Foaming agent is a kind of agent which is usually
added into polymer for causing microvoid by releasing the gas during the
process . According to their structure, chemical foaming agents can be divided
into three kinds: N - nitroso compounds (such as DPT, NTA, Foaming agent H); Azoic compounds (such as
ADC,AIBN,DIAD,DEAD, Diazoaminobenzene, Barium azodicarboxylate); Hydrazides
compounds (such as OBSH,TSH, BSH).At present, the main products include ADC,
OBSH, H and so on, while the consuming amount of ADC occupies 90% in the global
market and 95% in the Chinese market。 (Data sources: “The research
status and development trend of foaming agent”, plastic science and technology, 2004).
Foaming agent ADC
China is the world's largest producer of ADC and
the major manufacturers are Jiangsu Sopo, Hangzhou Haihong, Ningxia Risheng,
etc.The production capacity of ADC in china has been kept growing from 100000
tons in 2005 to more than 250000 tons by the present with about 10% of the
annual rate growth.
During recent years, the ADC industry in China has
not only expanded its production scale but also achieved great improvements on
technology, equipment, etc. On one hand, Sodium hypochlorite production
equipment has been converted into large-scale with expanded condensation and
oxidation reactor and using new continuous drying process, on the other hand
the Hydrazine hydrate synthesis process,Oxidation process control
parameters,process yield and the comprehensive utilization of by-products haav
been optimized. Although the production technology has reached some great
improvements, the raw material, hydrazine hydrate is synthesized by urea method
which brings a serious resource waste and environmental pollution compared to
the ketone nitrogen or hydrogen peroxide method widely used abroad.
There is a big gap between Chinese manufacturers
and foreign suppliers on the development and research of modified ADC foaming
agent,especially on production diversity and application research.Most of
Chinese manufactures only produce pure ADC and only a handful suppliers
develops a few modified ADC foaming agent but with a low production capacity,
unstable performance and narrow range of application. China as a major exporter
of ADC, mainly exported ADC powder with low added value and has to import deep
processed ADC products with high added value from abroad.The market appeal of
foreign products owing to the realization of oversea manufactures that the
application of ADC product is as much important as producing ADC product. Thus
they developed many kinds of modified ADC foaming agent according to the market
needs and formed new brands with specificity of strong advantage products
operating system.
ADC is widely used in EVA, PE, natural rubber, PVC
+ NBR blend foam, etc, especially suitable for EVAMD shoes material of large
hot press molding foaming and small hot press molding foaming.The current
consumption structure of ADC in Chinese market is as follows: PVC
40%,Polyethylene 35%, Polypropylene 12%, rubber 5%, others 8% (Data sources:
“The research status and development trend of foaming agent”, plastic science
and technology, 2004).
AC foaming agent market of China's traditional
downstream industries are shoe industry
and leather industry. With the expanding of application range, now AC has been
used in building materials,household appliances,automobile interior trim,
rubber and plastic heat preservation materials and other emerging
applications.Particularly in the field of building materials and rubber &
plastic heat preservation material, the market demand grows rapidly. With the
industrial structure adjustment of shoe industry and leather industry, the
high-end products in these industries will have a higher requirement of AC
foaming agent.It is inevitable that the AC foaming agent will develop towards
the trend of diversification and high grade in the future.
Foaming agent OBSH
Due to the ADC foaming agent may produce toxic
substances SEM(semiearbazide) during pyrolysis,the European Union issued a
directive (2004/1 / EC ) on January 6, 2004, forbidding the use of ADC foaming
agent applied in PVC sealing gasket. Therefore OBSH in some fields has
gradually replaced the ADC foaming agent,owing to its advantages of safety. And
the market demand has been on the rise.
The consumption amount of OBSH is the largest among
Sulfonyl hydrazide foaming agents. The price of OBSH is higher than that of
ADC. As the decomposition temperature of OBSH is low, it can be used for the
processing of polymer within its decomposition temperature range. Besides, due
to some of its features, OBSH occupies a certain position in the field of
rubber and plastic materials processing and is the most practical one among the
Sulfonyl hydrazide foaming agent.
