1,3-Propanediol is the main raw material of PTT fiber and the industry has high technical barriers.

1,3-Propanediol (PDO), also known as 1,3-dihydroxypropane, has a chemical formula of C3H8O2 and is an important chemical raw material. 1,3-Propanediol appears as a colorless, transparent and viscous liquid with no special odor. It is easily soluble in ether, ethanol and water, and has extremely high solubility. 1,3-Propanediol has a wide range of applications, including medicine, dyes, lubricants, synthetic fibers, engineering plastics, etc.

The production process of 1,3-propanediol includes biological fermentation method and chemical method. The biological fermentation method uses glycerol or glucose as the main raw material and Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and other microorganisms for fermentation, and finally produces 1,3-propanediol. This process has the advantages of low production cost, green and environmental protection. , is the mainstream preparation process of 1,3-propanediol, which is currently monopolized by the American DuPont Company; the chemical methods are mainly ethylene oxide carbonylation and acrolein hydration hydrogenation. This process has high production costs and is easy to cause environmental damage. Disadvantages such as pollution and difficulty in product separation and purification make it unsuitable for large-scale production.

According to the “2022-2027 1,3-Propanediol Industry In-depth Market Research and Investment Strategy Suggestions Report released by the Industrial Research Center , The raw materials for 1,3-propanediol production include glycerin, glucose, ethylene oxide and acrolein. With the development and maturity of biological fermentation methods, glycerol and glucose have gradually become the main raw materials of 1,3-propanediol. In 2021, my country’s glycerin production reached 765,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 4.1%. In terms of market prices, my country’s glycerol production capacity has declined in recent years due to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic, resulting in high prices. Against this background, the production cost of my country’s 1,3-propanediol industry continues to increase.

​ ​ 1,3-propanediol is widely used, and its largest demand is in the field of synthetic fibers, accounting for 70.0% of the demand. In the field of synthetic fibers, 1,3-propanediol is mainly used to produce high-performance polytrimethylene terephthalate fiber (PTT fiber). PTT fiber, also known as memory fiber, has the characteristics of nylon and polyester. It has the advantages of good dyeing performance, stain resistance, and sunlight resistance. It is widely used in carpets, decoration, clothing and other fields. Benefiting from the increasing prosperity of the PTT fiber industry, my country’s 1,3-propanediol market space continues to expand.

The world’s leading 1,3-propanediol companies include DuPont of the United States, Royal Dutch Shell, and Evonik of Germany. Affected by factors such as high technical barriers and high production costs, the number of 1,3-propanediol companies in my country is relatively small. The main production companies include Huaheng Biotechnology Co., Ltd. and Meijingrong Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.

Industry analysts said that 1,3-propanediol, as an important chemical raw material, is widely used in medicine, synthetic fibers, engineering plastics and other fields . PTT fiber has excellent performance and the industry’s prosperity continues to increase, providing a broad market space for 1,3-propanediol in my country. However, due to factors such as high technical barriers, there is still a certain gap in my country’s 1,3-propanediol production capacity and output compared with overseas developed countries, which is the main challenge facing the development of the industry.