Production and Market Prospects of PVDC Resin in China     

Chloride (PVDC) resin is an excellent packaging material that is polymerized from vinylidene chloride (VDC) with other monomers such as vinyl chloride (VC), acrylonitrile, acrylic acid or methacrylates. Industrially, PVDC resin is usually made by the emulsion polymerization process or the suspension polymerization process. The former is now the main method.
   In the mid-1980s, PVDC developed to its peak. Later, the development of PVDC was greatly restricted because of the advent of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH or PVA) and the biaxially oriented polyamide (BOPA) film and also because of disputes over white pollution caused by waste chloride plastics and over carcinogenic dioxins caused by the burning of waste chlorine-containing plastics. After the 1990s, because people gained a further awareness of PVDC articles, PVDC resin has developed greatly once again. According to reports, the world's total PVDC resin capacity now reaches about 230 000 t/a.
   In the spring of 1978, Henan Chundu Group imported a production line from Japan to produce PVDC film for the packaging of ham sausages. Since then, China has begun the application of PVDC film. In the mid-1980s, with strong support from Zhejiang University and responsible government departments, Zhejiang Juhua Co Ltd researched the synthesis and processing of PVDC resin. This company built a 1 000 t/a PVDC resin pilot plant in 1990 and produced qualified resins in 1994. In 1996, Henan Chundu Group tried Zhejiang Juhua Co Ltd's PVDC resin on its MACRO production line, getting a satisfactory result. In late 1999, Zhejiang Juhua Co Ltd invested RMB150 million to build a 20 000 t/a vinylidene chloride factory and a 10 000 t/a PVDC resin polymerization unit (this unit was constructed in two phases. The first phase has a capacity of 5 000 t/a). In 2001, the first-phase 5 000 t/a PVDC resin production unit was put into operation. However, due to technical problems, it was not until the second half of 2006 that this unit began commercial production.
   At present, China's total capacity of PVDC latex exceeds 6 000 t/a. In China, Zhejiang Juhua Co Ltd is the main producer of PVDC latex. Zhejiang Dongyang Wildwind Plastics Co Ltd also produces PVDC latex. These two companies have begun to export PVDC latex. China's PVDC latex production technology has matured, but its PVDC resin production technology needs further improvement.
   In 2005, a 10 000 t/a PVDC mixed resin powder unit, jointly funded by Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co Ltd, Japan's Kureha Chemical Industry Co Ltd and Toyota Tsusho Corporation in Nantong, Jiangsu province, was put into production. Its products are mainly supplied to Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co Ltd. Other Chinese companies, such as Shanghai Chlor-Alkali Chemical Co Ltd, are speeding up their development of PVDC production technology.
   PVDC latex can serve as an excellent barrier to both oxygen and water (steam) and can be used to produce disposable snack boxes. Currently, China's disposable tableware market volume has reached over 15 billion pieces/annum, of which the tourism industry consumes about 5 billion pieces/year (including those used in railways, highways, aviation, and instant noodles), and ultra-fresh goods trays and the restaurant industry need about 10 billion pieces/annum. If every piece of tableware incorporates 2 grams of PVDC latex, the total demand for PVDC latex in China is about 30 000 t/a. Currently, major PVDC latexes sold in the market are waterproof and oil-resistant glue for paper, special glue for tableware, anti-leaking glue, electrostatic spraying powder and imported solvent-based latex. Pharmaceutical packaging will also be an important potential market for PVDC film in China. PVDC-coated film can be used for the packaging of bag-type pharmaceutical tablets. PVDC-coated PVC rigid film can replace traditional PVC rigid film for pharmaceutical blister packaging and can enhance the barrier property by 5-10 times.
   Since 2003, many Chinese enterprises have invested in processing PVDC articles. For example, Hainan Modern Enterprise Co Ltd constructed a PVDC-coated film production line with a capacity of 4 500 t/a. Zhejiang Futong Plastic Packaging Co Ltd is a large professional producer of PVDC-coated film in China. The company has imported high-grade PVDC-coated film production lines from Switzerland and high-speed slitting machines from the UK and specialized in the production of all kinds of PVDC-coated film. The company has a PVDC-coated film capacity of 2 000 t/a. Using pharmaceutical PVC rigid film and pharmaceutical PVC/PE compound film as substrates, Jiangsu Qionghua High-tech Co Ltd coats PVDC on the substrates to produce PVDC-coated composite rigid films, which are 5-10 times as effective as a barrier than pharmaceutical PVC rigid film and slows the agglomeration and metamorphic failure of drugs and extends their shelf life. Currently, Linyi Xincheng Jinluo Meat Products Co Ltd, Henan Luohe Shuanghui Group Co Ltd and Henan Chundu Group have operated PVDC casing production lines. Their total demand for PVDC resin exceeds 15 000 t/a. Many enterprises in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shandong provinces have imported PVDC film or PVDC-coated film production lines. The application of PVDC film or PVDC-coated film in China has grown rapidly.
   PVDC resin has an excellent barrier property and oil-resistance performance. Compared with polymers such as EVOH and nylon, it has excellent comprehensive performance and a low cost and has a wide range of applications in high-temperature meat products and smoked products. At present, about 35 000 tons of PVDC resin is used each year in China just to package pork sausages. If PVDC resin is applied in more plastic wraps and multi-layer composite films, the demand for it will grow exponentially. But in China, only a few enterprises now produce PVDC resin, such as Zhejiang Juhua Co Ltd, Zhejiang Dongyang Wildwind Plastic Co Ltd and the Nantong-based joint venture funded by Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co Ltd, Japan's Kureha Chemical Company and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. Their output cannot meet the actual demand in China. So PVDC resin makers have a bright future in China.

PVDC resin volume imported by China  (tons)
1998    3387
1999    9225
2000    12969
2001    13416
2002    17497
2003    25245
2004    24847
2005    25069
2006    21929
2007    25811
2008    22507
2009    23247
2010 Jan-Oct    28383
Source: CCR