Spot supply tightness is supporting domestic durene prices at a high range of 14,000–15,000 yuan/ton, but downstream raw material procurement remains limited to essential needs, with high prices discouraging negotiations. Whether prices can sustain this high level has become a market focus.
According to Chempricehub, early this week durene market inquiries were active, with multiple crude anhydride and pyromellitic dianhydride (PMDA) producers expressing purchase intentions. This is partly because refineries such as Yangzi and Fuhaichuang are undergoing maintenance, and the industrial C10 heavy aromatics released by these idled plants have a high durene content—serving as the main raw material source for C10-based durene producers. Downstream crude anhydride and PMDA manufacturers are concerned that the spot supply tightness of C10-based durene may be difficult to ease in the short term.
On the other hand, essential replenishment from end markets such as polyimide (PI) films, combined with low operating rates at PMDA plants, has pushed up market prices and boosted producers' production enthusiasm. Some companies also hold low durene inventories, fostering a positive buying atmosphere. As a result, supply tightness plus downstream stockpiling has pushed durene market prices up again to 14,000–15,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 2,000–3,000 yuan/ton.
Although supply of the raw material industrial C10 heavy aromatics has decreased, terminal demand for high-boiling aromatic solvent SA1500# is under pressure, with prices remaining low at 5,550–5,750 yuan/ton. Therefore, the weekly average processing profit per ton of C10-based durene reached 5,800 yuan/ton, up 64.96% from the same period last week. Meanwhile, other grades of high-boiling aromatic solvents also moved downward in volatility. For fractionation plants, these solvents account for over 95% of processing volume, resulting in margin inversions. According to Chempricehub data, processing only high-boiling aromatic solvents yields a loss of about 200 yuan/ton.
Thus, durene has become the only product enabling fractionation plants to turn losses into profits. The previously scheduled shutdown of a durene plant at the end of June has been delayed. Additionally, entering July, domestic isomeric xylene mainstream prices are at 5,800–5,900 yuan/ton, boosting processing profit per ton for synthetic durene plants to around 3,000 yuan/ton. A synthetic durene plant in Shaanxi has resumed operations, easing supply tightness in the market.
In the short term, although supply of domestic industrial C10 heavy aromatics continues to decline, the restart of synthetic durene plants has eased spot supply tightness. Combined with downstream crude anhydride and PMDA plants maintaining essential-only raw material procurement, the durene market lacks momentum for further price increases. Market trading sentiment has turned subdued, with cautious wait-and-see becoming the prevailing tone. The operating rates of crude anhydride and PMDA plants will be a key factor influencing durene price trends.
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