The
application of OBSH has the following features:
Since most of the decomposition residues of OBSH
are non-polar aryl polymers and low decomposition temperature can decrease foam
insulation contraction,OBSH is mainly used for LDPE extrusion foaming, making
wire or cable insulation coating and providing good electrical insulation.
OBSH was used to vulcanize rubber- plastic mixtures
or carbonyl rubber. It is not necessary
to add vulcanizing agent to the formula because of the dual role of
foaming and curing that have a good balance in each other. For instance,
NBR-PVC mixture foaming extrusion was used to making thermal insulation material
in industry.
OBSH and AC composed of mixed blowing agent with a
high and a low decomposition temperature. The dosage of OBSH is the 10-50% of
the dosage of AC. OBSH played the role of activating AC applying lot of PVC and
PE foaming formulation. The decomposition heat of OBSH is higher than AC which
makes AC resolve completely under its normal decomposition temperature to avoid
products yellowing and non-uniform bubble structure. The product can be made
into wallpaper with a high whiteness and reducing the dosage of titanium
dioxide.
Main suppliers of OBSH around the world include
EIWA in Japan, Dongjin and Kumyang in Korea, Lion Copolymer in America, Bayer
in Germany, etc. In 2010, Kumyang invested in factory to product ADC, hydrazine
hydrate, OBSH and other products in Inner Mongolia, China. In 2006, EIWA
invested in factory to product OBSH in Jiangsu, China. In the mean time they
purchase OBSH finished products and OBSC as raw material from Chinese
enterprises to produce and process the special type of OBSH. Currently, China
has become one of the main OBSH producer whose output has reached more than
4000 tons/year.
Foaming agent supplier in China
Currently, the ADC foaming agent, modified ADC and
OBSH produced in China was mainly exported to abroad which have driven the
sustainable development of the export trade in this field. Hangzhou Chemfar is
the main supplier in China that has engaged in research and development of
chemical foaming agent and sales for more than ten years. The main products of
Hangzhou Chemfar include ADC foaming agent, modified ADC and OBSH. ADC exported
by Hangzhou Chemfar was manufactured with hydrazine hydrate synthesized by new
technology of hydrogen peroxide oxidation and continually used no acid
condensation to achieve a cleaner production of ADC foaming agent and ROHS
compliance. In addition, in accordance with the foreign customers'
requirements, the company has developed the modified formula of ADC and TSH
complex. Thus the company greatly broaden the application
range of the ADC foaming agent products .
Meanwhile, Hangzhou Chemfar keeps doing OBSH
modified research and market promoting. The Company has made great progress in
compound and controlling particle size and distribution. The quality of
products from Hangzhou Chemfar has basically reached the level of foreign
manufacturers. Since the raw material of OBSH mainly produced in China, China's
OBSH has a strong competitive price. At present, the company has established
good sales channels in the international market and become one of a handful of
professional supplier of OBSH in China.
The
development trend of chemical foaming agent
Foaming agent market in China now appeared the
phenomenon of excess production capacity after double-digit growth over the
past few years . ADC is particularly overcapacity. According to Research report
of China ADC foaming agent industry analysis and prospects latest published in
CCAON, as of June 2012, production capacity of ADC industry was more than
doubled compared with 2010 basic. Meanwhile, the ADC industry should Face with
weak demand at home and abroad market. Status of oversupply has put pressure on
market confidence. On the other hand, capacity of Chinese producers has not
been released in full due to China has intensified the efforts on environmental
policy implementation during the twelfth five-year and actual limited supply
relative supporting the foaming agent market.
In consideration of gradually strengthened
Industrial pollution remediation efforts by the government of China at present,
major domestic manufacturers also are actively research and develop green
chemical foaming agent products. For example,
CFA - A8 associated research and developed by The Zibo positive
Additives Co., Ltd and Shandong University of Technology which was a green
environmental protection polyurethane chemical foaming agent and reached the
international advanced level have passed appraisal in Beijing. The CFA - A8 is
the only one completely water-soluble
and non-aqueous chemical foaming agent in the world currently that compound by
China scientist for the first time. The product can replace CFCS physical foaming
agent existing in the world ( New type of polyurethane foaming agent going
green and environmental protection, 2013-04-01, Source: Science and Technology
Daily). We believe that the environment protecting chemical foaming agent
products will win the market in the future.
