Anhydrous sodium sulfate is widely used, but industry development still faces challenges

Anhydrous sodium sulfate, also known as sodium sulfate and anhydrous sodium sulfate, has a chemical formula of Na2SO4 and is a sulfate compound. Anhydrous sodium sulfate is often used as a basic chemical raw material. It appears as a white crystal and is easily soluble in water and glycerin, but insoluble in ethanol.

According to the “2022-2027 China Anhydrous Sodium Sulfate Project Investment Feasibility Research Report released by the Industrial Research Center, in recent years , affected by factors such as national environmental protection policies and deepening supply-side structural reforms, my country’s anhydrous sodium sulfate production has shown a downward trend. In 2021, my country’s anhydrous sodium sulfate output reached 9.215 million tons, down 8.5% year-on-year. Affected by factors such as the epidemic, overseas market demand has gradually shrunk, resulting in an oversupply situation in my country’s anhydrous sodium sulfate market.

The upstream of the anhydrous sodium sulfate industry chain supplies raw materials, and Glauber’s salt is the main raw material of anhydrous sodium sulfate. my country has a vast territory and is rich in mirabilite mineral resources. The distribution of mirabilite deposits is related to geological activities, climate and latitude. my country’s thenardite deposits are mainly distributed in basin areas, including Yunnan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Anhui, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Gansu, Jiangxi and other places. Yunnan is mainly rich in calcium mirabilite, with a reserve of 3.26 billion tons of ore. The Glauber’s Salt Mine in Huaiyin, Jiangsu Province is of high quality and rich in reserves. It is the only large-scale Glauber’s Salt Mine discovered in eastern my country so far.

The downstream of the anhydrous sodium sulfate industrial chain is in application areas, including glass, printing and dyeing, detergents, papermaking, medicine, and metallurgy. At present, anhydrous sodium sulfate is mainly used in the printing and dyeing field, accounting for 33.6% of the demand. In the printing and dyeing process, anhydrous sodium sulfate can be used as a filler, cooking agent, background color protective agent, dye accelerator and coagulant for dyes and auxiliaries. In recent years, the output of printed and dyed fabrics in my country has grown rapidly. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the output of printed and dyed fabrics by enterprises above designated size in my country’s printing and dyeing industry will reach 60.58 billion meters in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 11.8%. Downstream demand drives my country’s anhydrous sodium sulfate market space to continue to expand.

my country’s anhydrous sodium sulfate production enterprises are mostly concentrated in areas with sufficient reserves of Glauber’s salt mineral resources. The well-known enterprises include Jingshen Co., Ltd., Yunnan Energy Investment, Xuetian Salt Industry, Nanfeng Chemical Industry, Sanyou Chemical Industry, Jinneng Technology, etc. Yunnan Energy Investment was listed in 2006. Its main products include electricity, Glauber’s salt, caustic soda, salt, natural gas, etc. According to the annual report of Yunnan Energy Investment Enterprise, the company’s thenardite output will reach approximately 75,000 tons in 2021, and the company will basically achieve full production and full sales throughout the year.

Industry analysts said that as a basic chemical raw material, anhydrous sodium sulfate has a wide range of product applications, such as printing, dyeing, and washing. Supplies, papermaking and other industries all have large application needs. my country is the world’s largest exporter of anhydrous sodium sulfate. As the global economy gradually recovers, the market demand for anhydrous sodium sulfate is increasingly strong. High-quality, green and environmentally friendly anhydrous sodium sulfate products will gain broad market space.