2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate often abbreviated as HPMA (CAS No. 27813-02-1), is a hydrophilic, dual-functional monomer structurally similar to HEMA but featuring a hydroxypropyl group instead of a hydroxyethyl group. This hydroxypropyl structure imparts superior water resistance, improved flexibility, and enhanced adhesion compared to HEMA in many polymer systems. HPMA is an essential functional building block widely used in high-performance coatings, UV-cured materials, and, increasingly, in advanced electronic and energy storage applications.
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The 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate industry is characterized by the following key features:
- Superior Performance Monomer: HPMA is strategically valued over HEMA in applications where polymers require improved hydrolytic stability and greater flexibility, making it a premium choice for durable coatings and specific adhesive systems.
- Driven by High-Tech Applications: While historically strong in coatings and adhesives, its demand is increasingly influenced by the high-growth sectors of UV-curing technology, electronic packaging, and, most notably, Lithium-ion batteries where it acts as a critical modifying agent.
- Quality and Purity Differentiation: Similar to HEMA, the market requires reliable supply of high-purity grades to ensure optimal performance in demanding applications, particularly in electronics and UV cure formulations where trace impurities can inhibit polymerization.
- Integrated Global Supply: Production is consolidated among global chemical majors with established methacrylate capabilities, alongside specialized regional producers who focus on supplying the rapidly expanding APAC industrial base.
- Application Segments and Trends
- Coating:
- Characteristics: HPMA is a critical co-monomer in thermosetting acrylic coatings (e.g., automotive, industrial finishes). Its hydroxyl group enables cross-linking for enhanced hardness and chemical resistance. Crucially, its structure provides superior water resistance and flexibility to the cured film compared to HEMA.
- Trend: The segment is expanding, especially in UV cured coatings for wood, plastics, and paper, where its rapid cure rate, low viscosity, and VOC-free formulation are highly valued.
- Adhesive & Ink:
- Characteristics: Used in specialty adhesives and printing inks, particularly those requiring strong adhesion to diverse substrates and greater resistance to moisture and solvents. It is often employed in high-performance structural and pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs).
- Trend: Steady growth tied to advanced manufacturing processes and durable goods assembly.
- Optical Resin:
- Characteristics: While HEMA is dominant, HPMA is used in certain optical formulations, particularly where slightly greater hydrophobicity and polymer durability (e.g., impact resistance) are required for specialized lenses or optical coatings.
- Trend: Niche but stable demand, focused on specialized high-performance applications.
- Lithium-ion Batteries (LiB):
- Characteristics: HPMA is emerging as a crucial component. It is used as a key modifying monomer in polymer coatings applied to LiB separators. This modification improves the separator's heat resistance and enhances electrolyte wettability, both of which are critical for battery safety and performance.
- Trend: This is a high-growth, high-value segment. The explosive demand for electric vehicles (EVs) and large-scale energy storage is driving structural demand for high-quality HPMA as manufacturers seek to improve battery safety and longevity.
- Electronic Packaging:
- Characteristics: Used in formulations for protective coatings and encapsulants for electronic components, printed circuit boards (PCBs), and display materials. Its low shrinkage and excellent adhesion make it ideal for protecting delicate electronics.
- Trend: Demand is strong, fueled by the miniaturization and increased performance requirements of consumer electronics and advanced displays.
- Others:
- Used in thickeners, dispersants, and specialized hydrogels.
- Overview of Key Market Players and Capacities
- Global Methacrylate and Chemical Majors:
- Dow (ROCRYL™ 410 HEMA): Supplies HPMA (marketed as ROCRYL™ 410) as part of its expansive acrylic monomer portfolio, focusing on reliable, high-volume supply to industrial coatings and UV curing markets.
- Mitsubishi Chemical (Acrylic Ester HP): A leading global producer of methacrylates, offering premium grades like Acrylic Ester HP, targeting demanding applications such as high-performance coatings and specialized electronics.
- Röhm GmbH (MERACRYL™ HPMA 98): A dedicated leader in methacrylate technology, supplying high-quality HPMA primarily to the European coatings and adhesive sectors.
- GEO Specialty Chemicals (Bisomer® HPMA): A specialized producer providing HPMA to niche global markets that require consistent quality and customized solutions.
- Nippon Shokubai: A major Japanese producer with integrated capabilities in the acrylic acid and ester value chains, serving the APAC region’s industrial and electronics markets.
- Major Chinese Producers (Capacity Information):
- Wanhua Chemical Group: A key player planning a major strategic capacity increase. In May 2025, Wanhua announced plans for a new 20,000 tpa production line that will be switchable between HEMA and HPMA, reflecting strategic flexibility to meet market demand shifts. This project, with a total investment of 39.61 million RMB, is slated to begin construction in June 2026.
- Anhui Lianhua New Material Co. Ltd.: Reports a capacity of 6,000 tons per year (6,000 tpa), contributing significantly to the regional supply.
- Linyi Derui Polymer Materials Co. Ltd.: Reports a capacity of 5,000 tpa, focusing on the rapidly growing domestic UV curing and industrial coatings markets.
- Jiangsu Sanmu Group and Taixing Jinyan Chemical Technology Co. Ltd: Serve the Chinese industrial coatings, adhesives, and electronics packaging sectors, utilizing HPMA in their extensive specialty chemical offerings.
- Value Chain Analysis
- Stage 1: Upstream Raw Materials
- Methacrylic Acid (MAA) and Propylene Oxide (PO): MAA is the polymer backbone. Propylene Oxide (PO) is the key commodity intermediate that reacts to introduce the hydroxypropyl group. Both MAA and PO prices are subject to volatility in the petrochemical commodity markets.
