Lv Guohui, China Polyurethane Industry Association

China has become an important production base for polyurethane raw materials and products in the world during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, with the most applications. The production capacity of main raw materials accounts for more than 1/3 of the global capacity. In 2020, China’s consumption of polyurethane products has reached 11.74 million tons (including solvents), and the polyurethane industry has entered a period of high-quality development.

In spite of the accelerated structural adjustment and technology upgrading, China’s polyurethane industry still has issues like insufficient technological innovation capabilities, low industrial concentration, serious homogeneity of low-end products, short of high-end products, small-scaled manufacturers, insufficient capacity for sustainable development, and yet to be improved levels of green, intelligent, and standardization. In the complex and severe international situation, the development of the polyurethane industry, during the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, will face greater uncertainty, and the development direction should be high performance, high quality, green and sustainable development.

In order to promote the healthy, sustainable and qualified development of the polyurethane industry, the China Polyurethane Industry Association puts forward a guide for the development of the polyurethane industry based on the “14th Five-Year Plan and the Outline of Long-term Goals for 2035” and the current situation of the industry.

Raw materials of polyurethane

1. Isocyanate

During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, China's toluene diisocyanate (TDI) and diphenylmethane diisocyanate (MDI) industries have achieved rapid development. In 2020, TDI production capacity reached 1.38 million t/a, with an average annual growth rate of 9% during the whole period. The major consumers of TDI are the soft foam and coating industries, which account for 84% of the total consumption. At the end of the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, China's MDI capacity reached 3.05 million t/a, and by 2020 the number rose to 3.34 million t/a. According to statistics, the consumption of various MDI products in China in 2020 was 2.445 million tons. Table 1 shows China's isocyanate capacities from 2016 to 2020.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the development priorities of China's isocyanate industry are:

(1) Industrial structure adjustment, to be large-scaled and integrated; (2) Strengthen energy integration and comprehensive utilization of energy, improve clean production level, and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement; (3) Emphasize the development of special diamines and improve isocyanate categories; (4) Improve the intrinsic safety level of nitrification, phosgene and phosgenation, and provide stable and reliable raw materials for the polyurethane industry.

2. Propylene oxide & polyols

About 75% of China's propylene oxide (PO) are used in the production of polyether polyols. At the end of the "12th Five-Year Plan" period, China's PO capacity was about 3.05 million t/a, and by 2020, the capacity reached 3.367 million t/a, and the planned capacities exceed 5 million t/a. Table 2 shows China's PO capacities from different process from 2016 to 2020.

During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, China's polyether polyol technology level continued to improve, and the output kept increasing. Polyether specifications and grades became complete, able to meet the domestic market demand. Table 3 shows the capacities and productions of polyether from 2016 to 2020. 

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's PO and polyol industry should focus on the following aspects:

(1) Pay attention to the risk of overcapacity of PO; (2) Speed up the engineering application of chlorohydrin caustic soda saponification technology, solve environmental problems, and realize comprehensive utilization of resources; (3) Pay attention to the economics of co-oxidation method; (4) Promote PO & polyether polyol integrated construction; (5) Pay attention to the development of polyether polyol production technology and equipment, and improve and upgrade continuous production technology and equipment; (6) Develop high-quality, low-odor, low-VOC polyols and CO2-based, biomass-based polyols; (7) Optimize polyester polyol equipment and process control, improve product quality, and increase product categories.

3. Additives

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, China's polyurethane industry should strengthen the technology development and application of functional, green, safe and environmental friendly additives, actively promote the replacement of foaming agent ODS, and establish and promote safe operation guidelines for alkane foaming agents.

Polyurethane products

1. Polyurethane foam

In 2020, China's polyurethane foam consumption was 4.671 million tons. Table 4 shows the consumptions of polyurethane foam in China from 2016 to 2020.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the development of the polyurethane foam industry includes the following aspects:

(1) The rigid foam industry should broaden its application in the construction field, pay attention to the safety standards of alkane foam production, strengthen the promotion of high flame retardant products, and develop and promote environmental friendly spray foaming processes; (2) The soft foam industry should promote green and environmental protection products, improve product quality, and enhance user experience; (3) Develop and promote recycling technologies for waste foam plastics.

2. Coatings, adhesives, sealants, elastomers (CASE)

During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, among polyurethane CASE products, elastomers developed rapidly, coatings and adhesives developed steadily, and shoe leather resins, affected by environmental protection policies and trade frictions, shrank. Table 5 shows the consumptions of CASE products in China from 2016 to 2020.

During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the CASE industry should develop in the following directions:

(1) Vigorously promote the water-based, solvent-free, and high solid products; (2) Increase the structural design and synthesis technology research and development of basic raw materials for CASE, focusing on the application of polyaspartatepolyurea; (3) Focus on the research of water-based basic theory and engineering technology; (4) Promote the application of polyurethane and other related materials in prefabricated buildings; (5) Improve product performance, develop new functional products, broaden application areas, and promote elastomer products application in the field of new infrastructure construction such as rail transit, power transmission and medical field; (6) Develop differentiated, functional, high value-added spandex products; (7) Promote the technical application of zero-formaldehyde added polyurethane adhesive for wood-based panels; (8) Promote the application of polyurethane materials in the infrastructure paving and the polyurethane adhesive road repair; (9) Strengthen the research on the relationship between the structure-performance-durability of polyurethane waterproof materials and the application technology research.

Composite materials and modified materials

     During the "14th Five-Year Plan" period, the polyurethane composite and modified materials industry should focus on advanced functional materials, pay attention to resin material technology, resin and fiber composite technology, molding technology and equipment; and expand the application range of high-performance composite materials.