Jam Petrochemical Company in Asalouyeh in southern Bushehr Province, hit a new record in producing high-density polyethylene last year (ended March 19), director of HDPE production said.
“Our plan for last year was to produce 306,000 tons of polymer in the HDPE unit with 35 days allowed for suspension of operations. However, we only took off 15 days and output reached 308,000 tons per year,” ILNA quoted Payam Rafiee as saying.
Polyethylene is the world's most versatile and widely produced polymer. HDPE is a thermoplastic polymer produced from monomer ethylene. It is used for producing plastic bottles, corrosion-resistant piping, geomembranes and plastic lumber.
Rafiee added that the company produced different kinds of polyethylene grades that are used in manufacturing car bumpers, gasoline tanks, pipes, fibers and packaging material.
HDPE is also used for producing the so-called PE100 pipes that have higher and long-term durability with application in oil, gas, water and wastewater networks.
JPC, with olefin, high-density and low-density polyethylene, butadiene and butene production units, is one of the largest producers of olefins in the world and a major domestic manufacturer of polymers.
With annual production capacity at 1.32 million tons of ethylene and 306,000 tons of propylene, the company is first in Iran in production terms and one of the leaders in the key petrochemical sector.
Besides catering to the huge domestic market, JPC is also involved in exports. China is one of the main export destinations for JPC products. Companies in Turkey, Pakistan, Europe and South America are its other clients.
The global polyethylene market demand is expected to witness high growth due to increasing demand for packaged goods and changing urban lifestyles. Easy availability and affordable PE prices are likely to underpin market growth.
However, increasing environmental concerns and health awareness issues among consumers worldwide are expected to act as key restraining factors for the market. Meanwhile, introduction and development of bio-based and bio-degradable polyethylene is likely to open new vistas for market growth.
In addition, manufacturing polyethylene from feedstock derived through unconventional sources such as coal, shale gas and bio-based materials will ensure raw material availability and sustainable resources. Development of new technologies and additives for producing polyethylene are expected to improve performance and open new market avenues for polyethylene in the coming years.
The global high-density polyethylene market was worth $106.3 billion in 2019. It is expected to grow annually by f 8% and reach $148.53 billion by 2023.
Iran’s annual polymer production stands at 7.4 million tons and is planned to reach 12 million tons by 2022, as per the Sixth Five-Year Economic Development Plan (2016-2021).
According to official data, Iran’s petrochemical production is expected to reach 90 million tons a year from the present 66 million tons by 2022.
