The development of the sec-butanol industry is limited and the production process still needs to be optimized

Sec-butanol (SBA), also known as 2-butanol, methylethylmethanol, and sec-butanol, is an important chemical intermediate. It is a colorless liquid with a strong mint-like aroma. Sec-butanol is currently widely used in the synthesis of various chemicals, such as dyes, spices, lubricants, herbicides, etc. Among them, the most important one is dehydrogenation to produce methyl ethyl ketone, which accounts for about 80% of the total consumption.

Methyl ethyl ketone, also known as 2-butanone (MEK), is an excellent organic solvent, mainly used in lubricants, coatings and vegetable oils. It is an important chemical raw material used in the production of medicines, dyes, spices, etc. And it can also be used as a developer in the electronics industry. Methyl ethyl ketone has a wide range of applications, and its application demand continues to rise around the world. The current global consumption of methyl ethyl ketone has increased to about 1.55 million tons. As the application demand for methyl ethyl ketone rises, the sec-butanol industry develops rapidly.

According to the “In-depth Market Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report of China’s Sec-Butyl Alcohol Industry from 2022 to 2026” released by the Industrial Research Center, There are many methods for producing sec-butanol, including n-butene method, butanone method, and sec-butyl acetate method. Among them, n-butene method includes indirect hydration method and direct hydration method; sec-butyl acetate method can be divided according to different principles. It is transesterification method, hydrogenation method, hydrolysis method, aminolysis method, etc. The current n-butene method has a low conversion rate and strict reaction conditions; the butanone used in the butanone method is more expensive and less economical; the sec-butyl acetate method has a high conversion rate, mild reaction conditions, and is environmentally friendly Friendly, but most of the processes are still in the experimental stage, and the future development prospects are good.

After years of development, my country’s sec-butanol market is currently relatively mature and production capacity is relatively concentrated. East China is the main production area, and East China is also the main consumer area of ​​sec-butanol. At present, my country’s main sec-butanol production companies include Qixiang Tengda Chemical, Taizhou Petrochemical, Dongming Lishu Chemical, Haiyue New Materials, Lingguang Petrochemical, Xinhua Chemical, etc. The market competition is relatively fierce.

From the perspective of industry development, although sec-butanol has a wide range of application fields, the main source of market demand is methyl ethyl ketone, and its application fields are relatively single. With the rapid development of my country’s industry in recent years, the methyl ethyl ketone market has become mature, and the future growth space is small. The development space of sec-butanol is limited, and the industry development has gradually stabilized.

Industrial analysts said that as an important chemical raw material, sec-butanol can be used to produce many products and is used in dyes, flavors, medical treatments, etc. Among many fields, the production of methyl ethyl ketone has a high demand for sec-butanol. Methyl ethyl ketone has excellent performance, and demand continues to rise globally and in my country, driving the development of the sec-butanol industry. However, in terms of long-term development, as the growth rate of methyl ethyl ketone production slows down, the development space of sec-butanol will also be limited. In terms of production, there are many production processes for sec-butanol, but most of them are backward. Advanced processes are still in the experimental stage and still need to be implemented.