Amorphous alpha olefin copolymer (APAO) is widely used and my country’s self-sufficiency capacity is weak.

Amorphous alpha olefin copolymer (APAO), also known as amorphous propylene copolymer, amorphous polyolefin, and amorphous polyolefin, is a low molecular weight amorphous plastic material produced by polymerization of alpha olefins. . APAO has the characteristics of high temperature stability, stable molecular structure, and high fluidity. It is widely used in wire and cable, asphalt modifier, hot melt adhesive, filling masterbatch and other fields.

The main production processes of APAO include solution polymerization, batch or continuous slurry method, etc. The solution polymerization method refers to polymerizing liquid propylene under high pressure to finally produce APAO; the slurry method uses solvent oil, naphtha, gasoline, etc. as solvents, and adds gaseous propylene for phase reaction to finally produce APAO. At present, the continuous slurry method is the mainstream production process of APAO. This method has the advantages of high production efficiency, good quality and performance of finished products, and is suitable for large-scale production.

APAO usually uses alpha olefins as the main raw material. Alpha olefins are rich in types and widely used, and have broad application prospects in aerospace, automobile manufacturing, military industry and other fields. my country’s alpha olefin industry started late. Due to technical barriers, high-end products are highly dependent on imports. In recent years, driven by positive factors such as strong market demand and national policy support, my country’s alpha olefin production technology has continued to make breakthroughs, and its production capacity and output have been significantly increased, but it is still unable to meet APAO production demand.

APAO has excellent performance and is widely used in the fields of wires and cables, asphalt modifiers, hot melt adhesives, filling masterbatch, waterproof materials, anti-corrosion coatings, electronic potting adhesives, polymer modification and other fields. In the field of asphalt modifiers, APAO can be used to produce modified cement, asphalt waterproof membranes, highway asphalt, etc.; in the field of hot melt adhesives, APAO hot melt adhesives can be used in insulation foam, foam, wood boards, sponges, paper and cloth. Bonding of other materials. Driven by downstream demand, the APAO industry has accelerated its development. According to the “2023-2027 Amorphous Alpha Olefin Copolymer (APAO) Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report” shows that the global APAO market size will reach US$480 million in 2022, a year-on-year increase of 3.1%.

At present, there are very few companies in the world with APAO production capabilities. The United States is the world’s largest APAO producer, and its production capacity occupies a leading position in the world. The American company Eastman, the American company Rextac, and the German Evonik Group are the leading APAO companies in the world. Chinese enterprises do not yet have the large-scale production capacity of APAO, and their products are mainly imported. The American company Rextac is the main supplier in my country.

Industry analysts said that APAO has excellent performance and is widely used in many fields. However, due to technical barriers, my country’s APAO market is in short supply. , demand is highly dependent on imports. At present, the world’s leading APAO companies are mainly concentrated in the United States. It is expected that in the future, driven by strong market demand and the technological innovation of local companies, the localization process of my country’s APAO will accelerate.