Recently, environmental policies have been tightened, making it difficult for high-toxicity solvents to survive. As a result, low-toxicity, eco-friendly solvents like methylcyclohexane are emerging. With the expansion of downstream industries such as coatings, rubber, and electronics, the demand for methylcyclohexane is soaring. China, as the world’s largest consumer market, is experiencing particularly strong demand growth.
Technological advancements are also making their mark, with innovations like high-efficiency catalysts and continuous distillation significantly boosting production capacity. However, the volatile prices of toluene are having a considerable impact on costs.
In March of this year, methylcyclohexane prices dropped slightly from their earlier highs, mainly due to a temporary easing of supply-demand tensions and a pullback in crude oil prices. However, in the long run, cost pressures remain due to environmental protection and technological upgrades.
While short-term price fluctuations may occur in the future market, the long-term growth trend remains positive. Environmental policies are driving its development, and technological upgrades, as well as emerging applications such as hydrogen storage and biomedicine, will further fuel its growth. Enterprises should focus on high value-added products and strengthen their supply chains.
