The number of new xylenol installations increases, and the industry has broad prospects for development

Xylenol, also known as mixed xylenol and industrial xylenol, is an important fine chemical raw material and organic synthesis intermediate. In industry, it is mainly used as a monomer for the synthesis of engineering plastic polyphenylene ether (PPE). It can be used in insulating paint, pesticides, cleaners, disinfectants, plasticizers, etc. It is a fine chemical product with high added value and broad market prospects.

As early as the first half of the 20th century, xylenol had begun to be produced and sold on a large scale. In the 1980s, Japan’s Asahi Kasei Company established a 15,000t/a production unit in 1985, including 10,000t/a for xylenol and 5,000t/a for o-cresol. In 1987, Germany’s BASF, Japan’s Mitsui Toyo, Borg Wamer and others successively built xylenol plants. In 1990, Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry established a 2,300 t/a xylenol and o-cresol production unit. In 2009, Shanghai Baosteel Chemical Co., Ltd. drafted and released GB/T 2600-2009 “Coked Xylenol” and implemented it in April 2010. In 2017, Xinjiang Jinghua Yumeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. invested 480 million yuan to build a refining project with an annual output of 200,000 tons of high-grade solvents and 30,000 tons of crude phenol. The main products are pure benzene, phenol, o-cresol, m-p Cresol, industrial xylenol, etc. In 2019, Xinling Chemical successfully constructed and put into operation a 2,6-xylenol production unit.

In the field of polyphenylene ether (PPE), xylenol is one of the main raw materials of polyphenylene ether (PPE). Polyphenylene ether is generated by oxidative coupling of 2,6-xylenol, and then reacts with styrene to obtain chemical modification. Styrene-grafted polyphenylene ether is widely used in intelligent manufacturing, printed circuits, aviation, electronic and electrical, and military industries. Encouraged by national policies and with the rapid development of new materials, my country’s polyphenylene ether (PPE) market prospects are promising, prompting the market demand for xylenol to continue to grow. According to the “Xylenol Industry In-Depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report 2023-2027” released by the Industrial Research Center, in 2022 China’s annual demand for xylenol exceeds 20,000 tons.

At this stage, China’s xylenol industry technology has gradually moved towards the international level. From a technical perspective, the main methods for synthesizing xylenol are: phenol alkylation, m-xylene sulfonation alkali fusion, isophorone aromatic Structure method, etc. Among them, the phenol alkylation method uses phenol and methanol as raw materials to obtain the target product through a high-temperature alkylation reaction. This method is simple to operate and can be completed in only one step. It is a commonly used production process at present; other synthesis technologies are greatly affected by catalysts, production conditions, temperature, etc.

At the same time, after long-term development, China’s xylenol industry has reached a certain scale of production and has cultivated some outstanding production enterprises, such as Henan Hongye Technology and Chemical Co., Ltd., Chifeng Boyuan Technology Co., Ltd., and Xinjiang Jinghua Yumeng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Technology Co., Ltd., Shanxi Jiangxian Chengxin Fine Chemical Co., Ltd., Heze Ruisheng Chemical Technology Co., Ltd., etc.

Industrial researchers said that with the increase in market demand for xylenol and the gradual maturity of production technology, the xylenol industry may be set off A round of competition: First of all, among existing companies, there may be companies that rely on technology and market advantages to occupy a larger market share, fully extend the industrial chain, and strengthen the value chain, thereby having greater influence in the industry and guiding the development of the industry. ; Secondly, some companies may exit production due to unfavorable market development, policy restrictions and other issues, and the industry competitive environment may be further optimized; Finally, driven by capital power and stimulated by market demand, new companies will set foot in the field of xylenol, providing The development of the industry has injected new impetus, but most new companies may be in a relatively weak position in the early stages of their business due to insufficient market and technological maturity.