The application fields of alkylbenzene are limited and it is difficult for the market to experience explosive growth in the future.
Alkylbenzene is dodecylbenzene, which is generally a mixture of C9 to Cpentadecylbenzene. It appears as a colorless and transparent liquid, is non-flammable and insoluble in water. Alkylbenzene is an aromatic organic chemical raw material, mainly used in surfactants, papermaking, spices and other fields. Among them, surfactants are the largest application field of alkylbenzene, accounting for more than 90% of the applications. In recent years, due to the maturity of the detergent market, the market demand for alkylbenzenes has been limited and the industry prosperity has been low.
Alkylbenzene has low production cost, mature technology and excellent applicability, and is widely used around the world. The development of my country’s alkylbenzene industry is later than that of developed countries in Europe and the United States. However, with the optimization of production processes, my country’s alkylbenzene industry has developed rapidly. At present, the alkylbenzene industry’s production capacity not only meets the domestic market, but also exports to overseas markets such as Pakistan, Mexico, and Vietnam. .
According to the “2022-2026 China Alkylbenzene Industry Market Monitoring and Future Development Prospects Research Report released by the Industrial Research Center , in 2020, affected by factors such as the COVID-19 epidemic and accidents in production equipment, the production and sales of the alkylbenzene industry are in a downward trend. The output of the alkylbenzene industry is approximately 590,000 tons, and the sales volume is close to 570,000 tons. Alkylbenzene is one of the main raw materials for surfactants. In 2020, alkylbenzene accounted for approximately 23.1% of the total output of surfactant raw materials.
From the perspective of production companies, there are a large number of companies engaged in the production and sales of alkylbenzenes in my country, and the market competition is fierce. Among them, the larger alkylbenzene companies include Jintong Petrochemical, Jiangsu Jintong, Jinling Petrochemical, and Fushun Washing Chemical. , Qiyou (Taicang) Chemicals, etc. Among them, Fushun Washing Chemical is the largest surfactant raw material production base in Asia, accounting for more than 30% of the domestic alkylbenzene market. In September 2021, a fire broke out in Fushun Washing Chemical, and the company The output of linear alkylbenzenes, alkylbenzenes used for oil displacement, and synthetic fatty alcohols may be affected.
Under the policy plan, during the “14th Five-Year Plan” period, the surfactant industry will continue to upgrade toward environmental protection and high-end development. Leading companies have advantages in scale, technology, and quality, and may usher in good development opportunities. At present, alkylbenzene is mainly produced from crude oil. In the context of increasingly strict environmental protection supervision, traditional alkylbenzene surfactants do not have favorable policies and are unlikely to experience explosive growth. However, as a raw material for traditional detergent products, alkylbenzene is still There is a certain demand space, and it is expected that my country’s alkylbenzene market consumption growth will remain at around 2.0% from 2022 to 2026.
Industry analysts said that alkylbenzene is one of the main raw materials for surfactants. With the high-quality development of the surfactant industry , the market’s requirements for alkylbenzenes will continue to increase. In order to comply with market consumption trends, the alkylbenzene industry needs to be further improved in terms of production technology and product quality. The downstream application fields of alkylbenzene are single, market demand is difficult to grow explosively, and the future industry development space is limited.