Fine Chemicals Sector: Diversified Applications, with Emerging Scenarios Continuously Expanding

Biphenylacetic acid exhibits diversified applications in the fine chemical industry, covering multiple niche segments such as dyes, polymer materials, and electronic chemicals. Although demand is relatively dispersed, its growth potential is significant.

In the dye industry, biphenylacetic acid is used as a high-performance intermediate for the synthesis of azo dyes—dyes that feature vivid colors and excellent stability. These dyes are widely applied in textile printing and dyeing. Currently, their share in the textile printing and dyeing sector is approximately 15%, with consumption reaching around 900 tons in 2023. In the field of polymer materials, biphenylacetic acid can be used to modify materials such as polyesters and polyamides, effectively enhancing their heat resistance, mechanical strength, and stability. This makes it well-suited for high-end applications, including lightweight materials for new-energy vehicles and specialty engineering plastics. In 2024, consumption in this sector was about 600 tons, and it is projected to achieve an average annual growth rate of 12% in the future.

In the field of electronic chemicals, with the increasing adoption of green synthesis processes, the use of high-purity biphenylacetic acid—whose electronic-grade purity can reach as high as 99.95%—has been steadily rising. It is primarily used in the preparation of liquid crystal materials and serves as an important raw material for liquid-crystal polymer monomers. In recent years, the applications of liquid-crystal materials have continued to expand in areas such as display panels and electronic components, driving growth in demand for biphenylacetic acid. Its share in the liquid-crystal materials sector has risen from 15% in 2021 to 22% in 2024. International companies like DuPont have seen a significant year-on-year increase in their procurement volumes of biphenylacetic acid for liquid-crystal polymer businesses. Moreover, biphenylacetic acid can also be used to synthesize fine chemical products such as polymer antioxidants and UV absorbers, playing a role in the modification of materials like plastics and rubber. In 2023, consumption of biphenylacetic acid in the fine chemical sector was approximately 8,000 tons, and it is projected to exceed 10,000 tons by 2025.