The key to the development of Chloro-aromatics from Chlor-alkali

China has become the world's leading producer of chlorinated aromatics in recent years, with its production capacity and output of key products reaching the top globally. However, the industry is now facing a serious overcapacity issue, and many major facilities are operating at a loss due to low equipment utilization. To address this, future development should focus on avoiding redundant construction, accelerating technological upgrades, and improving production and safety management. Additionally, an integrated upstream-downstream strategy should be prioritized to extend the product chain and strengthen vertical integration. As of June 2006, China’s annual production capacity for major chlorinated aromatic hydrocarbons included chlorobenzene (500,000 tons), p-nitrochlorobenzene (333,000 tons), o-nitrochlorobenzene (167,000 tons), p-dichlorobenzene (58,000 tons), o-dichlorobenzene (27,000 tons), p-chlorotoluene (68,000 tons), and o-chlorotoluene (68,000 tons). These figures represented significant growth compared to 2001, with increases of 93.8%, 93%, 93%, 152%, 107%, 467%, and 467%, respectively. The global share of these seven major products stood at 62.5%, 64.8%, 64.8%, 34%, 32%, 68.5%, and 68.5%. In addition to growing capacity, major Chinese producers have maintained high operational rates, with rapid output growth and increased exports, making China a major consumer of chlorinated aromatics worldwide. However, the rapid expansion of domestic production led to oversupply starting in 2005, causing prices to decline and market conditions to worsen. Even in 2006, despite rising raw material costs for benzene and toluene, prices of major chlorinated aromatics continued to fall. During the peak sales period from March to June, demand remained weak, failing to reverse the downward trend. By mid-June 2006, prices for chlorinated benzene, p-nitrochlorobenzene, o-nitrochlorobenzene, p-dichlorobenzene, o-dichlorobenzene, p-chlorotoluene, and o-chlorotoluene were 6,800, 6,300, 7,000, 8,500, 8,500, 10,300, and 5,700 yuan per ton, respectively—showing declines of 12.8%, 11.3%, 19.5%, 11.5%, 34.5%, 19.5%, and 3.4% compared to the same period in 2005. Prices were approaching cost levels, leaving little room for profit and compressing margins further. To improve the situation, the key to future development lies in integrating with chlor-alkali plants and expanding into fine chemical product chains. Currently, many nitrochlorobenzene plants lack upstream chlor-alkali facilities, and most dinitrochlorobenzene operations rely on purchased chlorobenzene. Similarly, only a few chlorotoluene plants are equipped with chlor-alkali systems. This reliance increases production costs and makes facilities vulnerable to market fluctuations. Another critical area is the development of downstream products. While some nitrochlorobenzene producers have started building downstream facilities, most only produce one or two products, limiting their ability to absorb chlorinated aromatics. Many facilities lack downstream processing entirely, relying heavily on international markets. For example, nearly 50% of dichlorobenzene was exported in 2005, and about 70% of o-chlorotoluene was also exported. Moving forward, the industry should adopt successful product chain models, develop deep and sustainable fine chemical product lines based on chlorinated aromatics, and promote circular economy principles. Cleaner production technologies must also be advanced, as environmental regulations have already impacted the industry. The shutdowns of polluting downstream processes have directly affected the demand for chlorinated aromatics. Therefore, focusing on clean technology is crucial for future growth. Finally, expanding new application areas will be essential. Domestic producers should prioritize developing downstream products of dichlorobenzene and o-chlorotoluene, reducing dependence on foreign markets. High-purity chlorinated benzene, o-dichlorobenzene, and trichlorobenzene, along with other derivatives, can meet diverse industrial needs, ensuring long-term sustainability and healthy development of the sector.

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