What is Poly-dicyclopentadiene
Analysts Sentiment
Bullish
42.7%
Neutral
22.7%
Bearish
34.6%
What's driving sentiment this week:
Past Week (2026-06-01 to 2026-06-07) — Sentiment: Neutral
No new supply disruptions or expansions impacted poly-dicyclopentadiene availability last week.
Demand signals remained stable with no major shifts in end-market consumption.
This Week (2026-06-08 to 2026-06-14) — Outlook: Neutral
Prices are expected to hold steady absent fresh supply constraints or demand surges.
No major industry events or macro announcements are scheduled that would move the market materially.(expected)
A sudden change in raw material costs or geopolitical tension escalating trade restrictions could prompt volatility.
Key Market Impact
Current pricing reflects balanced supply and demand conditions with margins steady and utilization at typical seasonal levels.
Market participants are likely maintaining inventory cautiously, awaiting clearer directional signals before adjusting positions.
How About the Price?
Price Trajectory 2020–2026 (Brief Recap)
Phase 1 — Stable base period (2020): Prices started at $150.00 per ton in January 2020 with no recorded influences or events affecting the market during this time.
Phase 2 — Moderate appreciation (2026): By June 8, 2026, prices increased to $175.00 per ton, representing a 16.67% rise, despite no documented influence factors in the intervening period.
Supply-side factors
- No reported supply-side factors or events impacting price from January 2020 through May 2026 as per the influence log.
Demand-side factors
- No documented demand-side influences or events recorded between 2020 and mid-2026 according to the influence log.
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polyester (FRP / GRP) | The most common alternative for large structural panels (agricultural equipment, truck hoods, marine hulls). FRP offers comparable stiffness and chemical resistance at lower raw-material cost, but requires hand lay-up or spray-up labor, longer cycle times, and produces styrene emissions. It partially replaces pDCPD where cost is prioritized over cycle time and surface finish. |
| Sheet Molding Compound (SMC) / Bulk Molding Compound (BMC) | Used in automotive body panels and electrical enclosures as a direct competitor to pDCPD RIM parts. SMC offers excellent surface Class-A finish and high stiffness but requires high-tonnage compression presses and heated matched-metal tooling. Substitution is feasible for medium-to-high production volumes where tooling investment is justified; pDCPD is preferred for low-to-medium volumes and complex geometries. |
| Polyurethane RIM / RRIM (Reinforced RIM) | Processed on the same RIM equipment as pDCPD, making it a near-drop-in process substitute for automotive fascias, bumpers, and flexible body panels. Polyurethane RIM offers better flexibility and paintability but lower heat resistance and chemical resistance than pDCPD. Substitution is common in applications requiring energy absorption (bumpers) rather than rigid structural performance. |
| High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) / Polypropylene (PP) — Structural Grades | Used as lower-cost alternatives in agricultural tanks, chemical storage vessels, and equipment housings where impact resistance and chemical resistance are needed but elevated temperature performance is not critical. Substitution typically requires redesign (thicker walls, ribbing) due to lower modulus; processing shifts from RIM to blow molding or rotational molding. |
| Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) / Polycarbonate-ABS Blends | Compete with pDCPD in medium-sized equipment housings and enclosures (construction machinery cabs, industrial covers). These thermoplastics offer easier recyclability and good surface aesthetics but lower impact resistance at equivalent thickness and inferior chemical resistance. Substitution requires injection molding tooling and is limited to smaller, thinner-walled parts. |
| Carbon Fiber or Glass Fiber Reinforced Epoxy Composites | Used in high-performance structural applications (wind turbine components, aerospace-adjacent structures, performance vehicle panels) where pDCPD's specific stiffness is insufficient. Epoxy composites offer superior strength-to-weight ratio but at significantly higher cost and with much longer cure cycles (autoclave or vacuum infusion). They substitute pDCPD only when performance requirements exceed what pDCPD can deliver. |
| Nylon (PA6 / PA66) — Glass-Filled Grades | Compete in under-hood automotive components and industrial housings requiring high heat resistance and dimensional stability. Glass-filled nylons can replace pDCPD in smaller, more complex parts processed by injection molding, but are limited by moisture absorption and higher tooling costs for large parts. Substitution is partial and application-specific. |
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | TSCA Inventory | EPA | 1976 (ongoing, latest update August 2025) | Dicyclopentadiene (CAS 77-73-6) listed as active; manufacturers/importers must report manufacturing/processing/use data annually if volume meets threshold (25,000 lb/site/year) under Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) | EPA TSCA Inventory (August 2025 update); EPA 2024 CDR Instructions (40 CFR Part 711); EPA consolidated lists (e.g., EPCRA/Section 313) |
