Research progress on synthesis technology of methyl methacrylate
Research progress on synthesis technology of methyl methacrylate"Lao Zhang, have you seen the pilot test data this time? The catalyst life of C4 method has been extended by 20%, and the cost per ton has been directly reduced by 800 yuan! ”In the laboratory, Li Yang, the leader of Wanhua Chemical's MMA R&D team, pointed at the computer screen with an uncontrollable excitement in his voice. The process engineer across from Zhang Jianguo pushed his glasses and nodded at the conversion rate curve, saying, "The key is that the cost of wastewater treatment has decreased by 35%, which is the hard indicator that can replace the ACH method. ”This conversation, which took place in the late summer of 2024, reflects the technological transformation that the methyl methacrylate (MMA) industry is undergoing - an accelerated shift from traditional high pollution processes to green and low-cost routes. As a core raw material for the production of organic glass (PMMA), high-performance coatings, adhesives, and other products, the breakthrough in the synthesis technology of MMA is not only related to corporate profits, but also affects the environmental transformation of the global chemical industry chain.
--1、 Industry Overview 1 Definition and Category: According to the National Bureau of Statistics' Classification of National Economic Industries (GB/T 4754-2022), methyl methacrylate (MMA) belongs to the subcategory of "Organic Chemical Raw Material Manufacturing (2614)" under the category of "Chemical Raw Material and Chemical Product Manufacturing". It is an unsaturated ester compound with a molecular structure of CH ₂=C (CH ∝) COOCH ∝. Its core application areas include: polymer materials: polymerization to produce polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, commonly known as organic glass), accounting for 55% of downstream demand for MMA;
-Coatings and adhesives: as co monomers to enhance coating hardness and adhesion, accounting for 25%; -Other: resin modification, fiber treatment agents, etc., accounting for 20% (data source: China Petroleum&Chemical Federation
2024 MMA Industry Development White Paper).
2. Industry Chain Structure
The MMA industry chain presents a typical chemical chain of "upstream raw materials midstream synthesis downstream applications" (see table
1):
Core content of each link
Upstream raw materials mainly include acetone, hydrocyanic acid (ACH method), isobutene/tert butanol (C4 method), ethylene (ethylene method), and other midstream synthesis mainstream processes such as acetone cyanohydrin method (ACH), isobutene oxidation method (C4), ethylene method (BASF process). Downstream applications include PMMA resin, coatings, adhesives, resin modifiers, etc.
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2. Market Status Analysis 1 The global MMA market maintains stable growth in terms of scale and growth rate. According to ICIS's 2024 data, the global MMA production capacity reached 6.8 million tons per year, a year-on-year increase of 4.6%; As the largest producer, China has a production capacity of 42% (2.85 million tons/year) and a production of 2.4 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 5.3%. On the demand side, the global MMA consumption in 2024 is about 6.2 million tons, of which China consumes 1.95 million tons (accounting for 31.5%), mainly driven by the application of PMMA in emerging fields such as 5G base station casings (increasing by 18% annually) and photovoltaic backboards (increasing by 25% annually) (data source: Zhuochuang Information's "2024 MMA Market Supply and Demand Report"). two The competitive landscape is highly concentrated in the industry, with CR5 (the top five companies) accounting for 65% of global production capacity. There are significant differences in the technology routes of top enterprises (see Table 2):
Enterprises
Wanhua Chemical Yingchuang Akoma Mitsubishi Chemical Keleli
Market share (2024)
18% 15% 12% 10%
Core technology routes
Isobutene oxidation method (C4) Acetone cyanohydrin method (ACH) Mixed process (ACH+C4) ACH method Ethylene method (experimental stage)
3. User profile (downstream application distribution) MMA demand is highly concentrated in the industrial field, and the downstream distribution of the Chinese market in 2024 is:
- PMMA manufacturing: 55% (including optical grade PMMA) 22%, mainly used for mobile phone lens protection covers and car displays; -Coatings/adhesives: 25% (architectural coatings account for 60%, industrial anti-corrosion coatings account for 40%); -Resin modification: 15% (mainly used for ABS/PC alloy modification to improve weather resistance); -Other: 5% (Data source: Tuduoduo platform 2024 chemical raw material procurement survey). ---III. Technology and Trend Analysis 1 The core technology evolution of MMA synthesis technology has gone through three generations of iterations. The current mainstream processes are ACH method and C4 method, and the ethylene method is on the eve of industrialization (see Figure 1):
- Acetone cyanohydrin method (ACH method): It was industrialized in the 1930s with high technological maturity (Gartner curve "mature period"), but it relies on hydrogen cyanide (highly toxic). Every ton of MMA produced produces 8-10 tons of cyanide containing wastewater, and the treatment cost is about 1500 yuan/ton (accounting for 18% of the total cost).
-Isobutene oxidation method (C4 method): Developed by Asahi Kasei in Japan in the 1980s, the technology maturity is in the "growth stage" (Gartner curve). Using isobutene as raw material, MMA is generated through two-step oxidation without cyanide discharge. The wastewater is only 20% of that of ACH method. In 2024, Wanhua Chemical improved the single pass conversion rate from 82% to 88% through catalyst (molybdenum vanadium tellurium system), and the ton cost was reduced to 9500 yuan (a decrease of 18% from 2020).
