Epoxy resins: Production route
One standard resin and many specialty twists
What this tab covers How it is made: the main production routes or, for product families, the main product types and technologies, compared on share of supply, inputs per tonne, plant scale, yield, co-products and unit cost.Nearly all epoxy starts as the diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), sold as liquid epoxy resin (LER). Solid resins are made by extending LER with more BPA. Specialty types swap BPA for phenol novolac, bisphenol F, brominated BPA or aliphatic alcohols. The main supply question is the epichlorohydrin route, which sets the chlorine and carbon load. Bio-based ECH from glycerine is the main lower-carbon option.
Routes compared
| Route | Share of supply | Inputs per tonne | Typical scale | Yield | Co-products | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid epoxy resin (BPA-DGEBA) | about 60-70% of resin volume (indicative) | about 0.67 t BPA, 0.54 t ECH, 0.24 t NaOH per t (stoichiometric); actual use slightly higher | 50-250 kt/yr per site | about 95% on BPA (indicative) | about 0.34 t NaCl brine per t (stoichiometric), water | China LER CNY 14,500-14,900/t in August 2026 (ECHEMI), close to BPA plus ECH cost |
| Solid epoxy resin (advanced or taffy process) | about 20-25% (indicative) | LER plus BPA | 20-100 kt/yr | near-quantitative | little | China SER CNY 13,600-13,900/t in August 2026 (ECHEMI) |
| Specialty epoxies (novolac, bisphenol F, brominated, cycloaliphatic) | about 10-15% (indicative) | varies | small, 10-50 kt/yr | varies | brine | premium to LER (indicative) |
| Epichlorohydrin by allyl chloride versus glycerine (GTE) | GTE a growing minority, mostly in China and Thailand (indicative) | GTE about 1.1 t glycerine and 0.8 t HCl per t ECH (indicative) | 50-150 kt/yr | higher on GTE (indicative) | chlorinated organics and brine (allyl route) | GTE competitive when crude glycerine is cheap (indicative) |
| Recyclable and bio-based epoxy systems | below 1% (indicative) | not published | pilot and first commercial blades | n/a | n/a | premium, not published |
How each route works
Liquid epoxy resin (BPA-DGEBA)BPA is reacted with excess ECH and caustic soda in a batch or continuous process; brine is washed out and excess ECH is recovered by distillation. Epoxy equivalent weight is about 180-195 g/eq.
Workhorse resin; margin set by BPA and ECH prices.
ECHEMI Aug 2026; stoichiometry; indicative Solid epoxy resin (advanced or taffy process)LER is reacted with more BPA (advancement) or BPA with less ECH (taffy) to give higher molecular weight resins that are solid at room temperature.
Used in powder and can coatings; hit by BPA food-contact limits.
ECHEMI Aug 2026; indicative Specialty epoxies (novolac, bisphenol F, brominated, cycloaliphatic)Phenol-formaldehyde novolacs or bisphenol F are glycidylated for heat resistance; tetrabromobisphenol A is built in for flame-retardant FR-4 laminates.
Higher value; tied to electronics cycles.
indicative Epichlorohydrin by allyl chloride versus glycerine (GTE)Classic route: propylene is chlorinated to allyl chloride, then hypochlorinated and closed with caustic, using about 2 t chlorine per t ECH with large chlorinated wastewater (indicative). GTE route: glycerine from biodiesel is hydrochlorinated to dichloropropanol and closed with caustic.
GTE cuts chlorine use and fossil carbon; depends on biodiesel glycerine supply.
chlorine tile; indicative Recyclable and bio-based epoxy systemsCleavable hardeners and solvolysis let blade resins be broken down at end of life (Siemens Gamesa RecyclableBlade, Vestas epoxy solvolysis with partners); bio-based ECH and lignin-based phenols reduce fossil content.
Solves blade waste; not yet proven at scale.
indicative Unit economics are indicative ranges from the sources named; costs move with feedstock and energy prices, plant size and region.