Recently, another explosion occurred at a leading company, injuring 9 people. The outbreak of factory accidents at leading companies will inevitably lead to market changes in related industrial chains. Please pay attention to market dynamics to avoid supply shortages.
An explosion occurred at a leading resin company
According to foreign media reports, at 4 pm on January 29 At 30 minutes, an explosion occurred at AGC’s display factory in South Korea, injuring nine people. The accident occurred at “AGC Fine Techno Korea” (AGC Fine Techno Korea) in Gumi, Gyeongsangbuk-do, South Korea.
According to the Gumi Fire Department (South Korea, Kammi Fire Department), the accident was caused by glass furnace maintenance work in the factory. At that time, the hydrogen gas in the pipeline exploded.
The Gumi Fire Department mobilized 15 fire trucks to complete safety measures within more than 50 minutes of the accident and worked with the police to investigate the cause of the accident.
AGC Korea is a company established in Gumi Industrial Park in 2004 by AGC, a subsidiary of Japan’s Asahi Glass, with an investment of US$500 million. It mainly produces TFT-LCD glass substrates.
AGC Co., Ltd., formerly known as Asahi Glass Co., Ltd., was founded in 1907. It has strong technical strength in core technologies such as glass and fluorine chemistry. Focusing on the glass, electronics, energy and chemicals businesses, the company ranks first in the world in terms of share of transparent glass, automotive glass, quartz materials for hardened mirrors, and ETFE resin (fluororesin). As of 2020, AGC has established more than 200 joint subsidiaries in more than 30 countries around the world, serving as a global component supplier with core technologies such as glass and fluorine chemistry.
AGC’s chemical business ranges from basic chemicals to high-performance fluorine chemicals, and mainly includes chlor-alkali/polyurethane business, fluorine chemical business, gas and solvent business, life science business, etc. Among them, the fluorochemical business is mainly responsible for the fluororesin business, and its products are widely used in many fields such as semiconductors, automobiles, energy, and construction. The products are rich in variety. In addition to being used in coatings and fiber products, they can also be used in ultraviolet penetrating films, coatings, electrolytic films, etc.
The gas solvent business is mainly responsible for the refrigerant and solvent business. Its products are widely used in air conditioning, refrigeration and refrigeration fields, as well as industrial cleaning and coating. The products are green and environmentally friendly, effectively addressing environmental issues such as ozone layer destruction and global warming, and contributing to environmental protection.
(Picture source: AGC official website)
The life sciences business is mainly responsible for cGMP response, biomedical raw materials The company is engaged in the commissioned manufacturing of pesticide precursors, pharmaceutical precursors and intermediates including pharmaceuticals, the development of new drugs, and the R&D and manufacturing of high-performance fluorinated compounds.
(Picture source AGC official website)
The company has officially changed its name since July 1, 2018 It is “AGC Co., Ltd.”, and the Chinese name of AGC is “Ai Jiexu”. AGC has 18 legal persons and nearly 6,000 employees in China. China is the country where all AGC Group products are developed. AGC has repeatedly stated that its development policy in China is to “grow together with China’s development.”
The explosion at the AGC factory has once again made the glass substrate industry, which is also facing tight supply, nervous. According to analysis by CITIC Securities, panel prices have risen sharply recently, by 10%-15%, and due to supply chain shortages and shutdowns, prices still have room to rise.
Many chemical raw materials stopped falling and rebounded
Although this accident has not yet caused a sharp rise in related materials, However, its related industrial chains such as polyurethane, fluorine chemicals and other products will also receive market attention again.
In addition to the above-mentioned related raw materials, the prices of many chemical raw materials have risen sharply recently:
On the 30th, bisphenol A was quoted at 18,500 yuan/ton, an increase of 2,300 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 14.2%. The epidemic in the north has worsened, and as the new year is approaching, the mentality is under pressure. In the early stage, most traders actively shipped goods and actively sold off the supply of goods in hand. After a round of selling, the market gradually stabilized. When the downstream purchasing enthusiasm increased again, the supply of goods in the market was seriously tight. The sudden shutdown of the factory took this as an opportunity for bisphenol A to take advantage of the fast lane. As the end of the year approaches, downstream logistics is hampered, and downstream inventory is still available, so transactions may be at a high level before the end of the year.
On the 30th, acetone was quoted at 7,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 570 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 8.86%. Spot supply is tight, and the acetone market is rising significantly. The market prices in the surrounding areas of Shandong, Yanshan and South China have increased by 150-300 yuan/ton, and some factories have made up for the increase by 100 yuan/ton. The increase is average, and the supply of goods is tight. As the New Year approaches, logistics is restricted and the supply of goods on the market is insufficient. However, the mentality of cargo holders is still good, and the transactions for urgent needs are at a high level. Products such as MMA and MIBK are relatively stable.
