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A 'new game' has begun in the chemical industry, with a key focus on the profit structure of the industry chain.

Publication Time:

2022-12-01 17:03

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【概要描述】 Other refrigerants in the HFCs class, such as R410A, R440A, and R407C, known as environmentally friendly refrigerants, although superior to R134a in efficiency, also have drawbacks such as excessively high operating pressure, high requirements for pipe component optimization and pressure resistance, the need for improved heat exchangers and unit design, and high investment, operation, and maintenance costs.

A 'new game' has begun in the chemical industry, with a key focus on the profit structure of the industry chain.

　　Chemical Products Review of 2015 and Outlook for 2016
　　Profit Erosion Behind the "Brutal" Market
　　For bulk commodities in 2015, how can one word describe the situation other than "brutal"? Both ferrous and non-ferrous metals cried out in despair, with market prices plummeting to "bargain basement" levels. In the tide of falling bulk commodity prices, chemical products could hardly stay untouched. Except for PTA, which stubbornly held its ground, the polyolefin "brothers" and methanol all experienced a near "halving" in price, a truly "cruel" punishment.
　　Data compiled by Futures Daily reporters shows that among chemical products, PTA prices fell 24% from their yearly high, while the other three varieties all fell by more than 30%. Taking two varieties with larger price drops as examples: polypropylene's yearly high was 9027 yuan/ton, while the low was 5361 yuan/ton, a cumulative drop of 41%; and methanol fell from a yearly high of 2654 yuan/ton to 1590 yuan/ton, a cumulative drop of 40.1%.

What is the difference between refrigerant and coolant?

Can R22 and R134a refrigerants be used interchangeably? Refrigerant science knowledge

In 2015, the bulk commodities market was nothing short of disastrous. Both ferrous and non-ferrous metals suffered greatly, with market prices plummeting to rock-bottom levels. The downturn in bulk commodities also affected chemical products. While PTA held relatively firm, the polyolefin group and methanol prices were nearly halved.

What is the difference between refrigerant and coolant?

1. Fundamental Differences: Refrigerants, also known as refrigerants, coolants, or refrigerating agents, are intermediate substances used in various thermal machines to complete energy conversion. In indirect cooling refrigeration systems, the refrigerant carries heat from the cooling system (object or space) to the refrigerant, which serves as an intermediate cooling medium. This intermediate cooling medium is also called a secondary refrigerant. In air conditioning engineering, industrial production, and scientific experiments, refrigeration equipment is often used to indirectly cool the object to be cooled, or to transport the cold air produced by the refrigeration equipment over long distances. At this time, it is necessary to cool the intermediate substance in the evaporator. Then use it to cool the object to be cooled, and this intermediate substance is called the refrigerant. 2. Different Principles: The refrigerant cycle must first be cooled by the refrigerant in the evaporator, then sent to the cooling equipment to absorb the heat of the cooling system, and then returned to the evaporator to transfer the absorbed heat to the refrigerant while absorbing the refrigerant. It is cooled again by the refrigerant. Using refrigerants allows refrigerants to be concentrated in smaller circulation systems and delivers cooling capacity to remote cooling equipment. The refrigerant absorbs heat from the object to be cooled at a low temperature and then transfers it to cooling water or air at a higher temperature. In vapor-compression refrigeration machines, refrigerants that can be liquefied at room temperature or lower are used as refrigerants, such as Freon (fluorocarbons, bromine, chlorine, and bromine derivatives of saturated hydrocarbons), azeotropic refrigerants (from two Freons, forming an azeotropic solution of a certain proportion), hydrocarbons (propane, ethylene, etc.), and ammonia. In gas-compression refrigeration machines, gaseous refrigerants such as air, hydrogen, and helium are used, which are always gaseous in the refrigeration cycle. In absorption refrigerators, a binary mixture consisting of an absorbent and a refrigerant is used as a working solution, such as ammonia water, lithium bromide (molecular formula: LiBr. White cubic crystals or granular powder, easily soluble in water) and water; vapor-jet refrigerators use water as a refrigerant.

A 'new game' has begun in the chemical industry, with a key focus on the profit structure of the industry chain.

Futures Daily reporters' statistics show that among chemical products, PTA prices have fallen 24% from their year-to-date high, while the other three varieties have all fallen more than 30%. Taking two varieties with larger declines as examples, polypropylene's year-to-date high was 9027 yuan/ton and its low was 5361 yuan/ton, with a cumulative decline of 41%, and methanol fell from a year-to-date high of 2654 yuan/ton to 1590 yuan/ton, with a cumulative decline of 40.1%.

