What are the key production routes and cost drivers for BDO derivatives in China?

What are the key production routes and cost drivers for BDO derivatives in China?
China's BDO production relies almost exclusively on the Reppe (acetylene-based) route, with only two plants using the propylene oxide method, totaling 200,000 tons per year. Coal and calcium carbide prices are the dominant cost factors, directly influencing BDO and its derivative prices. The maleic anhydride route is seen as the future direction, but current hydrogenation catalysts suffer from low selectivity and poor stability, limiting commercial adoption. Bio-based synthesis is also being explored, with researchers engineering E. coli to produce BDO without antibiotics or inducers, though yields remain low at 0.1 g/L in early trials. For 1,4-butanediyl bismethanethiosulfonate, which is synthesized from BDO, these feedstock and technology dynamics matter—any shift toward cheaper or greener BDO could alter its cost structure.