As the global water crisis intensifies, polyacrylamide (PAM), as a core material for water treatment, is driving a revolution in sewage treatment efficiency. According to Grand View Research data, the PAM market size will reach US$4.5 billion in 2025, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 6.2%, and demand in the municipal, industrial and agricultural fields continues to explode.
Technological breakthrough: "Second-level purification" from turbid water to clear water
PAM, with its ultra-high molecular weight chain net capture technology, can flocculate suspended solids within 0.3 seconds, with a turbidity removal rate of up to 99.5%. In a municipal sewage plant in North China, the precise addition of PAM increased the daily treatment capacity by 60% during the rainy season, reduced the sludge volume by 40%, and directly saved 3 million yuan per year. On the industrial side, a lithium battery company used anionic PAM to achieve targeted adsorption of heavy metal ions, with a wastewater reuse rate exceeding 85% and an annual water saving of one million tons.
Multi-scenario penetration: solving industry pain points
▌Food processing: PAM intercepts oil and protein residues, COD emission compliance rate is 100%
▌Mine wastewater: complex precipitation of heavy metals such as lead and arsenic, environmental protection fines cost is zero
▌Agricultural irrigation: degradation of pesticide residues, soil pollution risk reduced by 70%
Green transformation and challenges, the rise of Chinese smart manufacturing
The problem of acrylamide monomer residue in traditional PAM has aroused concern. At present, China has developed biodegradable PAM, and the natural decomposition rate has increased to 90%. The new European environmental protection regulations require that the ecotoxicity of PAM products be reduced by 50%, forcing companies to develop low-residue synthesis processes.
In 2024, China's PAM production capacity accounted for 35% of the world. Some companies have made breakthroughs in high-temperature salt resistance technology, and their products are used in the oilfield produced water treatment market. In the future, with the integration of PAM with AI and Internet of Things technologies, the era of "smart water treatment" has begun.
