Chinese Water Reducers Market Development
Year:2017 ISSUE:6
COLUMN:FINE & SPECIALTY
Click:346    DateTime:Mar.20,2017
Chinese Water Reducers  Market Development

By Lu Xuan, Cao Zirong, PetroChina Jilin Petrochemical Co., Ltd.

Water reducers commonly used today are roughly classified into lignosulfonate varieties, naphthalene/anthracene high-performance varieties and polycarboxylic acid varieties. Polycarboxylic acid water reducers have the advantages of low blending amount, high water reducing effect and good compatibility with cement, blends and other admixtures and have therefore attracted great attention. Polycarboxylic acid water reducers include mainly polyester-based varieties and polyether-based varieties. High-performance polyether-based water reducers have become a focus in research into polycarboxylic acid water reducers today.
China started exploratory production and application of polycarboxylic acid water reducers in 2000. The construction of high-speed railways promoted rapid development of polycarboxylic acid high-performance water reducers in 2007. Starting from 2011, the output of polycarboxylic acid water reducers increased drastically. Driven by energy conservation, environmental protection and safe production, polycarboxylic acid water reducers have quickly replaced naphthalene water reducers and become mainstream water reducers in recent years.

Table 1   Annual output of polycarboxylic acid water reducers in China  (kt)

Year    2003    2004    2005    2006    2007    2009    2011    2013    2015
Output    15    20    50    150    413    1 268    2 391    4 978    6 219


Table 2   Proportions of different types of water reducers in China’s total output of synthetic water reducers  (%)

Year    Polycarboxylic acid high-performance water reducers    Naphthalene/anthracene high-performance water reducers    Lignosulfonate water reducers
2015    72.9    26.4    0.7
2013    52.2    46.5    1.3
2011    37.1    60.2    2.8
2009    26.2    66.6    7.2
2007    14.6    79.3    6.2


China’s total output of polycarboxylic acid water reducers in 2015 was 6.22 million tons, an increase of 24.9% over 2013 and an increase of 160.1% over 2011. Table 1 shows the annual output of polycarboxylic acid water reducers in China in recent years (based on the concentration of 20%).
Table 2 shows the proportion of different types of water reducers in the total output of synthetic water reducers in recent years. Polycarboxylic acid high-performance water reducers accounted for 72.9% of the total output of synthetic water reducers in 2015; that is 20.7 percent points higher than in 2013 and 35.8 percent points higher than in 2011. This shows that polycarboxylic acid high-performance water reducers are undergoing sustained rapid development in China.
Table 3 shows the major suppliers of polyether as raw material for polycarboxylic acid water reducers in China in the first half of 2016. Table 4 shows the output of various types of polyether used in polycarboxylic acid water reducers.
The mainstream types of polyether used in the production of polycarboxylic acid water reducers in 2015 were HPEG and IPEG (TPEG501), as they had been for some time. The consumption of APEG was basically kept stable. The consumption of MPEG declined drastically.
The water reducer sector in China has scattered markets and numerous producers. Integration will accelerate in the future. Enterprises with the advantages of large scale and good branding will become prominent.
The comprehensive plan for construction of underground corridors in China specifies that 389 km of corridors will be constructed by 2018 and the total investment will reach RMB46.6 billion. Development of the water reducer market will therefore be promoted. The coming of sponge cities will include massive construction of pervious concrete terraces and decorative concrete road surface bricks, bringing along considerably increased scale for the water reducer market. Water reducer producers can use their products in “one belt one road” projects through trade or overseas construction.               

Table 3    Major suppliers of raw material polyether in China

Supplier    Production
time    Polyether capacity (kt/a)    Brand of polyether-based water reducers
Jilin Zhongxin Chemical Group Co., Ltd.    2013    100    TPEG (ZX-504),?HPEG (ZX-306)
Liaoning Kelong Fine Chemical Co., Ltd.    2014    100    TPEG2400 (F-108)
Jiangsu Nanjing Sobute New Materials Co., Ltd.    2010    100    PCA (IV)
Liaoning Oxiranchem, Inc.    2009    80    MPEG1000, MPEG1100, MPEG1200
Liaoning Oxiranchem Panjin Plant    2014    60    MPEG1000, MPEG1100, MPEG1200
Zhejiang Huangma Chemical Group Co., Ltd.    2006    80    HPEG2400, TPEG2400
China Sanjiang Fine Chemicals Co., Ltd.    2011    60    
Oriental Petrochemical (Yangzhou) Corporation    2015    60    TPEG series
Guangdong Oxiranchem Co., Ltd.    2010    60    
Wuhan Oxiranchem Co., Ltd.    2014    60    
Ningbo Liankai Chemical Co., Ltd.    2013    50    
Shanghai Dongda Chemical Co., Ltd.    2011    50    TPEG (DD-524)
Shanghai Taijie Chemical Co., Ltd.    2008    50    MPEG (TJ-188, TJ-188C)
Jiangsu Haian Petrochemical Plant    2009    50    APEG, MPEG
Yangzi Oxiranchem Co., Ltd.    2014    50    
Clariant Chemical (China) Co., Ltd.    2011    50    
Kaidi Chemical Group Sanjiang Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.    2014    50    


Table 4   Output of types of polyether in China, 2010-2015  (kt)

Type of polyether    2010    2011    2012    2013    2014    2015
MPEG    64.0    144.3    19.5    40.0    10.3    8.1
APEG    94.1    94.5    31.5    22.4    0.9    15.6
IPEG    83.5    164.5    157.5    275.6    345.1    400.5
HPEG    42.7    192.5    241.7    459.5    513.0    611.2
Others (macromolecular polyether)    0.2    13.5    33.7    66.8    0.3    0.9
Total    284.6    610.3    483.9    864.3    878.2    1 036.4