Bio-based Materials China News

In Nov. 2014, the ICTABP6 was held in Anhui Province. Mainly the current situation, development direction and problems of bio-based materials were discussed at the conference. In this issue, CCM also centers the current situation and prospect of PLA, PET and biodegradable plastics in the analysis.

CCM tries to explore the limitation of PLA industry from the perspective of domestic supply and demand, covering the raw material LA. Compared with that of other bio-based materials like PBS and PHA, the production capacity of LA for PLA in China is large. However, CCM finds out that the development of PLA is still restricted by raw materials, regarding the production capacities of industrial and food grade LA and the technology for PLA. Meanwhile, it is believed that PLA is still one of the bio-based materials with the strongest development potential. How do raw materials such as LA restrict the development of PLA? How does PLA continue the strongest development?

Similarly, bio-based PET also shows problems in raw materials. CCM pays specific attention to petrochemical PET, which is regarded as a competitor for bio-based PET. In the light of the raw materials, PTA and MEG, involving their production capacities, apparent consumption, etc., petrochemical PET is proven to encounter serious overcapacity. Meanwhile, fiber, major downstream application for PET, is highlighted. In conclusion, the demand in petrochemical PET market is not that optimistic. Moreover, the continuous price decreases of crude oil in the world is considered, so as to find out the changes brought to the price and market of petrochemical PET and further to analyze the possibility for bio-based PET to enter into the market. What about the current situation of petrochemical PET? What impact will it bring to bio-based PET?

Of course, the bio-based materials market does not wholly stay at a standstill and even depression. CCM collects data from the European associations and concludes that biodegradable plastics maintain a high growth rate and Asia will play a key role in the development of biodegradable plastics.

In addition, CCM grasps the changes in castor oil and domestic technology for bio-based materials.

The above hot topics in China’s bio-based materials market will be explored and reported by CCM in detail in this e-journal, Bio-based Materials China News 1411. Please pay attention.

The USD/RMB and EUR/RMB exchange rates in this issue are USD1.00=RMB6.1525 and EUR1.00=RMB7.6696 on 3 Nov., 2014, sourced from the People's Bank of China. Meanwhile, all the prices in this issue include VAT.