- Stage 2: 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Synthesis
- Key Process: The reaction of MAA with PO (oxirane ring opening) is highly specialized. Precise process control is essential to minimize side products and ensure the stability and purity of the final HPMA product.
- Producers: Global majors and large-scale APAC specialists (Anhui Lianhua 6,000 tpa).
- Value Addition: Value is added through technical mastery, ensuring ultra-low levels of impurities (critical for electronics and UV curing) and effective stabilization against unwanted polymerization.
- Stage 3: Downstream Polymerization/Formulation
- HPMA is copolymerized with other monomers into specialized polymers for battery separators, UV coatings, or adhesive systems.
- Consumers: LiB material suppliers, UV coating formulators, and specialty adhesive manufacturers.
- Stage 4: End-Market Consumption
- Energy/Automotive: LiB in EVs and energy storage systems.
- Industrial/Electronics: Protective coatings, electronic packaging, and PCBs.
- Regional Market Trends
- Asia-Pacific (APAC)
- High Growth and Production Hub: APAC is the primary driver of consumption growth, directly tied to its dominance in LiB manufacturing (China, Korea, Japan) and the rapid expansion of its UV coatings and electronics packaging industries. Production capacity is strategically expanding (e.g., Wanhua’s planned switchable 20,000 tpa unit).
- Key Country Trends: China is rapidly expanding domestic capacity and is the world’s largest consumer of HPMA in the LiB supply chain. Japan (Mitsubishi Chemical, Nippon Shokubai) maintains a strong focus on high-purity, technically demanding grades.
- Estimated CAGR: In the range of 3.5%-5.5% through 2030, strongly influenced by the EV and battery sector boom.
- North America and Europe
- Mature, High-Specification Consumption: These regions exhibit stable demand, concentrated in advanced UV curing applications (flooring, furniture) and high-durability automotive and industrial coatings.
- Trend: The focus is on secure supply of high-quality grades, often supported by local production from global majors.
- Estimated CAGR: In the range of 2%-4% through 2030, reflecting steady industrial output and environmental compliance needs.
- Latin America (LATAM) and MEA (Middle East & Africa)
- Emerging Industrial Demand: Demand is increasing from a small base, linked to the modernization of local industries and infrastructure projects.
- Trend: Heavily reliant on imports, with demand growth tied to foreign direct investment in manufacturing and construction.
- Estimated CAGR: In the range of 2.5%-4.5% through 2030.
- Opportunities and Challenges
- Opportunities
- Lithium-ion Battery Boom: The accelerating, structural growth of the LiB market for EVs and grid storage presents the single largest growth opportunity. HPMA's role in improving separator heat resistance and wettability makes it an irreplaceable, performance-critical additive in this sector.
- High-Growth UV Curing: The continued technological shift toward UV and EB radiation curing (especially in packaging and wood coatings) ensures robust demand. HPMA provides the necessary low viscosity and rapid reactivity for VOC-free, fast-throughput manufacturing processes.
- Flexibility in Production: Strategic investments like Wanhua’s planned switchable HEMA/HPMA line provide producers with crucial manufacturing flexibility to quickly pivot production based on market demand signals (e.g., shifting between industrial HEMA and specialty HPMA).
- Premium for Purity: The demands of the electronics and LiB sectors for ultra-low impurity levels and consistent quality allow compliant, integrated producers to capture a significant price premium over commodity-grade suppliers.
- Challenges
- Raw Material Price Volatility: The market is highly susceptible to price volatility in the upstream petrochemical commodities, particularly Propylene Oxide (PO) and Methacrylic Acid (MAA), creating margin instability for producers.
- Competition with HEMA: In numerous industrial coating and adhesive applications, HPMA must compete directly with the lower-cost HEMA, as formulators often substitute based on price when the premium performance benefits of HPMA (superior water resistance, flexibility) are not strictly necessary.
- Supply Chain Concentration: A significant portion of the capacity is concentrated in APAC, particularly China (Anhui Lianhua 6,000 tpa, Wanhua plans), exposing global consumers to risks related to trade friction, environmental shutdowns, or regional supply disruptions.
- Technological Obsolescence: While currently critical for LiB separators, the market faces long-term risk if future battery technologies (e.g., solid-state) adopt entirely different separator materials, potentially displacing HPMA from this high-growth application.
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Executive SummaryChapter 2 Abbreviation and Acronyms
Chapter 3 Preface
Chapter 4 Market Landscape
Chapter 5 Market Trend Analysis
Chapter 6 Industry Chain Analysis
Chapter 7 Latest Market Dynamics
Chapter 8 Trading Analysis
Chapter 9 Historical and Forecast 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market in North America (2020-2030)
Chapter 10 Historical and Forecast 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market in South America (2020-2030)
Chapter 11 Historical and Forecast 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market in Asia & Pacific (2020-2030)
Chapter 12 Historical and Forecast 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market in Europe (2020-2030)
Chapter 13 Historical and Forecast 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market in MEA (2020-2030)
Chapter 14 Summary for Global 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market (2020-2025)
Chapter 15 Global 2-Hydroxypropyl Methacrylate Market Forecast (2025-2030)
Chapter 16 Analysis of Global Key Vendors
List of Tables and Figures
Companies Mentioned
- Dow
- GEO Specialty Chemicals
- Mitsubishi Chemical
- Nippon Shokubai
- Röhm GmbH
- Jiangsu Sanmu Group
- Linyi Derui Polymer Materials Co. Ltd.
- Anhui Lianhua New Material Co. Ltd.
- Taixing Jinyan Chemical Technology Co. Ltd
