By Glenn Darley, Regional Sales Director for Tube Division, China & Marketing Manager for BU Tube APAC, Alleima
From large and complex assets in the hydrogen, pulp and paper, and chemical and petrochemical industries to the high precision demands of the medical device market, operators face several significant challenges, often daily.
But what are sometimes regarded as the smaller details matter, too.
When considering the right materials for high-pressure tubing for hydrogen plants, composite tubes for black liquor recovery boilers (BLRBs), or heat exchanger tubing for chemical and petrochemical refineries, making the wrong decision can be the difference between maximizing performance and an expensive unscheduled shutdown. In the medical device industry, precision, safety, and quality are paramount.
Across all industries, choosing lower quality materials may seem ok in the short term, but in the long term, you risk lower quality results. That’s why it pays to select industry-leading materials that can accelerate efficiency, safety and reliability, while providing longer-term value.
Advanced materials for accelerated growth
Across China and the rest of Asia, industrial growth and the accelerating energy transition in key markets are generating increased demand for corrosion-resistant, high-temperature, and high-pressure materials that are stronger, reliable, safe, and sustainable. These include materials like our recent additions, Sanicro® 35 and SAF™ 3006.
Sanicro® 35 is a super-austenitic stainless steel alloy that’s easy to work with and bridges many material property gaps between stainless steel and costly nickel alloys.
SAF™ 3006 is a high-alloy duplex stainless steel designed to enhance corrosion resistance in acidic and caustic environments. It’s an upgrade to traditional super-duplex stainless steels and provides the ‘missing duplex tool’ for customers battling acids in heat exchangers.
Key industries in China
In the hydrogen sector, China remains the world’s largest producer, supported by coordinated national and provincial policies. With over 500 refuelling stations and a target of 50,000 fuel-cell vehicles by 2025, China is scaling up renewable-based production within industrial clusters. Japan continues to lead hydrogen demand in the rest of Asia through developments like import corridors, ammonia co-firing projects, and long-term procurement frameworks. While many projects outside China remain at the pre-FID (final investment decision) stage, regional collaboration and Japanese investment are accelerating Asia’s hydrogen growth.
The pulp and paper markets are also moving forward. In China, packaging demand, driven by e-commerce and facility growth, is increasing its dominance in global pulp consumption. Southeast Asia, particularly Indonesia, remains a critical supply base, with large-scale integrated pulp assets influencing pricing and exports. Sustainability and fibre-sourcing transparency are emerging as competitive drivers for regional producers.
In chemicals and petrochemicals, China’s increased capacity across ethylene and propylene chains is increasing the focus on higher-value speciality materials. In contrast, India and parts of Southeast Asia are expanding downstream integration, investing in new refinery-to-chemicals complexes to capture domestic demand growth. Elsewhere, mature producers in Korea and Japan are repositioning toward advanced materials and opportunities for sustainability-linked chemical production.
Across Asia, the demand for medical instruments is increasing, driven by aging populations, hospital expansions and digitalization. In China, growth is being led by localization and faster National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approvals. Elsewhere in Asia, imaging, minimally invasive procedures, and diagnostics lead the way.
We are your progressive partner
Over the years, Alleima has developed extensive experience in the development of products and solutions for hydrogen applications. As a leading materials technology partner, we are at the forefront of advancing and industrializing the use of hydrogen across a wide range of applications.
In the pulp and paper industry, our composite tubes are designed to deliver strength and corrosion resistance to extend boiler life, improve efficiency, and increase sustainability through longer tube life, less waste, fewer replacements, and lower environmental impact.
For the chemical and petrochemical sectors, Alleima tubing plays a key role in several critical processes, including fluid distribution, control and measuring systems, and heat exchange process equipment.
We partner with leading medical device manufacturers to design, develop and deliver life-changing solutions that meet the highest standards of quality and performance.
With industries in China and the rest of Asia ready and eager to accelerate their growth, the increase in our capabilities under Phase II of our expansion at Zhenjiang, China, is perfectly timed to match customer ambitions with our advanced materials expertise.
Find out more about our Alleima Tube Zhenjiang Phase II here.