PBE Boosts Polypropylene Upgrading: Promising Future Prospects

On December 6, China’s first pilot polypropylene-based elastomer (PBE) production unit successfully completed its entire production process in a single trial run. This achievement signifies that Beijing Research Institute of Chemical Industry has mastered the technology for developing PBE based on single-site catalysts and solution polymerization platforms, contributing to the nation's strategic goals and industrial upgrading demands.

Polypropylene-based elastomer (PBE) is a low-crystallinity polymer primarily derived from propylene. It boasts excellent properties such as high elasticity, transparency, and low-temperature toughness, along with strong compatibility with polyolefins. PBE is widely used to enhance the optical properties, sealing performance, thermal adhesion, elasticity, toughness, and flexibility of polyolefins. Globally, only three companies produce PBE, with ExxonMobil being the largest producer.

In terms of downstream applications, PBE is mainly used in cast polypropylene (CPP) film blending and modification, which accounts for about 60% of its total consumption. The remaining 40% is used in transparent packaging, hot melt adhesives, and other fields.

In 2024, the global consumption of PBE is expected to reach 375,000 tons, representing a year-on-year growth of approximately 7.14%. As a new elastomer material, PBE demonstrates broad application prospects in films, packaging, construction, sealing, and other fields due to its high elasticity, transparency, and compatibility with polyolefins.

Currently, only three companies globally produce PBE: Dow Chemical (Versify), ExxonMobil (Vistamaxx), and Mitsui (Tafmer). ExxonMobil leads the market with an annual production capacity of 350,000 tons, followed by Dow Chemical at 55,000 tons per year.

PBE is a low-crystallinity polymer synthesized from propylene as the main raw material, with a small amount of ethylene or α-olefin monomers via solution polymerization. The second monomer content in PBE is typically below 20% (usually between 10%-15%). In general, the raw material cost of PBE is lower than that of POE (polyolefin elastomers), but its performance is not inferior; in some aspects, it even demonstrates clear advantages.

PBE exhibits outstanding properties such as high elasticity, high transparency, and low-temperature toughness. Most notably, it has excellent compatibility with olefin polymers, especially polypropylene (PP). It is highly compatible with various polyolefin products, including PP, PE, SEBS, SIS, and EPDM, significantly enhancing the transparency, impact resistance, elasticity, and processing performance of modified products. Furthermore, PBE can achieve notable weight reduction effects.

Based on the above analysis, the rapid growth of modified polypropylene is expected to continue. Modified polypropylene is forecasted to maintain a steady growth rate, with an estimated growth rate of 9.97% in 2025. Additionally, PBE-grade products have obtained certifications for food-contact materials. Thanks to their high compatibility with polypropylene, PBE materials are poised for significant growth and broad development opportunities in the future.