Polyacrylamide Emulsion Market Intelligence Report (Late April 2026)
>
I. Recent Price Trends
1. Domestic Market Quotations
- Anionic Emulsion (Molecular Weight: 12 million):
Henan Province mainstream quotation: RMB 9,450–9,800 per metric ton (e.g., Henan Qianyuexing, Henan Hengyi);
Some manufacturers quote as low as RMB 5,000 per metric ton (low-molecular-weight or non-standard products).
- Cationic Emulsion (Ionic Degree: 80%):
Henan Province quotation: RMB 14,000 per metric ton (e.g., Henan Huiyihai Water Treatment Materials);
Premium-grade products (ionic degree 60–80%) quoted at RMB 12,800–16,800 per metric ton.
- Benchmark Price: According to Shengyishe (Business Society) data, the national benchmark price for polyacrylamide emulsion stabilized at RMB 14,200 per metric ton in late April—up 3.6% month-on-month, primarily driven by volatility in acrylonitrile raw material prices and tightening environmental regulations.

2. Regional Price Disparities
- Prices in East China and North China regions are 5–8% higher than those in Central and Western China due to concentrated demand;
- As a major production base, Henan Province faces intense price competition, with some enterprises adopting aggressive low-price strategies to capture market share.

II. Market Drivers
1. Policy-Driven Demand Growth
- Environmental Sector: The Ministry of Ecology and Environment’s ‘Urban Sewage Treatment Quality Improvement and Efficiency Enhancement Campaign Plan’ mandates that by the end of 2026, harmless disposal rates for sludge in prefecture-level and above cities nationwide must reach 95%, thereby boosting procurement demand for high-solid-content, low-free-monomer emulsion products in water treatment applications.
- Energy Sector: The National Energy Administration’s ‘Three-Year Action Plan for Stabilizing Production in Mature Oilfields’ stipulates that tertiary oil recovery coverage will increase to 38.5% by 2026, driving demand for emulsion-type polyacrylamide in enhanced oil recovery to 127,000 metric tons—a 9.4% year-on-year increase.

2. Accelerated Domestic Substitution
- In 2025, the domestic market share of imported emulsion products (primarily from France’s SNF and Germany’s BASF) in the premium oilfield segment declined from 28.3% to 23.6%; it is projected to further shrink to 19.1% in 2026, freeing up approximately RMB 180 million in incremental opportunities for domestic enterprises.
- Domestic players—including Wanhua Chemical and Baomo Co., Ltd.—have enhanced competitiveness through technological breakthroughs (e.g., low-temperature rapid demulsification, salt- and alkali-resistant stability), with certain performance metrics now matching international benchmarks.

3. Cost-Pass-Through Pressure
- Acrylonitrile raw material prices—sensitive to international crude oil fluctuations—rose 5.2% year-on-year in Q1 2026, increasing emulsion product costs by 3–5%.
- Stricter environmental regulation (e.g., ‘Green Manufacturing Evaluation Specification for Oilfield Chemicals’) necessitates process upgrades, raising compliance-related operating costs by ~2–3%.

III. Competitive Landscape Analysis
1. Consolidation of Leading Enterprises’ Advantages
- Wanhua Chemical: Demonstrates outstanding vertical integration capabilities; R&D expense ratio reached 4.8% in 2025—above the industry average of 3.3%; accounts receivable turnover days stand at 42—best-in-class operational efficiency.
- Baomo Co., Ltd.: Leverages synergies with Sinopec Group and has established on-site preparation centers in the Shengli Oilfield, compressing delivery lead time to under 48 hours and significantly enhancing customer stickiness versus peers.
- Dandong Chemical Fiber: Signed long-term framework agreements with CNPC Material Company; its market share for oilfield-specific emulsion products surged to 19.3%.

2. Increasing Polarization Among SMEs
- Enterprises such as Hebei Xinhai Chemical and Jiangsu Fumiao Technology face marginalization due to insufficient control over emulsion stability (inter-batch viscosity CV value reaching 12.3%) and slow technical service response.
- Some SMEs pursue differentiated competition (e.g., customized solution offerings) to secure footholds in niche markets such as papermaking and mineral processing.

IV. Future Trend Outlook
1. Continued Market Expansion
- Industry revenue is projected to reach RMB 4.59 billion in 2026, representing an 8.5% YoY growth—slightly down 0.1 percentage point from 2025—but with an absolute increment expanding to RMB 360 million, reflecting a structural shift from policy-driven to cost-efficiency-driven growth.
- The water treatment segment’s share will rise to 43%, while tertiary oil recovery maintains a stable share of ~32%.

2. Accelerating Technological Iteration
- Low-temperature rapid demulsification (e.g., complete demulsification within 30 seconds at 25°C) and salt/alkali resistance (e.g., tolerance to total salinity up to 35,000 mg/L) are becoming essential industry entry thresholds; leading firms reinforce pricing power via technology-based barriers.
- Green manufacturing (e.g., biodegradability certification) is emerging as a core competitive differentiator—currently only Jiangsu Fumiao and Liaoning Oak hold full-series biodegradability certification.

3. Export Market Expansion
- Water infrastructure projects in Southeast Asia and the Middle East present new growth avenues for Chinese suppliers; export volume rose 12.3% YoY in Q1 2026, with annual export revenue expected to exceed RMB 4 billion.

V. Risk Alerts
1. Crude Oil Price Volatility: Should crude oil prices fall below USD 70/barrel and remain there for three consecutive months, marginal oilfield tertiary recovery projects may face delayed approval, potentially disrupting near-term demand momentum.
2. Environmental Compliance Costs: Starting in 2026, all newly awarded products must pass third-party biodegradability testing; SMEs failing to upgrade production processes promptly risk market exclusion.
3. Regional Supply-Demand Imbalance: While industrial supporting capacity is rapidly extending inland into Central and Western China, relatively high logistics costs may constrain price competitiveness.