碳酸酯行业转型升级路在何方？

Core Viewpoint - The carbonate industry is urged to enhance green low-carbon processes and expand into high-end applications to improve lithium battery electrolyte performance and drive industry development [1] Group 1: Development of Green Low-Carbon Processes - Carbonate, as a low-toxicity and environmentally friendly chemical, is widely used in lithium battery electrolytes, polycarbonate, and coatings. The industry focuses on overcoming high energy consumption and separation difficulties [2] - A team led by a professor from Hebei University of Technology has developed various carbonate derivatives and green energy-saving processes, addressing catalyst separation and high material energy consumption issues [2] - Innovations in energy-saving technologies have been introduced by a research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, achieving a 50%-70% reduction in energy consumption for separation processes compared to traditional methods [2][3] Group 2: Expansion into High-End Application Areas - The carbonate industry faces challenges such as oversupply and shrinking profits in lithium battery electrolyte solvents, necessitating a shift towards high-end and differentiated development [4] - New applications for special polycarbonates containing silicon and polycarbonate diols are being explored to empower industries like pharmaceuticals and pesticides, with promising prospects in automotive, medical, electronics, 5G, and new energy sectors [4] - A company has developed dibutyl carbonate for use in coatings and electronic cleaning agents, creating new economic growth points [4] Group 3: Enhancing Electrolyte Material Performance - The rapid development of new energy vehicles has prompted domestic automakers and battery companies to focus on solid-state lithium batteries, with semi-solid batteries entering vehicle testing [5] - Key issues with lithium battery electrolytes include increased viscosity and low ionic conductivity at low temperatures, with proposed solutions involving the optimization of weak solvents [5] - Future developments in lithium battery electrolytes will focus on high energy density, high power, wide temperature range, long lifespan, and high safety, with fluorinated solvents and carboxylic ester solvents becoming research hotspots [6]