【2025 Chemical Industry News】China’s first integrated production facility for ASA resin has been put into operation, breaking through and filling a gap in the domestic market!
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This post was last edited by zhoudingshengs on 2025-6-19 06:55. ASA resin: a high-performance \"rising star\" among engineering plastics. Recently, China’s first integrated production facility for ASA resin with an annual capacity of 100,000 tons, built by Lihua Yili Jinan Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd., was officially put into operation. This significant breakthrough not only fills a gap in the domestic market but also marks a solid step forward for our country in the field of high-performance engineering plastics. ASA resin, whose full name is Acrylonitrile Styrene Acrylate copolymer, is an upgraded version of ABS resin. From a molecular structure perspective, ASA is very similar to ABS; both contain acrylonitrile (A) and styrene (S). However, ASA replaces the butadiene (B) in ABS with acrylate (A), and this key difference enables a significant improvement in its properties.
Since the main chain of acrylate rubber has a saturated structure without double bonds, only light with wavelengths below 300 nm can cause aging effects on it. In contrast, butadiene rubber can undergo degradation in response to light with wavelengths below 700 nm; as a result, the weather resistance of ASA is significantly improved, being about 10 times higher than that of ABS. It can maintain stable color and performance over the long term even under intense ultraviolet exposure, without issues such as fading or brittleness. Furthermore, ASA resin retains 75% of its impact resistance at room temperature even in extreme low-temperature conditions of -30°C; this excellent low-temperature toughness makes it an ideal choice for outdoor applications.
ASA resin also boasts excellent color stability and coloring properties, enabling the creation of a wide range of vibrant colors that do not fade over time. In terms of solvent resistance, ASA is also significantly superior to ABS, as it can withstand the erosion of various chemicals. It is worth noting that while maintaining these excellent properties, ASA has toughness and stiffness that are roughly on par with those of ABS, making it a case of \"the successor surpassing the predecessor\".
Thanks to its excellent performance profile, ASA resin has proven highly effective in various fields, becoming the \"new favorite\" as a substitute for traditional materials. The automotive industry is one of the most important application areas for ASA resin. Under the general trend of vehicle lightweighting, ASA and its alloys are gradually replacing metal materials in the manufacture of exterior body parts, bumpers, roofs, door handles, mirror housings, lamp covers, and other components. This not only reduces the overall weight of the vehicle and lowers fuel consumption, but also simplifies the manufacturing process and increases design flexibility. More importantly, ASA’s excellent weather resistance ensures that these exposed components do not suffer from fading or aging over time.
In the field of electronics and electrical appliances, ASA resin also performs admirably. It is widely used in electronic devices that require outdoor use, such as mobile antennas, components for television antennas, and satellite reception devices. In addition, home appliances such as washing machine panels, refrigerator handles, kitchen utensils, sewing machines, and microwave ovens are increasingly made from ASA material to enhance the durability and appearance of these products.
Construction materials are also a major market for ASA resin. Traditional PVC building materials suffer from poor weather resistance and a tendency to yellow and discolor, whereas ASA/PVC co-extruded profiles perfectly solve this problem. Currently, ASA is widely used in outdoor building components such as door and window profiles, sinks, drainage pipes, road signs, and mailboxes, significantly extending the service life of these products.
The 100,000-ton/year ASA resin project of Lihua Yili Jinan Refining & Chemical Co., Ltd. has a total investment of 2.2 billion yuan, and it utilizes the internationally advanced emulsion grafting-in-situ SAN blending process technology from Dexinibu of the United States. This technical approach ensures that the product performance reaches international advanced levels, enabling it to meet the stringent requirements of high-end application areas.
This project is a key link in the comprehensive industrial chain of \"refining—propylene/ethylbenzene—acrylonitrile/styrene/AMS—ASA resin\" that Lihua Yi has carefully developed. Through vertical integration, Lihua Yi has not only achieved self-sufficiency in raw materials and reduced production costs, but also enhanced the stability and competitiveness of its supply chain.
It is predicted that after the project goes into operation, it will generate annual sales revenue of 3.5 billion yuan and profits and taxes of 950 million yuan. More importantly, it will effectively replace imported products, changing the situation in which our country has long relied on foreign companies for ASA resins. Currently, the global ASA resin market is dominated by international giants such as BASF, SABIC, Ineos Phenol, and LG Chem. Lihua Yi’s breakthrough has secured valuable speaking rights for China in this field.
As a high-performance engineering plastic, the global market demand for ASA resin continues to grow. Industry reports indicate that the global market size for ASA resin in 2024 was approximately $1.176 billion, and it is expected to reach $1.736 billion by 2031. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the period from 2025 to 2031 is 5.8%.
For a long time, China’s ASA resin industry has faced the challenges of starting late and having low production capacity, relying mainly on imports to meet high-end demands. Although some domestic companies already possess mass production capabilities, their scale and technical level still fall short of those of internationally leading enterprises. The commissioning of Lihua Yi’s 100,000-ton capacity facility marks a new stage in the development of China’s ASA resin industry, one characterized by scale expansion and higher-end production.