The China Caprolactam market in August 2025 started on a soft platform, with falling prices due to oversupply and poor demand. The producers have been running steady operating rates, supported by stable raw materials supplies, where benzene values have been generally stable before slipping and cyclohexanone dropped, lowering the production cost. This cost reduction, instead of increasing margins, contributed to sellers' failure to maintain higher prices. By the end of the month's last week, the decline slowed, and market sentiment stabilized but without a strong impetus for recovery.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
