Valterra and Pujing Advance Palladium Catalyst for Cleaner MMA

In August 2026, Valterra Platinum and Shanghai Pujing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. signed an agreement during Shanghai Platinum Week to scale up an innovative methyl methacrylate (MMA) production process using a proprietary palladium catalyst system. This partnership supports pilot-plant validation for China's MMA market while driving long-term industrial demand for platinum group metals.

Valterra and Pujing Scale Up Novel MMA Process

Valterra Platinum and Shanghai Pujing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. have signed a collaboration agreement to advance the scale-up of a novel methyl methacrylate (MMA) production process by leveraging a proprietary palladium-enabled catalyst system. The agreement was signed during Shanghai Platinum Week in July with a primary goal of complying with the evolving demands of China’s MMA industry, which is the largest producer and consumer of MMA worldwide.

MMA is an essential building block for acrylic glass, coatings, adhesives, and specialty materials across various sectors such as construction, transportation, and healthcare. Valterra's CEO, Craig Miller, emphasized the importance of this collaboration in accelerating environmental performance while producing high-purity MMA.

Pujing Chemical's technology, developed for cleaner production, has already undergone tonne-scale testing and is advancing to pilot plant construction to validate its effectiveness at larger scales. The partnership will also explore new applications for platinum group metals (PGMs) to create sustainable demand. Miller expressed enthusiasm for demonstrating the role of PGMs in innovative industrial technologies and encouraging future growth in palladium demand.

Impact on the Chemicals and Materials Industry

This agreement positively impacts the industry by introducing cleaner and high-purity domestic manufacturing tech for acrylic building blocks, addressing traditional chemical limitations by proving sustainable industrial demand for platinum group metals.

This agreement supports cleaner production by enabling a clean, high-purity process of making methyl methacrylate. This chemical is key for acrylic glass, coatings, and adhesives. It also supports market growth in China, which leads the world in making and leveraging MMA. This process not only expands palladium use but also builds a steady, long-term industrial need for palladium and drives demand beyond normal car parts or jewelry markets.

This further addresses industry limitations by leveraging a proprietary, palladium-enabled catalyst system that has successfully passed tonne-scale testing while replacing hazardous conventional pathways with safer, lower-waste alternatives. The process bridges the gap between lab-scale chemistry and commercial pilot-plant reality, de-risking advanced technology adoption for chemical manufacturers.

Impact on the Methyl Methacrylate (MMA) Monomer Industry

The global methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer market size accounted for USD 8.03 billion in 2024 and is predicted to increase from USD 8.41 billion in 2025 to approximately USD 12.74 billion by 2034, expanding at a CAGR of 4.72% from 2025 to 2035.

According to Precedence Research, this agreement significantly benefits the industry by providing a high-purity, alternative domestic platform in China while addressing hazardous waste and efficiency limitations.

The development provides China's domestic producers with a localized and advanced route to make high-purity MMA. It also develops a new, stable long-term industrial demand for palladium and platinum group metals outside of the standard car manufacturing sector. This initiative supports the local supply chain by matching the growing scale and green goals of China. As the top consumer and maker of MMA, China benefits from this advanced production method to comply with its changing industrial demands.

This further accelerates legacy manufacturing by leveraging a new palladium catalyst system. It increases catalytic efficiency, lowers waste like acetone cyanohydrin, and moves past small tests to build a pilot plant for heavy industrial use. The new system resolves major industry challenges with cleaner production methods and proves commercial viability at scale, turning small laboratory steps into a ready-to-use industrial process.

About Valterra Platinum

Valterra Platinum is a major, independent global producer of platinum group metals (PGMs), precious metals, and base metals, with mining operations across South Africa and Zimbabwe. The company specializes in resource-to-market operations, including mining, smelting, refining, and custom processing. 

The company supplies materials crucial for decarbonization, hydrogen fuel cells, and technology, focusing on zero-harm safety, guided by a mission to unearth value to better our world. It focuses on delivering shareholder returns and supporting local communities in Southern Africa.

About Shanghai Pujing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd.

Shanghai Pujing Chemical Technology Co., Ltd. (PJCHEM), founded in 2005, is a Chinese high-tech and Little Giant enterprise. The company prioritizes green chemical processes, C1/C2 chemical technologies, and advanced biodegradable materials like polyglycolic acid (PGA). It also offers proprietary process designs, engineering solutions, specialized industrial catalysts, and comprehensive plant commissioning services.

PJCHEM aims to advance eco-friendly as well as non-toxic manufacturing methods and bridge the gap between research and commercial plant operations. By developing compostable packaging films, medical absorbable materials, and sustainable polymer alternatives to achieve global market leadership in biodegradable plastics and green chemical technologies.