technology and quality control have an important influence on the stability and competitiveness of the whole industrial chain. Downstream, sebacic acid is widely used to produce nylon, plasticizer, surfactant, lubricants, etc. These products further serve textiles, plastics, daily chemicals, machinery and other industries, forming a diversified application market.

Sebacic acid has a wide range of uses, mainly for producing sebacate, which is used in a wide range of applications, such as dibutyl sebacate, dioctyl sebacate and dioctyl sebacate. These esters can be used as plasticizers for plastics and cold-resistant rubber, and can also be used to make polyamide, polyurethane, alkyd resins, synthetic lubricants, lubricant additives, as well as fragrances, paints, cosmetics, and so on. It can also be used as raw material for the production of nylon 1010, nylon 910, nylon 810, nylon 610, and nylon 9, and as raw material for high-temperature-resistant lubricant diethylhexyl ester. It is also the raw material for producing alkyd resin (used as surface coating, plasticized nitrocellulose coating and urea-formaldehyde resin varnishes) and plasticizers, softeners and solvents for polyurethane rubber, cellulose resin, vinyl resin and synthetic rubber. 

4) Development of sebacic acid industry in the world

In recent years, the production capacity of sebacic acid industry in the world has been gradually expanding, which is mainly driven by the growth of downstream application demand, such as the rapid development of nylon, plastic plasticizer and lubricants. The Asia-Pacific region, especially China, has become an important production region in the world due to the acceleration of industrialization and policy support, especially the expansion of sebacic acid production capacity. In 2023, the global production capacity of the sebacic acid industry was about 262,000 tons, and the operating rate was 46.72%.

Most of the production capacity of sebacic acid industry in the world is concentrated in China, mainly because China has abundant raw material supply, low production costs and perfect chemical industry chain. With the rapid expansion of the domestic downstream application market, especially the increasing demand in the fields of nylon, plastic plasticizer and lubricant, China has gradually become an important center of sebacic acid production in the world.

In recent years, the demand of sebacic acid industry in the world has increased steadily, mainly benefiting from the extensive expansion of downstream applications. Especially, driven by industries such as nylon 66, plasticizer, lubricants and cosmetics, the demand for sebacic acid is increasing. In addition, with the increasing demand of consumers for environmentally friendly and sustainable products, sebacic acid, as a green chemical, has attracted more and more attention in the field of bio-based materials and degradable plastics. In 2023, the global demand for sebacic acid industry is about 122,400 tons.

5) The present situation of sebacic acid industry in China

In recent years, the export situation of sebacic acid industry in China has maintained strong growth, and it has gradually becoming an important supplier in the global market. With relatively low production cost, large-scale production capacity and technological progress, China's sebacic acid products are competitive in the international market, and are widely exported to Europe, America, Southeast Asia and other regions. Especially with the increasing awareness of environmental protection and the global demand for green chemical products, the overseas market demand for China sebacic acid products with more environmentally friendly production technology is also increasing. From January to September in 2024, the export volume of sebacic acid in China was about 40,200 tons, and the export volume was about 146 million US dollars.

The export regions of sebacic acid industry in China are mainly concentrated in Europe, America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Europe and the United States are the main export destinations of sebacic acid in China, especially in the field of high-performance nylon, plasticizer and lubricants. In these fields, sebacic acid is in greater demand. At the same time, with the acceleration of industrialization in Southeast Asia and the Middle East, the demand for sebacic acid in these emerging markets is also increasing gradually, which has become an important growth point for China's exports.

6) The competition pattern of sebacic acid industry market

At present, the main enterprises in the global market are Hengshui Jinghua Chemical, Hebei Kaide Biomaterials, Shanxi Zhengang Chemical, Shandong Tianxing Biological, Shanxi Siqiang Chemical, Jiangsu Zhongzheng Chemical, Sabrikeman, etc., and most of them are enterprises in China. At the same time, due to increasingly strict environmental protection regulations, the global adipic acid production capacity has been transferred to China, accounting for 83.92% of the global share.

7) Development trend of the sebacic acid industry

The sebacic acid industry in China will present a green, intelligent and sustainable development technology trend. Environmentally friendly production processes such as bio-fermentation and catalytic oxidation will gradually replace traditional methods, reducing energy consumption and pollution. At the same time, the innovation of catalytic technology and the application of bio-based routes will improve production efficiency and product quality. Intelligent manufacturing and automation technologies will optimize production processes, improve efficiency and reduce the waste of resource. In addition, with the promotion of the concept of circular economy, the sebacic acid industry will make progress in the reuse of resources and the treatment of by-products, promoting the sustainable development of the industrial chain.