-Ethylene process (BASF process): Theoretically using ethylene, methanol, and carbon monoxide as raw materials, the atomic utilization rate is close to 100%, but it requires high-pressure carbonylation reaction (20-30 MPa), and the catalyst (palladium based) is prone to deactivation. Currently, only BASF has a 100000 ton/year pilot line in Ludwigshafen, Germany, and the industrial cost is still 10% -15% higher than the C4 process. two Future trend prediction - Policy driven: China's "14th Five Year Plan" green transformation policy for the chemical industry requires a 30% reduction in wastewater discharge per unit product in the MMA industry by 2025 compared to 2020, which will accelerate the withdrawal of ACH method (it is expected that the proportion of ACH method production capacity will decrease from 55% in 2024 to 40% in 2025). -Technological iteration: The lifespan of C4 catalyst is expected to be extended from the current 3000 hours to 5000 hours (Wanhua Chemical's 2024 pilot test data), driving the cost per ton to below 9000 yuan; If the ethylene method solves the problem of catalyst stability, it may achieve large-scale commercialization by 2030.
-Change in demand: The demand for optical grade PMMA is expected to increase by 20% annually (2024-2028), driving the upgrade of MMA towards high purity (≥ 99.95%) and low impurities (aldehydes ≤ 5ppm), and forcing the optimization of synthesis processes (such as increasing the number of distillation tower stages and introducing membrane separation purification). three Analysis of Emerging Scenarios
The integration of MMA with carbon neutrality and new materials has given rise to new applications: - Biodegradable materials: MMA copolymerizes with lactic acid to produce biodegradable plastic (PLA-MMA), with a degradation cycle shortened from 180 days for PLA to 90 days (a research result from Tsinghua University in 2024), and has entered the pilot stage; -Photovoltaic packaging: PMMA replaces some EVA film for double glass modules, increasing the UV aging resistance life from 25 years to 30 years (according to data from Follett's 2024 new product launch event). It is expected that the demand for MMA in the photovoltaic field will reach 8% in 2028 (only 2% in 2024). --4、 Challenge and Opportunity 1 Existing challenges - technical bottlenecks: There is still room for improvement in the conversion rate of isobutene by C4 method (current 88% vs theoretical 92%), and the cost of ethylene catalyst accounts for as high as 35% (restricting industrialization); -Environmental pressure: ACH method enterprises need to invest 50-80 million yuan/10000 tons of production capacity to renovate wastewater treatment equipment (such as introducing membrane electrolysis to recover cyanide), resulting in a 5% -7% decrease in gross profit margin (calculated based on the 2024 financial report data of Winco); -Competitive pressure: From 2024 to 2026, the global MMA production capacity will increase by 1.2 million tons (with China accounting for 800000 tons). If the demand growth rate is lower than 6% (5.3% in 2024), it will trigger a price war (it is expected that MMA prices will drop to 8500 yuan/ton in 2026, a decrease of 10% from 2024). two Development Opportunities - Domestic Substitution: By 2024, China's MMA self-sufficiency rate will reach 92% (compared to only 78% in 2020), and the dependence on high-end optical grade MMA imports will decrease from 45% to 25% (due to breakthroughs in purification technology by companies such as Wanhua Chemical and Satellite Chemical);
-Green transformation: C4 law companies can apply for the "Environmental Leader" certification and enjoy instant VAT refund (tax rebate rate of 10%). It is expected that the net profit margin of related companies can increase by 3% -5% by 2025;
-Emerging demand: 5G base stations (with a single station PMMA usage of 0.8 tons) and new energy vehicles (with an annual increase of 30% in PMMA usage for car displays) will drive MMA demand to reach 2.8 million tons in 2028 (an increase of 43.6% compared to 2024).
--5、 Suggestions and Prospects 1 Enterprise Strategy Suggestions - Leading enterprises (such as Wanhua Chemical): Accelerate the layout of C4 catalyst patents (Wanhua has applied for 12 related patents by 2024), and pilot ethylene process pilot tests (it is recommended to cooperate with BASF to reduce technical risks);
-Small and medium-sized enterprises: Focus on segmented markets (such as low molecular weight MMA for adhesives), increase premiums through customized production (gross profit margin can reach 25%, higher than the industry average of 10%);
-ACH method enterprises: Complete wastewater treatment transformation by 2025 (refer to Shanghai Huayi's "cyanide membrane recovery+biochemical treatment" combination process, cost reduction of 40%), or switch to other cyanide compounds (such as adiponitrile). two Investment risk warning - Technology iteration risk: If the ethylene process cannot be industrialized before 2030, C4 process enterprises need to continue investing in research and development (expected to have an average annual R&D cost of 5% -8%), otherwise they may be surpassed by new entrants;
-Policy risk: If the environmental tax is increased from the current 2.5 yuan/pollution equivalent to 5 yuan (draft for comments), the ton cost of ACH method enterprises will increase by 300-500 yuan, and some production capacity may be forced to withdraw;
-Market risk: If the growth rate of photovoltaic installed capacity is lower than 20% (35% in 2024), PMMA demand may not meet expectations, resulting in MMA inventory backlog (expected inventory cycle extended from 30 days to 45 days). --As the laboratory lights gradually dimmed, Li Yang closed his notebook and said, "Ten years ago, we were still struggling to get rid of the ACH method; Now, the C4 method can compete with international giants. ”Outside the window, Wanhua Chemical's MMA device flickered in the darkness, resembling the green future that this industry is lighting up - technological breakthroughs are never the end, but a more efficient and cleaner starting point.