The fierce competition in the air separation market: Insights from multinational chemical giants on investing in the Chinese market

When did China's chemical industry surpass the United States to become the world's largest? In 2010! The Chinese market is undoubtedly fatally attractive. For global chemical giants such as BASF, Bayer, INVISTA, Lanxess, and Praxair, this market seems to always offer boundless imagination. Accompanying the more than 30 years of high growth of China's petroleum and chemical industry has been the process of multinational chemical companies transitioning from simply exporting products to establishing offices, building factories, setting up wholly-owned and joint ventures, and finally achieving systematic localization—they, together with numerous Chinese partners, have driven the continuous development and prosperity of the entire chemical industry. However, over 10, 20, or even 30 years, have multinational chemical companies truly "understood" China? The real answer clearly lies between yes and no. The only certainty is "change." The days of welcoming chemical giants with flowers, champagne, and red carpets are certainly gone. Nothing describes the mentality of multinational chemical companies in China better than "crossing the river by feeling the stones." But even Chinese companies themselves have to cross the river by feeling the stones, making it difficult for foreign companies to surpass this stage. Moreover—in more than 30 years, many companies have fallen into the river before even finding the stones. The industrial progress here may be incredibly rapid, and the changes in policies, partners, competitors, and technological levels may be dizzying. The Chinese market can sometimes be baffling for multinational chemical companies, with standard Porter's Five Forces analysis and the Boston Consulting Group matrix often failing against the Art of War and traditional wisdom. Even those adept at studying the speeches of Chinese national leaders, even those familiar with "Chinese characteristics," the pressure and risks faced by some chemical giants are clearly no less than the expectations brought by opportunities. Professor of management Juan Antonio Fernández has long studied the Chinese business environment. In his book "Relationships," he uses the analogy of a couple dancing, with the male partner always wanting to dance too fast while the female partner is cautious. For multinational corporations, keeping pace with the Chinese business environment is a difficult lesson—and no exception for some multinational chemical companies. So, for chemical giants that have cultivated the Chinese market and achieved a competitive position, what opportunities and risks do they see in the face of the new normal, new policies, new environment, and new competitors? To this end, the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation conducted a survey, engaging in in-depth exchanges with top executives from more than ten multinational companies, including BASF, Dow, and Bayer, obtaining extremely valuable first-hand information. Although the strategies, market and investment strategies of different companies vary greatly, their views and judgments also show clear convergence. Overall, they can be summarized as follows: the importance of the Chinese market is unquestionable, future investment in the Chinese market will basically remain at a similar level, but concerns about industry overcapacity are increasing; energy demand, water resources, urbanization, demographic changes, and motorization may bring profound changes to the industry; more attention is paid to cost control, profitability, value growth, and market-oriented R&D; there are high expectations for market-oriented reforms in the chemical industry, and a strong desire for a fairer and freer market environment. Lang Qiancheng, President of Lanxess Greater China: Generally speaking, innovation that does not adapt to the market has no future; the two must be closely related. Historical experience proves that even with good products, they will be eliminated without market demand. Based on Lanxess's core businesses, we believe that future global development faces four major trends: green motorization, urbanization, clean water demand, and sustainable agriculture. Lanxess is particularly optimistic about motorization and urbanization. In the 30 years since the reform and opening up, the industry must transform and upgrade to adapt to future challenges. Transformation is a painful process, with increasing demands for safety, environmental protection, and health during the transformation process; this is a process of survival of the fittest. Industry transformation and upgrading requires cooperation from relevant stakeholders such as the government, industry, and associations, while also considering important aspects such as social stability. Lanxess suggests that creating a long-term stable and clear policy environment is crucial for long-term development. For example, the current trend of environmental protection policies in China is undoubtedly correct, but the stability is insufficient, and policies in different provinces and cities are unclear. Different projects may face different handling methods. In addition, there is a lack of policy continuity due to changes in local government leaders. We believe that these will be further improved as reforms deepen. For chemical companies, the pressure from raw materials is currently very high. To some extent, raw materials and markets determine investment. For China, raw material supply is a weakness, while market demand is a strength. In the future, Lanxess will be concerned about the degree of policy openness, and mixed ownership will be one of the focuses of attention. It is expected that raw material supply will be more market-oriented in the future. Looking back, when Lanxess's business was spun off from Bayer in 2004, the assets in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for only 5%, but by 2015, this figure will reach 35%. Dr. Bernhard Muelle, President, Bayer Group Greater China: Bayer cannot ignore the existence of various challenges. For example, short-term overcapacity is understandable, but long-term overcapacity will cause bigger problems. In the Chinese market, Bayer has been in the construction phase for the past 15 years, mainly investing in manpower, material resources, financial resources, and R&D. However, in 2015 or 2016, it will enter the high-growth phase, seeking higher efficiency and better customer service on the basis of completing basic construction. This coincides with China's people-centered urbanization, achieving a new wave of growth through environmental protection and the pursuit of higher efficiency. In terms of regional strategy, Bayer's overall approach is to maintain close communication with partners and customers. For example, when customers began to move from coastal areas to central China, Bayer also followed this trend and began to support customers who have moved to central China through establishing sales offices and system material factories. Innovation is indispensable. The most important aspects are efficiency and focus. At Bayer, we strive to achieve the integration of people, the planet, and profits through our own groundbreaking production process innovations. Given that Bayer's main products are polymers, the product maturity is already high, and there is no need to invest in basic scientific research.

What are the uses of methyl chloride?

Methyl chloride is mainly used in the production of methylchlorosilane, with 50% to 90% of the world's methyl chloride used in organosilicon production. It is also used in the production of methyl cellulose, tetramethyl lead, herbicides, butyl rubber, quaternary ammonium compounds, etc. It can also be used as a refrigerant, blowing agent, and solvent for rubber, resins, and organic compounds. In medicine, it is used as a local anesthetic.

Can R22 and R134a refrigerants be used interchangeably? Refrigerant science knowledge