| EU | REACH Registration | ECHA | 2007 (registration ongoing) | Dicyclopentadiene (3a,4,7,7a-tetrahydro-4,7-methanoindene, CAS 77-73-6) registered; no specific restriction, evaluation, or authorisation identified for the monomer or poly-dicyclopentadiene | ECHA REACH registration dossier (CAS 77-73-6); ECHA Substance Infocard for related polymer |
| US | OSHA Hazard Communication | OSHA | 2012 (GHS alignment, current) | Dicyclopentadiene classified under GHS; requires safety data sheets and handling precautions for workplace exposure | OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) |
| International | IMDG Code Transport Classification | IMO | 2022 (latest edition) | Dicyclopentadiene (UN 2048): Class 3 (flammable liquid), Packing Group III; Marine Pollutant status applies | IMDG Code (via SDS data); UN Recommendations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods |
| China | No specific regulation identified | MEE | N/A | No dedicated environmental compliance, emission, or effluent thresholds found for DCPD monomer or poly-dicyclopentadiene in C5 resin/polymer production | National search of MEE regulations and compliance requirements (no GB standards or policies identified for the monomer) |
Key Influence Events
Poly-dicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) is a thermoset polymer produced by the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) monomer. In this reaction, the strained norbornene-type double bond in DCPD is opened by a transition-metal carbene catalyst (most commonly a Grubbs-type ruthenium catalyst), forming a highly cross-linked, rigid polymer network. pDCPD is characterized by high impact resistance, excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio, good chemical resistance, low density (approximately 1.03 g/cm³), and the ability to be processed via reaction injection molding (RIM) directly from liquid monomer streams. It is used in demanding structural applications such as automotive body panels, agricultural and construction equipment housings, wind energy components, and industrial tanks, where it competes with fiberglass-reinforced polyester, sheet molding compound (SMC), and engineering thermoplastics.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Poly-dicyclopentadiene
Poly-dicyclopentadiene (pDCPD) is a thermoset polymer produced by the ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD) monomer. In this reaction, the strained norbornene-type double bond in DCPD is opened by a transition-metal carbene catalyst (most commonly a Grubbs-type ruthenium catalyst), forming a highly cross-linked, rigid polymer network. pDCPD is characterized by high impact resistance, excellent stiffness-to-weight ratio, good chemical resistance, low density (approximately 1.03 g/cm³), and the ability to be processed via reaction injection molding (RIM) directly from liquid monomer streams. It is used in demanding structural applications such as automotive body panels, agricultural and construction equipment housings, wind energy components, and industrial tanks, where it competes with fiberglass-reinforced polyester, sheet molding compound (SMC), and engineering thermoplastics.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Density | 1.02 – 1.04 | g/cm³ | All standard grades |
| Flexural Modulus | 1,700 – 2,100 | MPa | Standard structural grade |
| Flexural Strength | 55 – 75 | MPa | Standard structural grade |
| Tensile Strength | 35 – 55 | MPa | Standard structural grade |
| Tensile Modulus | 1,600 – 2,000 | MPa | Standard structural grade |
| Elongation at Break | 10 – 20 | % | Standard structural grade |
| Notched Izod Impact Strength | 150 – 300 | J/m | Standard structural grade |
| Heat Deflection Temperature (HDT, 0.45 MPa) | 110 – 135 | °C | Standard / high-HDT grade |
| Glass Transition Temperature (Tg) | 155 – 175 | °C | Fully cured |
| Water Absorption (24 h) | 0.1 – 0.3 | % | All grades |
| Hardness (Shore D) | 70 – 80 | – | Standard structural grade |
| DCPD Monomer Purity (feedstock) | ≥ 95 (standard), ≥ 99 (high-purity) | wt% | Standard / HP grade |
| Gel Time (RIM processing) | 30 – 120 | seconds | Adjustable via catalyst/inhibitor |
| Demold Time | 2 – 5 | minutes | Typical RIM cycle |
| Commercial Grade Example | Metton® LMR (Cymetech/Materia) | – | RIM-grade liquid monomer system |
| Commercial Grade Example | Telene® (Rimtec / Zeon) | – | RIM-grade, automotive / industrial |
| Commercial Grade Example | Proxima® (Materia) | – | High-performance / composite grade |
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Zeon Corporation | Tokyo, Japan | Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture, Japan |
| ExxonMobil Chemical | Spring, Texas, USA | Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA |
| Osborne Industries | Osborne, Kansas, USA | |
| Sojitz Corporation | Tokyo, Japan | LaPorte, Texas, USA |
| Polynt Composites USA Inc. | Carpentersville, Illinois, USA | Chatham, Virginia, USA, Ennis, Texas, USA, Marshall, Texas, USA, Orlando, Florida, USA, Forest Park, Georgia, USA |
| Materia, Inc. | Pasadena, California, USA | Huntsville, Texas, USA |
| Anhui Dacheng Pudao New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. | Bengbu, Anhui, China | Guzhen County Economic Development Zone, Bengbu City, Anhui Province, China |
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