Weekly Report on The Sulfur Industry (August 14–21, 2026)

Sulfur prices have surged 187% year-over-year, with solid sulfur in East China rising from 2,394 yuan per metric ton in 2025 to 6,871 yuan per metric ton in 2026. This week, the mainstream granular sulfur price at Chinese ports stood at 8,750 yuan per metric ton, down 300 yuan per metric ton from last week—a 3.31% decline. Nationwide port inventories stand at 878,400 metric tons. Although this represents a 5.25% increase from the previous week, it remains more than 63% lower year-over-year and is at a near-decade low. The global supply shortfall is approximately 5.13 million metric tons, with imports far below normal levels. Prices for phosphorus-based flame retardants, such as red phosphorus and ammonium polyphosphate, are prone to rise but not fall due to cost pass-through from sulfur. Coupled with successive price increases for bromine and antimony, the overall cost pressure on the flame retardant industry continues to climb.

[Weekly Melamine Review]: Upstream-Downstream Dynamics Lead To Flexible Adjustments in Company Quotations (August 7, 2026–August 13, 2026)

The current downturn in the melamine market provides a short-term cost advantage for downstream flame retardant manufacturers, but concurrent weakness on the demand side may partially offset this benefit. Companies are advised to take advantage of the current raw material price window to optimize their procurement strategies, while closely monitoring the pace of demand recovery in end-user industries such as building materials and cables.

Why Flexible PVC Loses Flame Resistance — The Plasticizer Problem

Ceramic-Coated Silicone Rubber Cable Manufacturing Process: Reference Parameters for The Entire Process—Vulcanization, Extrusion, And Curing

The manufacturing process for ceramicized silicone rubber cables encompasses three core stages: vulcanization, extrusion, and curing. Temperature control, mold selection, and curing parameters at each stage directly impact the fire resistance and quality consistency of the finished product. This article systematically outlines the key process considerations and practical parameters for the production of ceramicized silicone rubber cables, providing cable engineers with a practical process guide to help avoid common issues such as rough extrusion surfaces and air bubbles.

[Monthly Review of Yellow Phosphorus And Phosphorus-Containing Intermediates]: Prices Rebound After A Drop (July 2026)

After falling nearly 20% from its monthly average, the price of yellow phosphorus rebounded to 27,000 yuan per metric ton; costs for phosphorus-based flame retardants, which had just seen some relief, are now facing upward pressure again. Environmental inspections in Guizhou may lead to tighter supply, and the window for downstream procurement is narrowing.

A Technological Inflection Point in Rubber Flame Retardancy: A Synergistic Breakthrough Combining Expandable Graphite And Red Phosphorus

When the physical barrier provided by expandable graphite meets the chemical flame retardancy of red phosphorus, rubber flame retardancy finally breaks free from its “reliance on halogens” and moves toward “high-efficiency synergy.”