In the global landscape of polybutene-1 (PB-1) industry, Chinese strength is undergoing a historic transformation from "follower" to "leader." As the core driver of this shift, Sinopec's domestic PB-1 has broken international monopolies through technological breakthroughs and built differentiated competitive edges with localized services. It has not only achieved self-reliance in high-end polyolefin materials but is also reshaping the global market pattern. From initial "import substitution" to today's "market leadership," the rise of Sinopec's PB-1 stands as a classic example of China's high-end manufacturing breakthrough.

Technological Breakthrough: A Performance Revolution from Catching Up to Keeping Pace

Polybutene-1, long regarded as the "jewel" of polyolefin materials for its exceptional creep resistance and impact performance, had its core technologies monopolized by enterprises from the Netherlands, Japan, and other countries for decades. Sinopec's PB-1 breakthrough began with a systematic assault on "bottleneck technologies." After 11 years of research and development, its key performance indicators have fully matched world-class standards:

· High-temperature stability: In 95℃C hot water circulation tests, the pressure resistance retention rate (PN1.6MPa) reaches 98%, on par with imported products;

· Stress crack resistance: Exceeds 1,000 hours under 80℃C and 4MPa, 15% higher than some international brands;

· Low-temperature toughness: Impact strength at -40℃C reaches 20 kJ/m², meeting extreme environment demands in frigid regions.

Behind these performance breakthroughs lies a technical moat built with 28 national invention patents. Through independently developed liquid-phase bulk polymerization technology, Sinopec's PB-1 achieves precise control of molecular chain structures, with isotactic content stably maintained at 98%-99.5%, ensuring consistent product performance. The stable operation of the 3,000-ton/year industrial demonstration plant in 2022 marked China as the fourth country globally to master PB-1 industrialization technology, 彻底 reversing the passive dependence on imports.

Local Advantages: Building a Barrier of Differentiated Competitiveness

While matching international performance, Sinopec's PB-1 has built irreplicable competitive advantages through localized services—key to its leap from "substitute" to "leader":

· Supply chain response speed: Leveraging China's complete petrochemical industry chain, the cycle from order confirmation to delivery is shortened to 7-10 days, only one-third of imported products. During the 2023 northern heating season emergency supply, Sinopec's PB-1 completed production scheduling of 200 tons of pipes within 48 hours, setting an industry response record.

· Cost control capability: Combining liquid-phase bulk polymerization with domestic butene-1 raw material advantages, unit costs are 15%-20% lower than imported equivalents. This price advantage is not achieved by sacrificing performance but through "value reconstruction" via technological innovation.

· Policy adaptability: Deep alignment with domestic industrial policies—for example, low-carbon production processes developed for the "dual carbon" goals reduce product carbon footprint by 22% compared to traditional methods, perfectly fitting domestic green building standards; cold-resistant formulas customized for "coal-to-gas" projects better adapt to northern China's unique working conditions.

Comparative data from a leading pipe enterprise shows: After adopting Sinopec's PB-1, its raw material inventory turnover rate increased by 40%, comprehensive procurement costs decreased by 18%, and winning rates in municipal engineering bids rose by 25%. This combination of "equivalent performance, superior service, and lower cost" has rapidly gained market recognition for domestic PB-1.

Global Expansion: From Regional Market to World Stage

Growing market share confirms Sinopec PB-1's leadership. In 2020, domestic PB-1 accounted for less than 40% of the global market; industry forecasts suggest this proportion will surge to 60% by 2025, with Sinopec's PB-1 contributing over 70% of this growth.

This growth is driven by two dimensions: deep penetration in domestic markets and accelerated expansion internationally. Domestically, Sinopec's PB-1 has become the preferred material for national projects such as the "West-to-East Gas Pipeline" supporting projects and Xiong'an New Area construction, with cumulative application mileage exceeding 5,000 kilometers. Internationally, it has entered emerging markets in Southeast Asia and the Middle East through certifications like ISO 15874. In a Vietnamese industrial park project, it outperformed German competitors with cost-performance advantages, securing a 3,000-ton pipe order.

More strategically, Sinopec is expanding influence through technology exports. In 2024, it signed a technology licensing agreement with a Saudi petrochemical enterprise, introducing PB-1 production technology to the global market—marking China's upgrade from "product export" to "technology export."

Growth Logic: Collaborative Upgrade of Industrial Ecosystem

The rise of Sinopec's PB-1 is not the success of a single product but the result of collaborative innovation across the industrial chain. By leading the formulation of 12 domestic industry standards, Sinopec has transformed technological advantages into standard-setting authority, driving upgrades across over 20 upstream and downstream enterprises. The stable operation of its 3,000-ton/year demonstration plant has cultivated a pool of professionals mastering core technologies, forming sustainable innovation capabilities.

Looking ahead, with the development of 10,000-ton process packages, Sinopec's PB-1 costs will further decrease, with global market share expected to exceed 65% by 2026. More importantly, its technical path provides a replicable model for domesticating other high-end polyolefins—building full-chain capabilities from basic research to pilot scaling, process optimization, and standard formulation.