Toluene market demand is strong and the industry is developing rapidly

Toluene, also known as methylbenzene and phenylmethane, is an aromatic hydrocarbon compound. Toluene has the chemical formula C7H8 and is made from the mid-oil fraction obtained by distilling coal tar. Toluene is a colorless and transparent liquid with a special aromatic odor. It can be miscible with carbon disulfide, alcohol, and ether in any proportion, but is almost insoluble in water. Toluene has the characteristics of strong refraction, irritation, volatility, flammability, and low toxicity. It is an important raw material for organic chemicals.

Naphtha and reformed gasoline are the main raw materials for toluene. According to different uses, naphtha as a petroleum product can be divided into three types: light naphtha, heavy naphtha and solvent naphtha. In recent years, my country’s naphtha production has generally shown an upward trend. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, my country’s naphtha production will reach 49.517 million tons in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 12.6%. Restructured gasoline contains large amounts of benzene, toluene and xylene. The rapid development of reforming catalyst technology in my country has led to the continuous increase in the production of restructured gasoline. Affected by oil demand, my country’s naphtha and reconstituted gasoline markets have poor liquidity, and supply and demand are fluctuating, which has brought instability to the development of my country’s toluene industry.

Toluene is commonly used in dyes, oils, resins, natural rubber, synthetic rubber, coal tar, asphalt, cellulose acetate, cellulose paints, varnishes, photographic plates, ink solvents, etc. It is also used as an anti-explosion agent in unleaded automobile gasoline. . Through side chain chlorination of toluene, benzyl monochloride, benzyl dichloride, benzyl trichloride and derivative benzyl alcohol can be obtained, which are suitable for use in various dyes. Benzoic acid can be obtained through the oxidation of toluene. Because benzoic acid is highly lipophilic and can easily penetrate the cell membrane and enter the cell body, it has a strong inhibitory effect on the condensation reaction of acetyl-CoA and is often used to manufacture food preservatives. Strong demand in application fields has led to an increase in toluene production. In 2021, my country’s toluene production reached 8.672 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 0.7%.

According to the “2022-2027 Toluene Industry Market In-depth Research and Investment Prospect Forecast Analysis Report released by the Industrial Research Center, in the process In terms of exports, although my country’s toluene production continues to grow, it is still unable to meet domestic market demand and is highly dependent on imports. According to statistics from the General Administration of Customs of China, my country’s toluene imports will reach 206,000 tons in 2021, with an import value of US$156.22 million. . However, currently, affected by factors such as toluene export tax rebates and the depreciation of the RMB, my country’s toluene exports have surged. In April 2022, my country’s toluene exports increased by nearly 200.0% month-on-month.

Industry analysts said that due to factors such as fluctuations in the supply and demand of raw materials and changes in imports and exports, the current status of my country’s toluene industry has shown an overall unstable situation. , but at present, the supply and demand fundamentals of my country’s toluene market are beginning to improve. As an important raw material for organic chemicals, toluene is widely used in dyes, oils, resins, natural rubber and many other fields. As the economy gradually recovers, market demand will promote the rapid development of my country’s toluene industry.