The polyurethane (PU) auxiliary material market showed divergent price movements in the first half of 2026, driven by raw material fluctuations, environmental regulation upgrades, import supply tightness, and seasonal operational risks. Key products witnessed differentiated performance: silicone oils achieved steady gains on monomer cost recovery; organotin catalysts remained at a high year-on-year level due to strict environmental policies and import shortages; phosphorus flame retardants saw mild increases, while inorganic fillers maintained stable quotations. Although domestic overall capacity is sufficient, high-end auxiliary products still rely heavily on overseas imports. With upcoming factory maintenance and summer power rationing risks, downstream manufacturers are advised to lock costs and build reasonable inventories in advance.
1. 2026 H1 Price Performance of Main PU Auxiliary Materials
1.1 Silicone Oils
Benefiting from the continuous recovery of silicone monomer prices, domestic silicone oil prices rose 8% to 12% in the first half of 2026 compared with the start of the year. Supported by strong demand for flexible polyurethane foam, polyether-modified silicone oil maintained a firm market price at RMB 22,000–35,000/ton. By contrast, dimethyl silicone oil trended steadily, with mainstream quotations ranging from RMB 20,000 to 28,000/ton, showing strong product differentiation in the market.
1.2 Organotin Catalysts
Affected by tightened domestic environmental supervision and shrinking imported supply, organotin catalyst prices remained elevated throughout H1 2026. The ex-factory prices of mainstream models including T-9 and T-12 stood at RMB 85,000–120,000/ton, representing a 15% year-on-year increase. Sustained high costs have prompted many downstream PU manufacturers to accelerate product replacement, gradually switching to cost-effective and eco-friendly alternatives such as amine catalysts and organobismuth catalysts.
1.3 Amine Catalysts
Amine catalyst prices fluctuated moderately along with upstream ethylene oxide feedstock movements. Triethylenediamine (TEDA) mainstream prices stabilized at RMB 28,000–35,000/ton, while DMCHA prices remained relatively stable at RMB 22,000–28,000/ton. Imported products from well-known brands including BASF and Huntsman maintained a 10%–15% premium over domestic equivalent products, retaining advantages in high-end PU manufacturing scenarios.
1.4 Flame Retardants
Phosphorus-based flame retardants (TCPP, TCEP) saw a 5%–8% price increase in H1 2026, driven by rising propylene oxide raw material costs, with ex-factory prices ranging from RMB 12,000 to 16,000/ton. In comparison, inorganic flame retardants showed stable performance: aluminium hydroxide (ATH) prices stayed flat at RMB 4,500–6,500/ton thanks to low alumina costs, delivering outstanding cost-performance for general PU flame-retardant applications.
1.5 Calcium Carbonate Fillers
Conventional ground calcium carbonate prices were constrained by limestone resource costs and logistics expenses, stabilizing at RMB 380–650/ton. Nano-active calcium carbonate, with higher technical barriers and tighter market supply, maintained a high price range of RMB 2,800–4,500/ton, serving as a key functional filler for high-grade polyurethane products.
1.6 PU Color Pastes
The color paste market showed a clear two-tier structure. Imported high-end brands (Clariant, BASF) dominated premium markets with prices of RMB 35,000–55,000/ton, featuring excellent colorfastness and dispersibility. Domestic color pastes, priced at RMB 18,000–30,000/ton, have obvious cost advantages but still lag behind imported products in comprehensive performance indicators.
2. Capacity & Supply-Demand Landscape of China PU Auxiliary Industry
2.1 Silicone Oil Market Pattern
China’s silicone monomer capacity continues to expand steadily, with total capacity expected to exceed 6 million tons/year in 2026. The supporting silicone oil processing capacity reaches approximately 2 million tons/year, ensuring sufficient overall market supply. However, the domestic substitution rate of high-end polyether-modified silicone oil is only about 60%, and high-end products still rely heavily on imported supplies.
2.2 Flame Retardant Capacity Layout
China is the world’s largest flame retardant producer, with a total capacity of 3.5 million tons/year in 2026. The capacity structure is segmented: phosphorus-based flame retardants account for 450,000 tons/year, brominated flame retardants 200,000 tons/year, and ATH inorganic flame retardants 2.8 million tons/year. Under the constraints of EU REACH regulations and domestic environmental policies, high-pollution brominated flame retardant capacity is gradually shrinking, while environmentally friendly phosphorus-based and inorganic flame retardants are expanding rapidly.
2.3 Calcium Carbonate Industry Scale
China ranks first in global ground calcium carbonate output, with an annual capacity of 35 million tons, mainly concentrated in Guangxi, Sichuan, Anhui and other resource-rich regions. The nano-calcium carbonate market has a capacity of 1.8 million tons/year, dominated by leading enterprises such as Guangxi Huana and Jiangxi Guangyuan, forming a highly concentrated competitive pattern.
2.4 Organotin Catalyst Supply Constraints
Domestic organotin catalyst capacity is limited to 35,000 tons/year, with core technologies and high-end supplies heavily dependent on imported brands including Air Products (US) and Evonik (Germany). Strict domestic environmental approval policies have blocked new capacity expansion, so the tight supply pattern of organotin catalysts will remain unchanged in the short term.
3. Factory Maintenance & Seasonal Supply Risk Analysis
Multiple supply-side variables will reshape the PU auxiliary market in mid-to-late 2026, bringing staged tight supply risks.
Bluestar New Materials will launch annual centralized maintenance from late June to early July, with an estimated supply reduction of 20,000 tons of silicone oil, which will directly support East China silicone oil prices in the short term. Meanwhile, Chinalco Shandong’s alumina unit maintenance has slightly reduced ATH output, but sufficient social inventories will limit overall price fluctuations.
In terms of raw material costs, Xinjiang Meike’s BDO plant operates at a 75% load, with BDO prices staying low at RMB 9,500–11,500/ton, reducing raw material costs for downstream polyurethane elastomer products.
In addition, the summer high-temperature season will bring uncertainties such as regional power rationing and intensified environmental inspections, which may suppress the operating rate of small and medium-sized auxiliary factories. To avoid cost increases and supply shortages, downstream PU manufacturers are recommended to complete advance inventory preparation.
4. Market Conclusion & Operation Suggestions
In H1 2026, China’s polyurethane auxiliary market presented a differentiated trend of “rising high-end products and stable bulk products”. Shortage of high-end silicone oil and organotin catalyst supply, coupled with upcoming factory maintenance and summer seasonal risks, will support firm prices of premium auxiliary materials. Conventional fillers and partial amine catalysts will maintain stable fluctuations due to sufficient capacity. In the second half of the year, the industry’s competition will further shift to environmental protection, high efficiency and localized substitution. Downstream enterprises should reasonably arrange procurement cycles, lock in raw material costs in advance, and optimize inventory structure to cope with staged market fluctuations.
