China's Polyurethane Industry Accelerates Green Transformation, Focusing on Low-Carbon Technology Breakthroughs

March 31, 2026 – Driven by the 'dual carbon' goal, technological innovation and global industrial pattern restructuring, China’s polyurethane industry is accelerating its transformation from scale expansion to high-quality development, with green, high-end, independent and global trends becoming increasingly prominent, according to the latest analysis report released by the Auxiliary Engineering Technology Center of China Polyurethane Industry Association (CPUIA). The report points out that in 2025, the total output of China’s polyurethane industry reached 15.8 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 6.2%, and the industrial output value exceeded 280 billion yuan, maintaining a steady growth trend amid the complex global economic environment.

Against the backdrop of global carbon reduction, green and low-carbon technologies have become the core focus of the industry’s technological innovation. Bio-based polyurethane, as a key direction to reduce dependence on petrochemical raw materials, has made significant progress in industrialization. At present, domestic enterprises such as Wanhua Chemical, Sinopec Yanshan Petrochemical, and Hunan Yihua have launched bio-based polyurethane pilot projects, and 100% bio-based isocyanate and bio-based 1,4-butanediol (BDO) products have passed industrial tests, with product performance reaching the level of traditional petrochemical-based products. The report predicts that by 2030, the proportion of bio-based raw materials in polyurethane production will exceed 15%, and the annual output of bio-based polyurethane will reach 3 million tons, reducing carbon emissions by more than 5 million tons.

In addition, carbon dioxide resource utilization technology has become another important breakthrough in the green transformation of the industry. The 300,000-ton carbon dioxide-based polycarbonate diol plant built by Hefei Puli New Materials Co., Ltd. has been operating stably for more than a year, with an annual carbon dioxide fixation capacity of 180,000 tons, which is equivalent to the carbon absorption of 1 million mature trees. This technology not only solves the problem of carbon dioxide emission reduction but also reduces the production cost of polyurethane raw materials by 12%–15%, forming a win-win situation of environmental protection and economic benefits. At present, more than 10 enterprises in China have launched similar projects, and the total annual carbon dioxide fixation capacity is expected to exceed 1 million tons by 2028.

The comprehensive elimination of HCFC-141b, a traditional foaming agent, in 2026 has further promoted the upgrading of polyurethane foaming technology. The chlorine-free and fluorine-free chemical foaming agents independently developed by the research team of Shandong University of Technology have completed CAS registration and industrialization tests, with foaming efficiency 8% higher than that of traditional physical foaming agents and zero greenhouse gas emissions. This product has been adopted by major polyurethane foam enterprises such as BASF and Huntsman, and is expected to replace more than 30% of the physical foaming agent market in the next five years, redefining the global polyurethane foaming technology route. The CPUIA pointed out that the green transformation of the polyurethane industry will further accelerate in the future, and policy support and technological innovation will become the core driving forces.

In terms of technological innovation, green and low-carbon technologies have become the core competitiveness of the industry. Bio-based polyurethane raw materials are gradually moving from the laboratory to mass production, and 100% bio-based isocyanate and bio-based 1,4-butanediol (BDO) are expected to replace traditional petrochemical raw materials, with the proportion of bio-based raw materials in polyurethane production expected to exceed 15% by 2030. At the same time, carbon dioxide resource utilization technology is accelerating its popularization. The 300,000-ton carbon dioxide-based polycarbonate diol plant of enterprises such as Hefei Puli has become an industry benchmark, which can fix more than 180,000 tons of carbon dioxide per plant annually and reduce the carbon footprint of the polyurethane industry by 20%–30%.

In addition, the comprehensive elimination of HCFC-141b in 2026 has promoted the upgrading of foaming technology. Chlorine-free and fluorine-free chemical foaming agents developed by Shandong University of Technology have completed CAS registration, which can fundamentally avoid greenhouse gas emissions and is expected to replace more than 30% of the physical foaming agent market in the next five years, redefining the global polyurethane foaming technology route.