The in-depth development of sulfate subcategories and the supporting integrated procurement of the entire industry chain empower the upgrading of environmental protection and agricultural products industries.

Sulfates, with their dual applications as sulfur elements and metal ions, have diversified into industrial additives, fertilizer raw materials, and water treatment flocculants. Under the framework of a one-stop centralized procurement system for 42 series of chemical raw materials, sulfates, along with soda ash and various chlorides, have achieved integrated sourcing, becoming indispensable basic raw materials for two emerging sectors: environmental water treatment and modern agriculture. The trend towards refined industrial development is becoming increasingly evident.

On the product side, a three-tiered layout has been formed. Bulk sulfates such as ammonium sulfate and sodium sulfate are produced on a large scale using waste acid from chemical byproducts, primarily targeting the fertilizer raw material and printing and dyeing papermaking additive markets. Mid-range products such as aluminum sulfate and ferrous sulfate focus on the water treatment flocculant field, optimizing purification processes to produce polymer-modified products. High-end, high-purity sulfates such as zinc sulfate and manganese sulfate are deeply rooted in the micronutrient fertilizer and electronic reagent fields, relying on soda ash to control the pH of the production system to ensure product purity. Co-production models have been widely implemented in sulfate-producing areas, utilizing waste acid from soda ash and chloride production processes to prepare sulfates, achieving resource recycling of all three types of raw materials and significantly reducing raw material losses throughout the entire chain.

On the demand side, environmental protection and agriculture are driving growth. Water environment treatment projects continue to expand, and polyferric sulfate and modified aluminum sulfate, as major flocculants, are seeing increasing usage in municipal sewage and industrial wastewater treatment year after year. On the agricultural side, the adoption rate of sulfur fertilizers is rising, with sulfur-based raw materials such as ammonium sulfate and magnesium sulfate meeting the fertilization needs of chlorine-sensitive cash crops. Specialized fertilizers for fruits and vegetables and seedling cultivation are driving a steady increase in sulfate agricultural input consumption. Centralized procurement and bundled purchasing models help downstream fertilizer plants and environmental agent plants simultaneously procure sulfate, soda ash, and chloride raw materials, flexibly adjusting inventory to cope with peak production and sales seasons.

Energy consumption control policies are accelerating industry capacity optimization, with high-energy-consuming small-scale sulfate plants being continuously phased out, and high-quality capacity clustering in well-equipped chemical industrial parks. In the long term, the sulfate industry will continue to rely on the centralized procurement system to link upstream and downstream sectors, optimizing product structure around the research and development of soil remediation agents and new high-efficiency water treatment agents, deeply integrating with the development dividends of environmental protection and modern agriculture, and achieving industrial transformation from traditional basic chemical raw materials to high-value-added fine new materials.