London -- Market Publishers Ltd has added China Rigid Polyurethane Foam and Raw Materials Report, 2009-2012 to its catalogue, the firm says in a 24 Nov press release.
Compiled by ResearchInChina, the report discusses the structure of the sector looking at its supply and demand balance and its likely future growth. It also gives information on import and export of rigid polyurethane foam, and discusses the development of the country's major manufacturers of rigid polyurethane foam characterised, rather oddly, as 'black material' meaning polymeric MDI, and 'white material' or ("rigid polyurethane foam combined polyether," which appears to mean polyether polyols).
In China in 2009, refrigerator and freezer applications accounted for 39.4 percent of the total consumption of rigid polyurethane foam, while building insulation held just 4.2 percent, according to the Market Publishers release; in the USA, it points out, the latter sector accounts for more than half of the total consumption of rigid polyurethane foam.
The difference in consumption structure is partly because China is a big manufacturer of refrigerators and freezers, says the release, adding that it also reflects the fact that China has until now had few requirements for energy conservation in buildings and hence has very low utilisation of heat insulation in the sector.
Now, however, with China's increasing requirements on building energy saving and the excellent heat insulation and preservation performance of rigid polyurethane foam, there will be great development opportunities in the building sector. In addition, the application of rigid polyurethane foam in solar water heater field will also see a rapid growth, says Market Publishers.
The market is dominated by a few manufacturers, the release comments, saying that Yantai Wanhua Polyurethanes Co., Ltd accounts for more than 60 percent of the total capacity in China. There are only seven companies worldwide with production technology for MDI, it continues, including BASF, Bayer, Huntsman, Dow Chemical, and Japan's NPU. Chinese manufacturers of polymeric MDI cover Yantai Wanhua , Bayer Polymers (Shanghai), Shanghai Lianheng Isocyanate Co., Ltd. (a joint venture of BASF in China), the Market Publisher's note adds.
This list omits the role of Huntsman Polyurethanes in the sector, although a detailed table of contents, however, does list Huntsman, along with KPX Chemical Co., Ltd.
There are more than 20 manufacturers of "rigid polyurethane foam combined polyether," with more fragmented capacity distribution. Nevertheless, capacity expansions of companies such as Nanjing Hongbaoli Co., Ltd, Hebei Yadong Chemical Group Co., Ltd, and Bayer (China), will see effective consolidation in the sector, the report concludes.
China Rigid Polyurethane Foam and Raw Materials Report, 2009-2012 was published in Oct, 2010, has 57 pages and costs $1600. To purchase or for further details, contact: Mrs Alla Martin, Tel: +44 (0)20 8123 2220; Fax: +44 (0)20 7900 3970; Email: [email protected]; Website: www.marketpublishers.com
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