In-depth analysis of five major chemical new materials in 2026: from technological breakthrough to commercial landing

In 2025, China's chemical industry will enter a period of differentiation and adjustment, and technology iteration and scenario fission will become the main line of industry development. Standing at the key node in 2026, the five major channels of third-generation semiconductors, solid-state batteries, bio-based materials, hydrogen energy storage and transportation, and flexible electronic materials are undergoing a critical leap from technology verification to large-scale applications.

Third-generation semiconductors: 8-inch production lines drive capacity competition

2025 is defined as the "first year of 8-inch silicon carbide", the global head enterprises to promote 8-inch silicon carbide substrate mass production, yield increase and cost reduction for large-scale application to clear the way. Domestic Tianke Heda, Sanan Optoelectronics and other enterprises to rapidly expand production capacity, Chinese enterprises have shifted from "technology catch-up" to "capacity competition" stage.

Demand-side two-wheel drive: the global 6G standardization work will be started in 2025, and the pre-research of gallium nitride radio frequency device technology will be carried out simultaneously. The penetration rate of 800V high-voltage architecture of China's new energy vehicles has increased, and silicon carbide devices are fully used in the main drive inverters of Tesla, BYD and other vehicles. It is expected that the growth of new energy vehicles in 2026 will directly drive the outbreak of silicon carbide power module market. Traders should pay attention to the supply and demand changes of silicon carbide substrates, epitaxial wafers and supporting chemicals (grinding fluid, cleaning agent).

Solid-state batteries: semi-solid-state dominated, all-solid-state storage

the current market needs to be clearly distinguished: 2026 is the first year of the scale of semi-solid-state batteries, and the mass production of all-solid-state batteries is expected to be 2027-2030. The technical path is diversified: the energy density of all-solid-state lithium-sulfur battery of Qingdao Energy Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences exceeds 600Wh/kg, with a cycle life of over 6200 times. It has passed the wide temperature range test of -40 ℃ to 85 ℃, and is planned to be mass produced by the end of 2026. Xinwanda and Ningde era polymer solid-state batteries are close to the cost level of lithium iron phosphate and plan to mass production of 350Wh/kg in 2026.

In 2025, the domestic semi-solid-state battery load has exceeded 320000 vehicles, and the Ulysses ET7 is equipped with a 150kWh semi-solid-state battery with a range of more than 1000 kilometers. 2026 production capacity to speed up: Ningde era 50GWh semi-solid battery production line put into production, supporting Tesla Model Y, BYD Han. Solid-state electrolytes are the core breakthrough points, including sulfide systems (Li BIS PIS, Li PBS-Cl), oxide systems (Li BIS La₂ Zr OI), and halide systems (Li InCl, Li YCl).

Bio-based Materials: A Critical Year for Policy Implementation

the EU's new "Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation" (PPWR, EU 2025/40) will be implemented on August 12, 2026, forcing the transformation of global supply chains. The domestic GB/T46256-2025 national standard will be implemented in 2026, requiring bio-based products to be labeled with carbon content and traceability information. In 2026, the penetration rate of bio-based materials in the packaging industry is expected to reach more than 35%, and PLA film and starch-based tableware are expected to account for more than 50% of food delivery and express delivery. Government subsidies for bio-based film materials in Xinjiang, Shandong and other places are expected to continue in 2026.

In terms of technological breakthroughs, Zhejiang University's photopolymerization 3D printing bio-hydrogel battery plans to enter preclinical testing in 2026. Tsinghua University's extreme halophilic bacteria technology improves PHA thermal stability; Anhui Fengyuan PLA melt spinning process makes the performance close to nylon 6, and mass production is planned in 2026. Traders should focus on the supply-demand gap in the policy enforcement area (especially the EU market).

Hydrogen storage and transportation: infrastructure breakthrough

the Zhangjiakou-Tangshan 1037km green hydrogen pipeline has a design pressure of 7.2 MPa and an annual delivery capacity of 1.55 million tons. It will be completed and put into operation by the end of 2026 and will become the world's largest diameter and largest delivery capacity green hydrogen pipeline. More than 7000 kilometers of domestic hydrogen pipeline is in the construction and planning stage, marking the long-distance pipeline hydrogen from the pilot to large-scale application.

In terms of liquid hydrogen technology, the large-scale application of 321 stainless steel and other materials significantly reduced costs, and 2026 became the first year of liquid hydrogen civilian use. China Aerospace Hydrogen Energy Company and Xuyang Energy cooperation of 5 tons/day liquid hydrogen plant has been put into production, is expected in 2026 liquid hydrogen heavy card is expected to be in ports, mines and other closed scenes large-scale application. Chemical hydrogen storage materials include N-ethyl carbazole, nitrogen-containing heterocyclic hydrogen storage carriers, methyl cyclohexane, etc. Traders should pay attention to the demand for special steel and sealing materials driven by pipeline construction.

Flexible electronic materials: the fastest growing market

the flexible electronic materials market is expected to grow by more than 25% year-on-year in 2026. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology "Flexible Electronics Industry Innovation and Development Action Plan" clearly 2025 key materials localization rate of more than 75%, the establishment of 10 billion-level industrial fund. The reliability test standard for flexible electronic devices developed by the ISO/TC 229 Nanotechnology Committee is expected to be mandatory in 2026.

Samsung plans to build an annual production line of 10 million flexible OLED in Vietnam in 2026, and Chinese enterprises such as BOE and Hanwei Technology will increase the production layout of flexible display screens. Core materials include flexible substrates (polyimide PI, polyethylene terephthalate PET, polyethylene naphthalate PEN), conductive materials (poly 3, 4-ethylenedioxythiophene PEDOT, polyaniline, polypyrrole), functional materials (polydimethylsiloxane PDMS, polyvinylidene fluoride PVDF). Manufacturers should pay attention to the improvement of high-performance PI film process, and traders need to establish strategic cooperation with panel factories.

Strategic choice recommendations

in 2026, the triple resonance of "technology iteration acceleration, application scenario fission, and policy enforcement" will be presented. Traders should grasp the policy time window and pay attention to areas with high technological maturity and concentrated release of production capacity; production enterprises need to evaluate the technical feasibility and economy of transformation; supply chain practitioners should establish a dynamic tracking mechanism to distinguish between technical propaganda and actual mass production capacity and avoid being misled by overly optimistic forecasts.