Analysis of the latest development status of nonionic cellulose ether industry in 2022

Nonionic cellulose ethers, including HPMC, HEC, MHEC, MC, HPC, etc., are mostly used as film forming agents, binders, dispersants, water holding agents, thickening agents, emulsifiers and stabilizers, and are widely used in coatings, building materials, everyday chemical supplies, oil and gas mining, pharmaceuticals, food, textiles, paper and numerous other fields. Paint and building materials were used the most.

Non-ionic cellulose ether is the main field of application.

In 1905, the world's first cellulose authentication was achieved, using dimethyl sulfate and alkaline cellulose methylation. Nonionic cellulose ethers were patented by Lilienfeld in 1912, and water-soluble and oil-soluble cellulose ethers were obtained by Dreyfus (1914) and Leuchs (1920). Hubert received his HEC in 1920. In the early 1920s, carboxymethylcellulose was commercialized in Germany. Industrial production of MC and HEC was realized in the United States from 1937 to 1938. After 1945, cellulosic ether production expanded rapidly in Western Europe, the United States, and Japan. After almost a century of development, nonionic cellulose ether has become a widely used chemical feedstock worldwide.There is still a gap between developing and developed countries in the level of production technology and applications of nonionic cellulosic ether. In terms of production technology, developed countries, mainly in Europe, North America and Japan, are relatively mature in terms of technology and know-how, producing high-end application products such as paints, food and pharmaceuticals. Cellulose ether products such as CMC and HPMC are mainly produced in developing countries where demand is high and technical difficulties are relatively low, with the construction materials sector being the main consumer market.

In China, ionic cellulose ether represented by CMC developed earlier, formed a more mature production process and larger capacity scale, according to statistics, Chinese manufacturers have occupied roughly half of the global production capacity of basic CMC products, non-ionic cellulose ether development in China started relatively late, but the development speed is rapid, In 2021, the production capacity of non-ionic cellulose ether of domestic enterprises in China reached 283,900 tons, with a year-on-year growth of 49.03%.

Statistics on the production capacity of nonionic cellulosic ether by domestic enterprises in China from 2019 to 2021.

As capacity has increased, so has output. In 2021, China's domestic enterprises produced 172,500 tons of nonionic cellulosic ether, while the downstream applications continued to expand. Sales of non-ionic cellulosic ethers by Chinese domestic enterprises have increased steadily in recent years, reaching 165,400 tons in 2021. Currently, domestic manufacturers still have a low market share of non-ionic cellulosic ether. The domestic market share is mainly occupied by international manufacturers, and there is a large domestic replacement space. It will further compete with international manufacturers as the quality of domestic non-ionic cellulosic ether products improves and production capacity expands. Domestic substitution and international market competition will be the main trends in the industry in the future.