Textile fibers include natural fibers and chemical fibers. Among them, chemical fibers refer to fibers made from natural or synthetic polymer compounds through chemical treatment and physical processing.
Polyester Filament Occupies A Dominant Position in Synthetic Fibears
According to different sources of raw materials, chemical fibers can be divided into man-made fibers using natural polymer materials and synthetic fibers using synthetic polymer materials. The chemical fiber produced in China is dominated by synthetic fibers, accounting for about 92% of the total output, among synathetic fibers, polyester has the largest output, accounting for about 85%.
Thanks to the rapid development of downstream textile production and import and export trade, polyester demand in China is strong and has been expanding for a long time, where the polyester production has continued to rise after falling from 39,179,800 tons in 2015 to 37,526,300 tons in 2016. In 2019, the polyester output was 47.51 million tons, accounting for 90% of the output of synthetic fibers.
Among chemical fibers, polyester filaments have significant advantages in terms of price and performance, and there is even the possibility of substitution in some applications of acrylic and nylon. Besides, the production growth of natural fibers such as cotton is restricted by factors such as land and environment. And the raw material crude oil for polyester filaments can be adequately supplied. At the same time, the performance of polyester is the closest to natural fibers, ensuring the growing demand for raw materials in the downstream textile industry. Therefore, polyester filaments remain the dominant position in synthetic fibers in the future.
Current Status of Polyester Filament Industry
With the acceleration of the global economic integration process, the global layout adjustment and reorganization of the chemical fiber industry continue to deepen, and chemical fiber production capacity is gradually shifting to Asia, dominated by China and India. The developing countries represented by China have made full use of the strong demand in the domestic market and the advantage of the late-comer industry to make the chemical fiber industry develop rapidly. China is currently the most important polyester production base in the world, accounting for more than 70% of the global output. The chemical fiber industry has grown into an industrial system with basically complete varieties, roughly reasonable proportions, and large-scale production.
Co-Catalyzed by Multiple Factors on the Demand Side
The completed area of real estate increased, and the demand for soft decoration increased. Since June, the housing transaction area has resumed positive growth year-on-year, and the growth rate has reached more than double digits in July-September. According to estimates, the demand for soft furnishings has been strong since October, driving the demand for polyester filaments.
La Nina led to cold winter, and a large number of winter clothing was laid out downstream. The La Nina phenomenon has already formed in 2020, and the UN Climate Prediction Center has issued an authoritative statement, which means that the global climate change may be further strengthened, so it is time to prepare for this cold winter. The formation of La Nina will bring the signal of cooling down, which is a common phenomenon.
Next Year Will Be the Turning Point of Polyester Filament Supply and Demand
On the demand side, under the influence of the epidemic, the replenishment cycle will be re-entered in the second half of next year. On the supply side, there will still be an average annual increase of 7-8% of new capacity in 2020 and 2021, and subsequent new capacity will be very few.
The price increase of polyester filament is good for leading companies. If there is an industry turning point next year, the attention of the entire sector is expected to gradually increase.
Domestic Pattern
Multinational companies represented by RIL and Nan Ya Plastics Corporation have advantages in polyester filament technology research and development, brand internationalization, and global management. Domestic industry pioneers such as Hengli Group, Hengyi Group, and Tongkun Group have advantages in the production scale and have formed their own core technology. They have strong competitiveness in process maturity, product stability, and production cost control.
Polyester filaments can be subdivided into conventional polyester filaments and differentiated polyester filaments.
Conventional polyester filaments do not add any additional chemical components, do not change the shape or linear density of the filaments, and are usually manufactured from polyester melt using melt direct spinning technology. Downstream industries usually further high-temperature printing and dyeing of conventional polyester filaments, turning them into colored filaments and then using them as textile fabrics. Conventional polyester filament applications include consumer fabrics and home textiles.
Differential polyester filaments mainly have several major modification directions such as color, shape, high performance, and high function, and they are usually manufactured by the chip spinning process. Differentiated polyester filaments have special texture or quality, high unit value, and can better resist the risk of raw material price fluctuations, which requires enterprises to master advanced technology and rich production experience.
The Development of Polyester Filament in the Direction of Differentiation
In the past, the variety of polyester filaments in China was relatively single, which led to more and more serious product homogeneity, and the disadvantages became increasingly apparent, mainly reflected in the overcapacity of conventional polyester filaments. On the other hand, the demand for differentiated polyester filament products exceeds supply. In recent years, the strengthening of China's polyester filament industry base has greatly promoted the progress of polyester production technology. Conventional polyester filaments have begun to differentiate. With the high value-added characteristics of differentiated polyester filaments, more small and medium-sized conventional polyester filament companies have joined the production of differentiated polyester filaments.
Differentiated Polyester Filament Has Technical and Talent Barriers
Differentiated polyester filaments are generally customized products for downstream customers. The product characteristics determine that their output cannot compete with conventional polyester filaments. The core competitiveness of differentiated polyester filaments mainly depends on the product synthesis method, the proportion of ingredients, and the control of the process flow.
With the improvement of the technology and performance requirements of the downstream industries for polyester filaments, the research and development of new differentiated polyester filaments has received more attention from enterprises. Technological innovation and talent training have become the core competitiveness of enterprises.
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