Global Polyolefin Catalyst Market Moves Eastward

Some polyolefin devices in North America and Europe have closed down in recent years due to their weak competitiveness, which has caused a large negative impact on the demand for polyolefin catalysts in these two regions. However, the production of a large number of newly-built polyolefin devices from Asia has stimulated The demand for polyolefin catalysts has increased. However, market participants have recently stated that the growth opportunities in mature markets still exist because mature polyolefins producers are gradually shifting to the production of high-end polyolefin products due to the gradual occupation of the general polyolefin market by their peers in the Middle East.

The global catalyst and additive production giant American Albemarle's sales of its catalyst business in 2009 reached US$808 million, of which polymer catalyst accounted for 27%. Ami Moto, vice president of the company’s polyolefin and chemical catalyst business, said: “We have the ability to supply high-end polyolefin catalysts and general-purpose polyolefin catalyst products. Affected by the increasing market share of low-cost producers in the Middle East for global polyolefin products, polyolefin producers in North America, Europe, Japan and South Korea and other places. Started to shift to the production of high-grade specialty polyolefins, and their demand for high-end polyolefin catalysts is increasing.” Albemarle expects that its catalyst business will continue to grow in the next few years, and the sales revenue of refining catalysts and polyolefin catalysts will reach to 2012 1.2 billion US dollars.

Albemarle has now expanded its catalyst business to the Middle East. In 2009, the company announced that it will build a joint venture plant with Saudi Arabia’s Specialty Chemicals Company in Saudi Jubail. The plant is expected to start production in early 2012 and will become the only one in the Middle East at that time. Alkylaluminum production plants. Alkylaluminum is a commonly used cocatalyst in Ziegler-Natta catalyst systems. According to the analysis of the American company, the Middle East region will become the largest aluminum alkyl demand region in the world in 2014.

Moto also said that although the current single-active metallocene catalysts account for only about 10% of the polyolefin catalyst market, this figure will rise to 20% by 2020, when the global polyolefin catalyst market will reach 3 billion US dollars. Yabao Company Recently introduced a new metallocene catalyst system called ActivCat, which can greatly enhance the activity of the catalyst.

According to Dorothy Kreukler, who is responsible for PP's patent license and catalyst business at Dow Chemical, not only in the Middle East, the demand for polyolefin catalysts in the entire Asian region will grow strongly. Dow Chemical has already signed in China. 6 Unipol Polypropylene Patent Technology Licensing Agreements. The recently signed Patent Licensing Agreement is for Sinochem’s 200,000-ton/year PP plant in Quanzhou, Fujian Province, and is expected to be put into production in 2012. Kleinleul said that despite new construction in China in recent years, With a large number of PP devices, it is still difficult to meet market demand. China is still the world's major PP importing country, and the demand for polypropylene catalysts in the Chinese market is still quite large.

Dow Chemical also discusses potential Unipol Polypropylene (PP) patent technology licensing cooperation agreements with manufacturers in South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, North Africa, and South America, and has granted Unipol patent licenses to Saudi and Indian customers. In general, current global production of about 11 million tons/year of PP uses Dow Chemical's Unipol patented technology, which accounts for 17% of global PP production. The new license helps Dow Chemical's patent license. Release and catalyst business became one of Dow Chemical's most profitable businesses in 2009.