On the 30th, isobutyraldehyde was quoted at 6,800 yuan/ton, an increase of 450 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 7.09%. Its downstream neopentylThe glycol quotation is 10,000 yuan/ton, which is 171 yuan/ton higher than the previous week, an increase of 1.74%. Isobutyraldehyde has risen strongly this week. Some factories have recently suspended or reduced aldehyde production, resulting in reduced supply. There is no shipment pressure for downstream neopentyl glycol before the holiday, prices rise, factories receive a large number of orders, and demand for isobutyraldehyde is stable.
On the 30th, MDI was quoted at 22,300 yuan/ton, an increase of 1,300 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 6.19%. The market quotations in South China continue to rise, spot goods are scarce, and traders’ quotations remain high; the market in East China continues to be strong. Traders are reluctant to sell or close their orders, with sporadic negotiations being the main focus. Inquiry sentiment gradually fades, and the holiday atmosphere is strong; market conditions in North China are consolidating at a high level, and the tight supply situation is difficult to change. The holiday atmosphere is strong, and traders are reluctant to sell. The trend is higher, following the market, and inquiries are buying. Disks are rare.
On the 30th, methanol was quoted at 2,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 100 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 5.26%. Freight prices are rising, traders’ costs are increasing, and the domestic methanol spot market is relatively strong. Looking at the market outlook, freight rates will not decrease, traders’ costs will not be low, and short-term domestic methanol market conditions will focus on consolidation.
On the 30th, n-butanol was quoted at 8,483 yuan/ton, an increase of 383 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 4.73%. Wanhua Chemical’s regional prices in North China and East China were raised by 200 yuan/ton to 8,200 yuan/ton and 8,700 yuan/ton respectively. In South China, the price was raised by 100 yuan/ton to 8,600 yuan/ton. After factories continued to cut prices at the beginning of the month, low-price transactions in the n-butanol market have improved, and factory inventories have slowly declined. Downstream butyl ester users are stocking up one after another, and the atmosphere for large orders has warmed up, boosting industry confidence. In addition, the unplanned parking of large plant installations in the northwest has benefited the market in the short term. The n-butanol market has seen a correction, the focus of new orders has increased, and factory quotations have continued to increase.
At present, the spot inventory of n-butanol factories is declining, the industry is reluctant to sell, and the short-term downstream purchasing enthusiasm is high. In the short term, the overall domestic n-butanol market is mainly stable and strong. .
On the 30th, phenol was quoted at 6,762 yuan/ton, an increase of 282 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 4.35%. Zhejiang Petrochemical’s phenol price offer was raised by 200 yuan/ton to 6,700 yuan. /Ton. From an upstream perspective, the price of raw material pure benzene has increased, rising by 110 yuan/ton during the week, or 2.44%. Styrene increased slightly by 50 yuan/ton.
From the downstream demand side, the bisphenol A market is in good shape and has played a great role in stimulating phenol. The supply of goods in the current market is limited, and the transaction prices in some rigid demand markets are high, making it difficult to find low prices in the market.
On the 30th, the price of liquid epoxy resin was 25,000 yuan/ton, an increase of 500 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 2.04%. As the New Year is approaching and logistics is restricted due to the epidemic, terminal markets are likely to rise in the later period. Procurement is concentrated and industries such as coatings are recovering rapidly. The epoxy resin market has also risen from 20,000 yuan/ton after the New Year’s Day holiday to the current 25,000-25,500 yuan/ton. The growth trend is good, but factory orders are in short supply, and terminals can only queue up to pick up goods.
After the downstream epoxy resin market continues to rise, the factory operating rate increases and the demand for bisphenol A increases. Zhuhai Hongchang increased its price by 3,000 yuan/ton to 26,000 yuan/ton, and Jiangsu Sanmu increased its price by 2,500 yuan/ton to 26,000 yuan/ton. Baling Petrochemical increased its prices by 1,200 yuan/ton to 24,000 yuan/ton, and Nantong Xingchen and Changchun Chemical increased their prices by 1,000 yuan/ton to 24,500 yuan/ton and 25,000 yuan/ton respectively.
On the 30th, the price of solid epoxy resin was 20,100 yuan/ton, an increase of 1,100 yuan/ton from the previous week, an increase of 5.79%. Huangshan Hengtai raised its price by 1,600 yuan/ton to 20,100 yuan/ton. Huangshan Wuhuan increased its price by 1,400 yuan/ton to 19,900 yuan/ton. Huangshan Hengliang raised its price by 1,200 yuan/ton to 19,700 yuan/ton. Anhui Meijia, Baling Petrochemical, Huangshan Hengyuan, Huangshan Jinfeng, Huangshan Tianma, and Huangshan Yuanrun increased their prices by 1,100 yuan/ton to 20,100 yuan/ton. Shandong Yangxin Kerui increased its price by 500 yuan/ton to 19,000 yuan/ton.
The Spring Festival is coming, and major chemical plants are also working intensively. I hope everyone can ensure production safety and save lives while completing the construction period. Put it first in production! May all chemical workers have a safe and happy New Year! </p
