Soda ash, also known as soda, soda ash, soda surface, or washing soda, has its chemical name sodium carbonate and the chemical formula Na2CO3. It is an inorganic compound that is classified as a salt rather than a base, although its aqueous solution is alkaline. Soda ash presents as a white, odorless powder or granule at room temperature, which is absorbent and soluble in water and glycerol. Soda ash is mainly divided into light soda ash (light alkali) and heavy soda ash (heavy alkali) according to the different densities. The light alkali density is 500-600 kg m, while the heavy alkali density is 1000-1200 kg m. In addition, there are ultra-light soda ash and super heavy soda ash. Soda ash can also be divided into industrial grade soda ash and food grade soda ash according to the application.
Soda ash has a wide range of applications in industrial production. It is the main raw material for the production of flat glass, glass products and ceramic glaze, and is also widely used in domestic washing, acid neutralization and food processing. In the food industry, soda ash can be used as a pasta additive, playing the role of a neutralizer, leavening agent, buffer, dough improver, and increasing the taste and flexibility of pasta. In addition, it can also be used as an auxiliary additive in the production of monosodium glutamate and soy sauce.
The main raw materials in the upstream of trona are trona ore, the main raw materials for the preparation of soda ash by the combined alkali method are raw salt, synthetic ammonia and carbon dioxide, and the raw materials of the ammonia-alkali method are mainly limestone, raw salt and synthetic ammonia. The midstream is the production link of soda ash; The downstream application fields are mainly concentrated in glass, chemical, fertilizer, food and other industries.
Soda ash is an important chemical raw material, which is widely used in downstream applications, mainly used in the production of glass products. At present, soda ash is mainly used in the production of flat glass, accounting for 46%. Daily glass and photovoltaic glass accounted for 16% and 8% respectively.
4. The status quo of the industry
Yield:At present, only a few countries and regions in the world have been proven, such as the United States, China, Turkey, Mexico and southern Africa, and the plant capacity accounts for 24%.
Due to its unique resource advantages, the United States was the world's main producer and exporter of soda ash in the mid-to-early 20th century. Until the early 90s of the last century, China's production technology continued to mature, from the alkali method, the transition to the three alkali methods, ending the long-term dependence on imports, and gradually becoming a net exporter of soda ash.
Since 2003, China's soda ash production capacity and output have ranked first in the world, and have been rising year after year. In recent years, China's soda ash production has been relatively stable as a whole, but with the expansion of photovoltaic glass production capacity, soda ash production will also increase, and it will reach 31.04 million tons in 2024.
Import and export:China is a net exporter of soda ash, with exports much larger than imports. In recent years, with the continuous increase of domestic production capacity and the growth of international market demand, China's soda ash export volume has continued to increase. At the same time, China also imports a small amount of high-end soda ash products from some countries to meet the needs of specific domestic fields.
The market competition in China's soda ash industry is fierce. There are many domestic production enterprises, the distribution of production capacity is relatively scattered, and the market concentration is relatively low. In order to compete for market share and improve profitability, enterprises have launched fierce competition in product quality and service.
According to the data of Yanjing Bizhi Market Research Network, in 2022, among China's soda ash listed companies, the soda ash output of China Salt Chemical accounted for 14 percent of the country's soda ash output26%, ranking first among listed companies in the industry; Sanyou Chemical and Shandong Haihua also accounted for more than 10% of the soda ash output, second only to China Salt Chemical. Jinjing Technology's output accounted for more than 4%, and Xuetian Salt, Suyanjingshen and Huachang Chemical's soda ash production accounted for more than 2%.
At present, China's soda ash manufacturers mainly include Sanyou Chemical, China Salt Chemical, Yuanxing Energy, Hebang Biotechnology, Shandong Haihua, Huachang Chemical, Jinjing Technology, Xuetian Salt, Su Yanjingshen, Shuanghuan Technology, etc. In the first three quarters of 2023, the revenue of Sanyou Chemical, China Salt Chemical, and Yuanxing Energy was 1641.5 billion yuan, 1218.3 billion yuan, 803.8 billion yuan.
China's soda ash industry has undergone great changes in the past few years. It is mainly reflected in the increase in market demand and the enhancement of the bargaining power of leading merchants and downstream industries. However, in the case of overcapacity, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology abolished the "Soda Ash Industry Access Conditions", and small and medium-sized production capacity was put into the market, resulting in a relatively sluggish development of the industry.
One of the biggest challenges in the coming years will be increased competition in the market. Due to the relatively slow growth of demand in this industry, there are likely to be more soda ash manufacturers and leading merchants joining the market. Therefore, companies in China's soda ash industry need to pay close attention to market dynamics and competitors' actions to maintain their competitiveness in the market.
Overall, China's soda ash industry still has growth potential in the coming years, but issues such as a competitive market environment and overcapacity may adversely affect the development of the industry. Only those companies that can actively respond to challenges, constantly innovate and improve the quality of their products can occupy a place in the market.
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