Market Prospects of Fluorine-containing Pesticide Intermediates in China   

Fluorine-containing pesticide intermediates in China can be divided into three categories: fluorinated aliphatic intermediates, fluorinated aromatic intermediates and fluorinated heterocyclic intermediates.

1. Fluorinated aliphatic intermediates

Fluorinated aliphatic intermediates which have good market prospects in China include: trifluoroacetic acid, trifluoroethanol and trifluoroacetaldehyde. In addition, some other fluorinated aliphatic intermediates also have a wide range of applications in China. For example, trichloro-trifluoroethane can be used to produce cyhalothrin, tefluthrin, bifenthrin and other pesticides; chloro-difluoromethane can be used for the production of flucythrinate, brofluthrinate, primisulfuron-methyl, etc.; and ethyl 4,4,4-trifluoroacetoacetate can be used for the synthesis of thiazopyr.

2. Fluorinated heterocyclic intermediates

Fluorinated heterocyclic intermediates, in particular fluorinated pyridines, have a wide range of applications for manufacturing pesticides.
    2-Ethoxy-4,6-difluoropyrimidine is an intermediate used for the production of triazolopyrimidine herbicides such as diclosulam. In China, as its output is still very small, the market outlook is optimistic.
   2,3-Dichloro-5-trifluoromethyl pyridine is an intermediate of  high-efficiency insecticides, fungicides and herbicides, such as chlorfluazuron, fluazuron, heloxyfop-methyl and fluazinam. Its manufacturers in China include Fuxin Siwei Haloids Co Ltd and Wuhan Yuancheng Technology Development Co Ltd. Its market prospect is very broad.
   2-Chloro-5-trifluoromethyl pyridine is an important fluorinated pesticide intermediate and used for the production of herbicides like fluazifop and flazasulfuron, insecticides such as chlorfluazuron and fluazuron, and fungicides such as fluazinam. In China, the demand for this intermediate is growing, but its output is very small, so its supply is short.

3. Aromatic fluorinated intermediates

In the past decade, fluorinated aromatic intermediates have been developed rapidly in China.
   2-Chloro-4-fluorophenol is derived from p-fluorophenol. It is used for the production of cyclic imide herbicides, such as flumioxazin, flumiclorac-pentyl, pentoxaxone and fluthiacet-methyl. In China, there are many p-fluorophenol producers, but few 2-chloro-4-fluorophenol producers. So, this intermediate has a good market potential in China.
  4-Trifluoromethoxy aniline is an intermediate used for the production of insecticides such as triflumuron and indoxacarb and fungicides like thifluzamide. In China, major manufacturers of this intermediate are Fuxin Specialty Chemicals Co Ltd and Zhejiang Fusheng Holdings Group Co Ltd.
  2-Fluoro-4-chloroaniline is an intermediate of  triazolinone herbicides such as sulfentrazone and carfentrazone-ethyl. This intermediate can be used to make 2-fluoro-4-chlorophenyl hydrazine, which is also an important fluorinated pesticide intermediate. Its major producers include Fuxin Hesheng Fine Chemical Co Ltd and Zhejiang Sanmen Xie's Chemical Industry Co Ltd.
    2,6- Difluorobenzamide is a key intermediate for the synthesis of benzoylurea insecticides, which are chitin inhibitors. By inhibiting the biosynthesis of chitin in the bodies of insects, the insecticides can kill the insects. Their insecticidal mechanism is different from other insecticides. Such insecticides feature high insecticidal activity, broad insecticidal spectrum, low persistence and high selectivity and are safe to humans and livestock. They are a class of environmentally friendly, new-type fluorine-containing insecticides.
   In recent years, benzoylurea pesticides have been developed rapidly in the world. Many benzoylurea pesticides have been launched, such as diflubenzuron, hexaflumuron, teflubenzuron, chlorfluazuron, flufenoxuron, triflumuron, fluazuron and novaluron. The market demand for high-quality 2,6-difluorobenzamide grows rapidly in China as well as in other countries.
   There are now ten producers of 2,6-difluorobenzamide in China. But in general, they can not operate smoothly with backward production technology. Their products are unable to meet the needs of the Chinese market and also to some extent restrict the development and production of benzoylurea pesticides in China. The increasing production and extensive applications of benzoylurea pesticides and the development of its family have put increasingly higher requirements on quality and synthesis technology of 2,6-difluorobenzamide.2,6-Difluorobenzonitrile is used for the production of 2,6-difluorobenzamide, which is a basic intermediate for the synthesis of benzoylurea insecticides, as mentioned above. In China, many agencies are developing 2,6-difluorobenzonitrile, including Shanghai Research Institute of Pesticides, Shenyang Research Institute of Chemical Industry and some universities and colleges. Its major producers are Yangzhou Tianchen Fine Chemical Co Ltd and Quzhou Rainful Chemical Co Ltd. In the country, as the market demand for it is large, 2,6-difluorobenzonitrile still has some market gap.
   2,6-Difluorobenzaldehyde is an important, new-type pesticide intermediate, used for the synthesis of pesticides such as flufenzine. In China, its major manufacturers are Yangzhou Tianchen Fine Chemical Co Ltd, Taizhou Jinhai Medicine & Chemical Co Ltd, and Changzhou Jitemeng Chemical Co Ltd. They all have a production capacity of about 70 t/a. China now has mature synthesis technology of this intermediate, an abundant raw material supply for it and a number of producers of the product. But due to the vigorous demand for the intermediate at overseas market in recent years, 2,6-difluorobenzaldehyde produced in the country is mainly used for exports. The market demand for the intermediate in China in 2009 was about 300 t/a.
   2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoro benzyl alcohol is an intermediate for the synthesis of transfluthrin, which is a broad-spectrum pyrethroid insecticide and has a good market prospect. As the raw material of transfluthrin, 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro benzyl alcohol also has good market prospects. In 2009, the market demand for it in China was about 500 t/a. Its major producers are Jiangsu Yangnong Chemical Co Ltd and Jiangsu Research Institute of Hormones.
2,3,5,6-Tetrafluoro-4-methylbenzyl alcohol is an intermediate for the synthesis of tefluthrin and acrinathrin, which are very promising pyrethroid products. The current market demand for this intermediate is continuing to grow, about 300 t/a in China in 2009.
  3,4-Dichloro-trifluoromethyl benzene is  mainly used as intermediate for the synthesis of fluorine-containing biphenyl ether herbicides, such as lactofen, ethoxyfen-ethyl, acifluorfen, HC-252, SN-106279, etc. It can also be used to synthesize pyrazole insecticide fipronil. As an important pesticide intermediate, it has attracted much attention in China. Now, many Chinese companies produce this intermediate, mainly for exports. With the further development of downstream products, the market demand for this intermediate will grow rapidly. Its market prospect is very promising.
  Trifluoromethylaniline is an intermediate of insecticides such as fipronil, fluvalinate and penfluron and fungicides such as fluazinam. A few years ago, the Chinese market mainly relied on imported trifluoromethylaniline. But now, there are more than 10 manufacturers of trifluoromethylaniline in China, with a total production capacity of about 2 500 t/a. Major producers include Dongyang Kangfeng Organic Fluoride Plant, Fuxin Specialty Chemicals Co Ltd, Jinhua Di'er Chemical Synthesis Co Ltd and S