Comprehensive Analysis: Market Pattern, Industrial Chain Structure, Demand Applications and Production Processes
As a core basic chemical raw material in fields such as viscose fiber, rubber vulcanization, and pesticide synthesis, the development of the carbon disulfide (CS₂) industry is highly tied to the upgrading of downstream manufacturing, the advancement of environmental protection policies, and regional resource distribution, featuring the distinct characteristics of "technology-driven costs and hierarchical demand growth". This article will conduct an in-depth interpretation of the current development status and core logic of the CS₂ industry from four dimensions—market overview, industrial chain structure, demand structure and typical applications, and main production processes—combining industry data and cases.
According to statistics, the global total production capacity of carbon disulfide was approximately 1.8 million tons in 2023. With a production capacity of 540,000 tons accounting for 30%, China has become the world's largest producer; followed by the United States (28%), Germany (15%), and Japan (12%), forming the global core production capacity matrix.
From the demand side, the global consumption volume maintains a stable annual growth rate of 3%-5%, with significant regional differentiation: mature markets (Europe, the US, Japan) are dominated by high-end application demand with moderate growth; emerging markets (Southeast Asia, South Asia), driven by the expansion of the viscose fiber and pesticide industries, have a consumption growth rate exceeding 8%, contributing 70% of the global new demand. It is expected that the demand in emerging markets will exceed 800,000 tons by 2027.
In the medium and long term, the demand growth of carbon disulfide will rely on three major drivers: first, the transfer of viscose fiber production capacity to low-cost regions in emerging markets; second, the replacement of traditional products by environmentally friendly pesticides; third, the breakthrough in demand from high-end fields such as electronic chemicals and lithium battery additives. Meanwhile, the integrated layout of "raw material-production-by-product utilization" (e.g., coalbed methane-carbon disulfide-by-product steam) can enhance enterprises' anti-cyclical capabilities, becoming a key direction for industry competition.
The carbon disulfide industrial chain features "upstream resources determining costs, midstream technology distinguishing strengths and weaknesses, and downstream demand defining patterns". All links have strong synergy, and regional resource differences directly affect industrial layout.
Centered on raw material supply, key equipment manufacturing, and energy support, it is the core link for cost control:
Natural gas (main carbon source) and sulfur (main sulfur source). China reduces costs through localized supply, while the Middle East and North America provide low-cost natural gas.
China has cost advantages in medium and low-pressure reaction equipment and distillation towers, while European and American enterprises dominate high-pressure reaction furnaces and high-end testing equipment.
Mainly natural gas and electricity. Some enterprises achieve energy self-sufficiency through waste heat recovery (e.g., Shanxi Xintu Chemical uses reaction waste heat to produce by-product steam, meeting 30% of its own energy demand).
Namely the carbon disulfide production link, where technical routes determine competitiveness:
Extending to end applications using carbon disulfide as raw material, with significant demand stratification:
Purification to industrial first-grade products to meet the needs of different application scenarios.
Viscose fiber (main consumption field in China), pesticide synthesis (main growth driver in emerging markets), rubber vulcanization (stable demand in mature markets), electronic chemicals/lithium battery additives (high-end growth driver).
The downstream demand for carbon disulfide is highly concentrated, with the three major fields of viscose fiber, pesticides, and rubber vulcanization accounting for over 80%. Although high-end applications account for a low proportion, their growth rate leads, forming a pattern of "stable basic demand and rapid high-end demand".
As a key solvent for viscose fiber production, the demand for carbon disulfide is synchronized with the upgrading of the textile industry:
Used in making underwear, shirts, home textiles, etc., relying on the stable growth of the consumer market.
Used in tire cords, insulating materials, canvas, etc., driven by demand from the automotive and infrastructure industries. Demand is booming in new viscose factories in Southeast Asia and South Asia (e.g., a factory in Vietnam had an additional demand of 20,000 tons in 2023).
Carbon disulfide is an important raw material for synthesizing insecticides (such as endosulfan) and herbicides (such as atrazine):
As a raw material for rubber vulcanizing agents, it supports the production of rubber products such as tires and seals:
Used as a semiconductor cleaning solvent, requiring extremely low content of impurities (such as metal ions).
Improve electrolyte stability, with demand growing rapidly along with the expansion of the new energy industry.
Currently, the carbon disulfide production process has formed a pattern of "traditional processes being phased out and mainstream processes being upgraded". A variety of differentiated technical solutions have been derived under the natural gas method, and Chinese enterprises have significant advantages in the high-efficiency and low-cost route.
Core Principle: Charcoal reacts with sulfur at high temperatures to produce carbon disulfide;
Low equipment investment, but high energy consumption, heavy pollution (difficult to treat sulfur-containing waste gas by-products), and raw material utilization rate less than 60%, which is not in line with the "dual carbon" requirements.
Classified as a restricted process, with only scattered production capacity remaining in a few regions with special resources in China and Africa, and gradually withdrawing from the market.
Core Principle: Methane reacts with sulfur under the action of a catalyst, and the product purity can reach above industrial first-grade products, with a reaction temperature of approximately 600-700℃. Leading Chinese enterprises have formed multiple technical branches:
Strengthens mass transfer through fluidized reactions, with wide raw material adaptability (compatible with natural gas of different qualities). Equipped with hydrogenation reduction tail gas treatment technology, its sulfur dioxide emissions are better than EU standards, and the technology has been exported to Indonesia and India.
Improves conversion efficiency by increasing reaction pressure, with single-unit production capacity reaching the 10,000-ton level. However, high pressure requires high equipment material standards, resulting in high initial investment.
Relies on coalbed methane resources, integrating medium-pressure single-tower distillation and Claus sulfur recovery. It reduces sulfur/coalbed methane consumption by 5%, increases by-product steam by 40%, and its tail gas emissions are far better than national standards.
Single-tower distillation (CS₂ entrainment in liquid sulfur <0.5%) + double alkali desulfurization (efficiency >98%) + thermal coupling heat exchange. Energy consumption is reduced to 550kg standard coal equivalent per ton (30% lower than the industry average), suitable for intensive production in chemical parks.
In the future, the core competition in the carbon disulfide industry will focus on "technical cost-effectiveness" and "environmental compliance": In the Chinese market, technologies such as single-tower separation, double alkali desulfurization, and thermal coupling heat exchange will gradually become the "standard configuration" for natural gas method processes; in the global market, the demand growth in emerging chemical production regions will drive the demand for technology export, and domestic technical solutions with differentiated advantages are expected to gain more market share. For industry participants, only by solving the three major pain points of "energy consumption, separation efficiency, and by-product utilization" through technological innovation can they take the initiative in market competition.
