Capacity Surplus of Glyoxal

1   Production

The scale and technology of China's glyoxal production saw
outstanding developments in the 1990s. Hubei Hengri Chemical
Industry Co., Ltd., Liaoning Gaizhou Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.
and Shanghai Sulfuric Acid Plant increased their glyoxal
capacity through construction, renovation and expansion.
Beijing Research Institute of Extraction Applied Technologies
developed a solvent extraction process for the purification of
glyoxal. Tsinghua Unisplendour Corporation Ltd. developed a
process for the removal of formaldehyde from glyoxal.
   There are nearly 10 glyoxal producers in China today. The
total capacity is around 80 thousand t/a and the total output
is around 42 thousand tons a year. Major producers include
Shanghai Huayi Group Shangliu Chemical Co., Ltd. (28 thousand
t/a), Hubei Hengri Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (10 thousand t/a),
Shanghai Guangyu Fine Chemical Co., Ltd. (10 thousand t/a),
Shandong Jinyimeng Group Co., Ltd. (10 thousand t/a) and Hubei
Huanggang Natural Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (10 thousand t/a).
All these producers use the mono ethylene glycol vapor-phase
oxidation process. Shanghai Huayi Group Shangliu Chemical Co.,
Ltd. is the largest glyoxal producer in China today. Its capacity
has reached 28 thousand t/a, accounting for around 35% of the
national total. All the indexes of 40% low-chroma glyoxal
produced in the company conform to the national standard.

2   Consumption increases constantly

In China, glyoxal is mainly used in light industry, textile
dyeing/printing, pharmaceutical and petroleum sectors. The
total consumption was around 39 thousand tons in 2005 --- 20.5%
for light industry, 23.1% for textile dyeing/printing, 51.2% for
the pharmaceutical sector, 2.6% for the petroleum sector and
2.6% for other sectors.

2.1 Light industry

In the light industry sector, glyoxal is mainly used in
papermaking. The consumption of glyoxal in light industry was
around 5 thousand tons in 2000 and around 8 thousand tons in 2005.
With the steady development of the national economy and the
constant improvement of people's living standard, the demand for
glyoxal in this sector will increase steadily. Demand is
expected to reach around 10 thousand tons in 2009.

2.2 Textile dyeing/printing

Textile dyeing/printing is one of the most important application
sectors for glyoxal in China. The use of glyoxal and derivatives
in the textile sector as finishing agents can improve
shrink-resistance, crease-resistance, wash-resilient and
no-iron properties of fibers such as cotton and nylon.
   Glyoxal can react with amino acid compounds, aromatic diamine
compounds or hydrazine compounds to produce dyestuffs or
dyestuff intermediates. The consumption of glyoxal in the
textile sector was around 5.3 thousand tons in 2000 and around
9 thousand tons in 2005. With the improvement of people's living
standard and the export expansion of clothes, the demand of
glyoxal in the textile sector will increase rapidly. Besides,
China has become a major country for dyestuff production and
trade in the world. The bright prospect in the production and
export of dyestuffs will greatly promote the demand increase of
glyoxal in China. It is expected that the demand for glyoxal in
this sector will reach around 10.5 thousand tons in 2009.

2.3 Pharmaceutical sector

Glyoxal can have heterocyclization with other compounds to
produce a series of pharmaceutical raw materials with extensive
application. Glyoxal reacts with ammonia to get imidazole and
2-methylimidazole that are used in the production of
antibacterial drugs such as clotrimazole and miconazole.
Glyoxal has cyclopolymerization with o-phenylenediamine to get
quinoxaline that is an intermediate for the synthesis of anti-TB
(tuberculosis) drug pyrazinamide. Glyoxal has condensation
reaction with glycinamide to get 2-hydroxypyrazine that is used
as raw material for the production of sulfonamide drugs and
insecticide thionazin. Hydroxyphenylacetic acid produced from
glyoxal can be used as an intermediate for the synthesis of
antibiotics. Homologues composed of 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole
and derivatives synthesized from glyoxal are broad-spectrum
antibiotics used in urogenital systems. For example,
dimetridazole can be used to cure epidemic diseases and
metronidazole and timidazole are broad-spectrum
antiparasitics.
   Glyoxal-oxidized product glyoxalic acid is an organic
synthesis intermediate that has been in great demand in China
in recent years. China's production capacity for glyoxalic acid
has already reached around 39 thousand t/a today. Major
producers include Shanghai Fuhao Industry and Trade Co., Ltd.,
Hengdian Group Jiayuan Chemistry  Industry Co., Ltd., Shanxi
Linfen Chemicals Dyeing Co., Ltd., Hebei Shijiazhuang Sanhe
Chemical Co., Ltd., Luquan Hongli Fine Chemical Plant, Zhejiang
Taizhou Sanhua Chemical Co., Ltd., Hebei Cangzhou Jingke
Electrochemical Technology Co., Ltd., China Haohua Group
Xuanhua Co., Ltd. and Jiangsu Taixing Yuandong Chemical Co., Ltd.
Methods for glyoxalic acid production mainly include the
glyoxal/air catalytic oxidation process, the oxalic acid
electrolytic reduction process and the maleic anhydride/ozone
oxidation process. The glyoxal/air catalytic oxidation process
can easily achieve commercial production and is regarded by
experts to be the glyoxalic acid synthesis process most suitable
to the national conditions in China. With the development of the
pharmaceutical industry, therefore, the demand of
pharmaceutical-grade glyoxal will increase constantly. The
consumption of glyoxal in the pharmaceutical sector was around
5 thousand tons in 2000 and around 20 thousand tons in 2005. It
is expected that the demand will reach around 25 thousand tons
in 2009.

2.4 Petroleum sector

In the petroleum sector, the use of the mixed solution of glyoxal,
clay and soda powder as oilfield drilling mud can get
satisfactory viscosity and excellent gel strength. Lube oil
synthesized from glyoxal, 2-chloroethanol and n-hexane has
excellent lubricating properties. Glyoxal can also be used to
synthesize oil-transmission lubricants. Glyoxal produced in
China today is mainly used as lubricant in oil pipeline
transmission. The consumers are large oilfield operators. The
consumption of glyoxal in the petroleum industry was around 900
tons in 2000 and around 1 thousand tons in 2005. It is expected
that the demand will reach around 1.3 thousand tons in 2009.

2.5 Other sectors

Glyoxal can also be used in many other sectors. For example, when
glyoxal is added into contaminated electroplating bath,
chromium interference will immediately disappear. The mixture
of glyoxal, oxalic acid and dihydroxy acid coated on a metal
surface can prevent rust. The mixture of glyoxal and aminoacetic
acid can be used as anti-rust agent for galvanized steel plates.
In addition, glyoxal can also be used as cement additive, rocket
propellant and fuel. The consumption of glyoxal in other sectors
was around 800 tons in 2000 and around 1 thousand tons in 2005.
It is expected that the demand will reach around 1.2 thousand
tons in 2009.
   The total demand of glyoxal in China will therefore reach
around 48 thousand tons in 2009. Major consumption sectors will
still be pharmaceutical, textile dyeing/printing and
papermaking sectors.
   Owing