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Surging in Half a Year! From 20,000 to 60,000 Yuan/Ton, Unveiling the "Golden" Additive in Masterbatch

Color Masterbatch Industry Network 2025-03-28 15:04:44

Since October 2024, the market price of dipentaerythritol (DPE) has surged from 20,000 yuan per ton to 60,000 yuan per ton, with a significant increase of 200% in just half a year, far exceeding the overall increase in commodity prices during the same period.

Behind this sharp fluctuation is the high concentration of global double-season pentaerythritol production capacity - the top five enterprises control more than 70% of the market share, and only a few domestic enterprises such as Hubei Yihua and Zhong Yi Da have the ability to produce at scale.

Currently, the surge in demand for high-reliability PCBs in AI servers and autonomous driving sectors has highlighted the strategic value of dipentaerythritol as a core curing agent for PCB photocurable inks, a key raw material for aviation lubricants, and a "chip-level" intermediate for high-end coatings. Its usage is expected to triple, positioning it at the forefront of the AI computing revolution and the upgrade of high-end manufacturing.

The application of dipentaerythritol in color masterbatches

Mainly used as dispersant and stabilizer

Core advantages

Chemical properties: Star-shaped structure with 6 hydroxyl groups, forms strong hydrogen bonds with pigments, enhancing dispersibility and stability.
High temperature resistance: melting point 215-225°C, suitable for high-temperature processing environments.
Low hygroscopicity: stable in the air, avoiding performance degradation due to moisture absorption.

Specific applications

Pigment dispersant:

Mechanism: Hydroxyl groups form hydrogen bonds with the pigment surface, reducing surface energy and promoting uniform dispersion.

Effect: Particle size refined to <1μm, color strength increased by 20%-30%.
Stabilizer:

Weather resistance: Prevents pigment agglomeration, enhances weather resistance and migration resistance.

Chemical Stability: Stable in acidic and basic environments, avoiding side reactions.

Typical scenario

High-end Plastics: Masterbatches for engineering/specialty plastics such as PC, PA, and PEEK, ensuring color uniformity and weather resistance.
Fiber masterbatch: Enhances the dye uptake and color fastness of polyester, nylon, and other synthetic fibers.
Functional masterbatch: synergistically enhances comprehensive performance with additives such as antistatic and flame retardant agents.

Environmental regulations and high-end demand are driving the increased use of DPE in color masterbatches, but technical barriers (requiring purification from pentaerythritol by-products) limit production capacity, with only a few domestic enterprises achieving large-scale production.

According to the整理 of the Color Masterbatch Industry Network, the following five enterprises currently stand out in the field of double pentaerythritol domestically.

Five enterprises

Hubei Yihua

Industry Position: A leader in the phosphate chemical industry, being the top producer of pentaerythritol in Asia and second globally.
Capacity and technology:

Producing 60,000 tons of pentaerythritol annually (second globally), with its double-segment capacity accounting for over 30% of the domestic share;

Mastering the patented technology of "high-temperature condensation + cascade recrystallization" can achieve a double-season purity of over 98% (industry-leading).

Profitability: The profit per ton of pentaerythritol has risen from 10,000 yuan to nearly 50,000 yuan.
Main business: Manufacturing and sales of fertilizers and chemical products, including urea, diammonium phosphate, polyvinyl chloride, pentaerythritol, sodium hydrosulfite, etc.

Zhongyida

Industry position: The second-largest domestic producer of pentaerythritol.
Capacity and technology:

The Chifeng Ruiyang Base has the world's largest single-unit pentaerythritol production facility (43,000 tons).

Being the first in the country to achieve co-production of single, double, and triple pentaerythritol, with a double conversion efficiency of 45% (industry average 30%) and purity of 83% (meeting international standards).
Main business: Production and sales of fine chemical products.

Yuntianhua

Industry position: Phosphorus chemical industry leader, the world's fourth-largest phosphate fertilizer producer.
Production capacity and technology:

The total production capacity of pentaerythritol is 100,000 tons (ranked second domestically), with its dual-season products exclusively supplied to the aerospace and military sectors.

Double-season purity over 90%, with a market share exceeding 20% in China.
Main Business: Production and sales of chemical fertilizers, chemical raw materials, and products, including phosphate fertilizer (5.55 million tons/year), urea (2.6 million tons/year), and compound fertilizer (1.85 million tons/year).

Jinnuo Industry

Industry Position: Leader in the food additives sub-sector.
Production Capacity and Technology:

The production capacity of pentaerythritol is 20,000 tons, and it extends the layout of double pentaerythritol through the formaldehyde-pentaerythritol industry chain.

The new purification unit is scheduled to commence operations in the second quarter of 2025.
Major Business: Production and sales of fine chemical products and basic chemical products.

Jianbang Shares

Industry position: A leading enterprise in the field of polymer material environmental protection additives.
Production Capacity and Technology:

The core product series of pentaerythritol esters has been applied on a large scale in the field of biodegradable plastics.

The construction of the "42,000 tons per year polymer additive project" has completed equipment debugging.
Main Business: Research, production, and sales of environmentally friendly polymer material additives.

It is worth noting that Hubei Yihua will shut down its production base in Yichang in June 2025 due to the Yangtze River environmental relocation plan, which means that 30% of global capacity will face at least a one-year gap.

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Surging in Half a Year! From 20,000 to 60,000 Yuan/Ton, Unveiling the "Golden" Additive in Masterbatch

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