Thymol (thymol) is the core raw material of L-menthol and the market size continues to grow

Thymol, also known as thymol and 5-methyl-2-isopropylphenol, has a molecular formula of C10H14O and is a monoterpene phenol. Thymol appears as colorless crystals or colorless crystalline powder with the smell of thyme. It is soluble in paraffin oil, glacial acetic acid, olive oil, ethanol, ether, and chloroform, but insoluble in water. Thymol has non-toxic, antibacterial, antioxidant and other properties, and is widely used in daily chemical products, medicine, food processing, feed and other fields.

​ ​According to different preparation methods, thymol can be divided into two types: synthetic thymol and natural thymol. Synthetic thymol is usually produced using chemical synthesis technology using m-cresol as raw material, accounting for nearly 80% of the thymol market; natural thymol refers to the use of natural extraction technology to extract thymol from thyme or thyme, and its production higher cost.

L-menthol is the end product of thymol and the largest selling flavor monomer in the world. L-menthol has excellent comprehensive properties and is in high demand in many fields. Attracted by market prospects, many companies in my country have laid out L-menthol R&D and production tracks. Thymol is the core raw material of L-menthol. With the continuous advancement of L-menthol production technology in the future, the demand for thymol application will become increasingly strong.

Thymol is widely used in many fields and has good industry development prospects. In the field of daily chemicals, thymol can be used to produce toothpaste, soap and other products; in the pharmaceutical field, thymol has anti-inflammatory, digestive, antibacterial and other effects, and can be used to produce cold medicines, anti-inflammatory drugs, herbal preparations, cough syrups, etc.; In the field of food processing, thymol can be used to produce flavorings, food preservatives, chewing gum and beverages. As the development of downstream industries accelerates, the market size of thymol continues to grow. According to the “2023-2027 China Thymol (Thymol) Market Monitoring and Future Development Prospects Research Report》shows that the global thymol market size will reach 750 million yuan in 2022.

Due to factors such as high technical barriers and insufficient supply of raw materials, my country has a small number of companies with thyrynol production strength and high demand import dependence. Huilong Co., Ltd. is a representative company of thymol in my country. Its holding subsidiary Haihua Technology has thymol purification technology and has completed the construction of a complete “m-cresol-thymol-L-menthol” industrial chain. Its annual thymol production capacity has reached 4,000 Ton.

Industry analysts said that with the accelerated development of my country’s L-menthol industry, the market demand for thymol continues to grow. Compared with overseas developed countries, my country’s thymol industry started late, with relatively backward production technology and product quality, and a high dependence on imported demand. It is expected that in the future, as local companies continue to exert their efforts, the localization process of my country’s thymol market is expected to accelerate.