Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) Market Demand Continues to Grow

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), also known as hypromellose and cellulose hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether, is a non-ionic cellulose mixed ether made of natural polymer materials and chemically processed. . The appearance of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is white or off-white fibrous or granular powder, soluble in water, but insoluble in ether, acetone and ethanol.

According to the "2022-2027 China Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Trend Forecast Research Report" released by Xinsijie Industry Research Center, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose is mainly used as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) ) Dispersants in production. Polyvinyl chloride has excellent properties, and together with polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer (ABS), it is called the five general-purpose resins. According to statistics from the China Chlor-Alkali Industry Association, my country's PVC production will reach 21.3 million tons in 2021, and the capacity utilization rate will reach 78.5%. The output of polyvinyl chloride shows a steady growth trend, driving the demand for hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in my country to continue to increase.

The preparation method of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose includes two kinds of liquid-phase method and gas-phase method. The gas phase method uses wood pulp or cotton pulp as raw material, and produces hydroxypropyl methylcellulose through processes such as etherification and alkalization. This method is widely used in developed countries such as Europe and the United States. The liquid-phase method is the mainstream production method of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in my country. It has the advantages of high safety, low equipment requirements and easy control of product quality. However, the production cost of this method is high and it is not suitable for large-scale production. At present, some enterprises in my country continue to make breakthroughs on the basis of liquid phase methods, and have developed hydroxypropyl methylcellulose preparation methods such as one-step method with low production cost and accurate and reliable operation control parameters.

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose has the characteristics of surface activity, cohesiveness, salt resistance, water retention and PH-stability, and is widely used in medicine, building materials, food processing, petrochemicals, cosmetics and other fields. In the field of medicine, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose can be used to produce eye drops, which can induce tear secretion and relieve eye fatigue and dryness. In the field of building materials, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose can be used to produce cement mortar, gypsum board and water-resistant putty powder.

In the global market, major hydroxypropyl methylcellulose companies include Shin-Etsu of Japan, Hercules of the United States, and Dow Chemical of the United States.

Xinsijie industry analysts said that in recent years, my country's leading enterprises have continuously promoted technological innovation, and the production of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is expected to further increase. As a high molecular polymer, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is widely used. Driven by the rapid economic development, my country's hydroxypropyl methylcellulose market demand is increasingly strong, and the industry will gain broad development space in the future.