The rising cost of raw materials has transmitted cost pressure, leading to an upward shift in the price center of diisopropyl azodicarboxylate

Since the end of 2025, international crude oil prices have remained persistently high in the range of $75-$85 per barrel, exerting increasingly significant cost transmission effects on the fine chemical industry chain. As a fine chemical primarily produced from isopropanol, hydrazine, and chloroformate, diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (DIAD, CAS: 2446-83-5) has exhibited sensitive price responsiveness amid this round of raw material fluctuations, becoming a focal point of market attention.

From the raw material perspective, isopropanol, as the core precursor of this product, is primarily produced via two routes: the hydrolysis of propylene and the hydrogenation of acetone, both of which are highly sensitive to crude oil and natural gas prices. In the first quarter of 2026, driven by elevated energy prices, isopropanol market prices rose by approximately 12%-15% compared to the same period in 2025, directly increasing DIAD production costs. Meanwhile, due to stricter environmental regulations and the exit of some small-to-medium-sized production capacities, the supply of hydrazine-based raw materials tightened further, exacerbating price pressures on the production side.

According to market monitoring data, the current pricing of diisopropyl azodicarboxylate (purity ≥98%) exhibits a distinct “specification stratification” feature: bulk quotations for industrial-grade large packages (200kg/bale) range approximately from 90 to 200 RMB per kilogram, while small packages (100g-1kg) for reagent-grade products remain relatively higher in unit price due to purification costs and cold chain storage requirements. Analyzing the price trends from April 2025 to March 2026, the product’s price center shows a moderate upward trend, but the increase is significantly lower than the fluctuation range of upstream raw materials, reflecting a certain profit buffer space in the midstream of the industrial chain.

Looking ahead, if the prices of crude oil and isopropanol remain high, DIAD’s production cost pressures will persist. For purchasers, it is advisable to closely monitor the price trends of upstream isopropanol and hydrazine-based raw materials, rationally plan procurement schedules based on their usage scale, and effectively hedge against potential price fluctuations by signing long-term supply agreements or strategically stockpiling.