China’s acetone market crashed in October 2025, and prices of CFR Shanghai plunged 8.4% in October 2025 due to the severe oversupply and post-Golden Week stagnant demand. East China port inventory climbed to 30,000 mt as phenol-acetone plants operated at higher than 75% with an unblocked supply of propylene and cumene, while Sinopec raised quotes to reduce inventory. Benzene feedstock prices declined 2.1% on the back of Brent crude at USD 63/bbl, and intra-Asia freight fell 12%. The region was spurred by cheap imports from Thailand, even with PTT Global’s 15-day shutdown. Demand for acetone was still weak as BPA producers reduced run rates, and paints/coatings stood still due to construction delays. No restocking occurred after the holidays, which restricted Acetone prices. ChemAnalyst expects November to be weak, with Q4 restaging unlikely unless PC demand picks up or crude prices stabilize.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
