1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium Bromide

# 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([BMIM]Br) Recent Market Dynamics Intelligence

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## I. Basic Product Information

| Item | Content |
|------|---------|
| Chemical Name | 1-Butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide |
| CAS Number | 174501-65-6 |
| Molecular Formula | C?H??BrN? |
| Molecular Weight | 219.12 |
| Appearance | White to pale yellow crystalline powder |
| Purity Grade | Industrial grade ≥98%, Reagent grade ≥99% |
| Main Applications | Ionic liquid catalysts, organic synthesis solvents, electrochemical media, CO? capture, cellulose dissolution |

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## II. Market Dynamics Intelligence (Last 1 Month)

### 2.1 Supply-Side Dynamics

- **Raw Material Costs**: Bromine (Br?) prices have remained at high levels with volatility over the past month. The mainstream domestic bromine price is in the range of 28,000–32,000 CNY/ton. Supported by environmental production restrictions and downstream flame retardant demand, the cost side exerts upward pressure on [BMIM]Br.
- **Production Enterprise Dynamics**: Major domestic producers (such as Shanghai Chengjie, enterprises affiliated with the Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, and certain fine chemical companies in Shandong and Jiangsu) are maintaining moderate to high operating rates. Some enterprises temporarily reduced load due to environmental inspections, but no significant supply disruptions have occurred overall.
- **Import Channels**: Import sources from Europe and Japan are quoted 15%–25% higher than domestic prices. Recent arrival volumes have been stable, with no concentrated arrivals impacting the market.

### 2.2 Demand-Side Dynamics

- **Research and Small-Batch Demand**: Procurement volumes by universities and research institutes remain stable, primarily for reagent-grade products. Individual purchase volumes are small but frequency is high.
- **Industrial Application Demand**: There is slight incremental demand in CO? capture technology demonstration projects, lithium battery electrolyte additive research, and biomass conversion catalysis fields, but large-scale industrial volume increases have not yet materialized.
- **Downstream Related Markets**: Attention to the overall ionic liquid market has increased. Driven by new energy concepts (sodium-ion batteries, supercapacitors), inquiry volumes for related ionic liquid varieties have risen.

### 2.3 Price Dynamics

| Specification | Last Month Reference Price (CNY/kg) | This Month Reference Price (CNY/kg) | Change |
|------|---------------------|---------------------|--------|
| Industrial Grade (≥98%) | 350–450 | 380–480 | +8%～+10% |
| Reagent Grade (≥99%) | 600–800 | 650–850 | +8%～+10% |

- Prices are generally trending slightly upward, mainly due to bromine cost transmission and price adjustments by some enterprises.
- For bulk purchases (≥100 kg), there is a negotiable margin of approximately 5%–8%.

### 2.4 Logistics and Inventory

- Domestic logistics and transportation are normal, with no major obstructions.
- Mainstream trader inventory levels are moderate; no hoarding for sale or dumping has been observed.
- Storage requires protection from light, dry conditions, and sealing. Some traders report a slight increase in storage costs.

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## III. Analysis and Judgment

### 3.1 Core Driving Factors

| Factor | Impact Direction | Weight |
|------|----------|------|
| High raw material price for bromine | ↑ Cost push | ★★★★★ |
| Heat of new energy/ionic liquid concepts | ↑ Demand expectations | ★★★☆☆ |
| Stricter environmental policies (production side) | ↑ Supply tightening | ★★★★☆ |
| Large-scale industrialization downstream not yet realized | → Limited demand | ★★★☆☆ |
| Import substitution trend (increased domestic production) | ↓ Price pressure | ★★☆☆☆ |

### 3.2 Key Judgments

1. **Short-term (1–3 months)**: Prices are expected to maintain a stable and slightly strong pattern. Bromine cost support is clear, but the lack of explosive growth on the demand side limits the magnitude of increases. Industrial-grade prices are expected to fluctuate in the 400–500 CNY/kg range.
2. **Medium-term (3–6 months)**: If industrialization breakthroughs occur in fields such as sodium-ion batteries and CO? capture, demand for [BMIM]Br is expected to rise in a stepped manner, and the price center may shift upward to 500–600 CNY/kg (industrial grade).
3. **Risk Points**: If bromine prices drop significantly due to a decline in downstream flame retardant demand, the profit margin for [BMIM]Br will be directly compressed. Additionally, the introduction of new production capacity (multiple domestic enterprises are deploying ionic liquid production lines) may lead to temporary oversupply.

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## IV. Forecast

| Time Dimension | Price Forecast (Industrial Grade, CNY/kg) | Trend Judgment |
|----------|--------------------------|----------|
| Next 1 month | 390–490 | Stable and slightly strong |
| Next 3 months | 400–520 | Moderate increase |
| Next 6 months | 420–580 | Fluctuating upward (depending on the pace of downstream volume release) |

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## V. Recommendations

- **Buyers**: If not urgently needed, buyers may wait and see. If bromine prices pull back, it is advisable to stock up at lower prices. Enterprises with large long-term usage volumes are recommended to lock in quarterly framework agreements.
- **Suppliers**: Monitor changes in bromine market conditions and reasonably control inventory cycles. Actively expand customers in the new energy sector to enhance added value.
- **Traders**: Maintain reasonable inventory levels. Pay attention to overall policies and capital movements in the ionic liquid sector to seize phase opportunities driven by concepts.