Global metallocene high-density polyethylene (mHDPE) production and demand continues to rise, and there are unfavorable factors for the development of my country’s industry

Metallocene high-density polyethylene, referred to as mHDPE, is one of the mPE (metallocene polyethylene) product types. It uses metallocene coordination compounds as catalysts, ethylene as the main raw material, and a small amount of other α-olefin monomers added at low pressure. High-performance resin produced by copolymerization under certain conditions.

High-density polyethylene, HDPE for short, also known as low-pressure polyethylene, has excellent physical properties, stable chemical properties, and is recyclable. It is an environmentally friendly resin with excellent comprehensive properties. my country’s HDPE demand continues to rise, with apparent demand exceeding 16.5 million tons in 2022. Driven by demand, my country’s HDPE output continues to rise, reaching nearly 10.2 million tons in 2022. my country’s HDPE production cannot meet domestic market demand, and about 38% of demand still relies on imports.

Compared with HDPE, mHDPE has higher technical barriers, mainly due to the difficulty in R&D and production of metallocene catalysts. Catalysts that can be used for HDPE include single-component chromium-based catalysts, two-component titanium-based catalysts, and metallocene catalysts. Currently, two-component titanium-based catalysts are the mainstream products in the global market. Catalysts are key materials that affect the performance of HDPE products. In order to further improve the comprehensive performance of HDPE, the application proportion of metallocene catalysts continues to rise, and global mHDPE production continues to rise.

mHDPE is mainly used to make hollow products, such as pipes, containers, structural parts, etc. mPE is the fastest growing metallocene polymer product type at this stage. The current global demand for mPE is in the tens of millions of tons, of which mHDPE demand accounts for about 20%.

According to the “China Metallocene High-Density Polyethylene (mHDPE) Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report 2023-2028” released by the Industrial Research Center It shows that the transformation and upgrading of my country’s manufacturing industry is accelerating, and the market demand for high-performance materials is increasingly strong. The market price of mHDPE is higher than that of HDPE, so companies have greater profit potential. Compared with the current development situation of HDPE in my country, mHDPE has a broad market space. However, compared with HDPE, mHDPE is more difficult to produce. my country’s mHDPE production capacity is weak, and demand basically depends on imports, and the price of imported mHDPE is high. Therefore, compared with the global market, the demand for mHDPE in my country is small.

Industry analysts said that the difference in production difficulty and production cost between mHDPE and HDPE mainly lies in the catalyst. If the catalyst can be independently developed and produced, it can Significantly increase the production capacity of mHDPE and reduce production costs. Against this background, my country’s efforts to research and develop metallocene catalysts have continued to increase. Currently, it has mass production capabilities for metallocene catalysts. However, the overall supply is limited, and part of the demand still relies on imports. This is one of the main factors limiting the development of my country’s mHDPE industry. .

In addition, the number of manufacturing companies in my country’s mPE industry is gradually increasing, mainly companies under Sinopec and PetroChina. my country has become one of the countries with the fastest development speed of the global mPE industry. However, existing companies are based on mLLDPE (metallocene linear low density polyethylene). Ethylene) is the main production, and mHDPE production capacity accounts for a very small proportion. This is another negative factor affecting the development of my country’s mHDPE industry.