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The Changing Landscape of Polycarbonate Market: Insights, Demand & Trends
May 21, 2025
Polycarbonate (PC) belongs to a group of high-performance thermoplastic polymers, made primarily from bisphenol-A (BPA) and phosgene, with bisphenol-A typically produced from intermediate compounds such as phenol and acetone. Polycarbonate is known for its outstanding performance characteristics, including high impact …
Melamine: A Critical Material in Modern Manufacturing
May 12, 2025
Melamine (1,3,5-triaminotriazine) is a nitrogen-rich organic compound, that was originally synthesized from cyanamide but is now more commonly produced using urea. Melamine is widely used in both industrial and domestic applications. Its primary role is in the manufacture of laminates …
PEKK vs. PEEK: Comparing Two Giants of the High-Performance Polymer World
May 2, 2025
PEKK (polyether ketone ketone) and PEEK (polyether ether ketone) are both ultra-performance thermoplastic polymers that belong to the polyaryl ether ketone (PAEK) family of thermoplastic polymers. The PAEK family includes over 300 known polymer variants, but only a select few …
Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS): A High-Performance Copolymer Shaping Global Industries
April 24, 2025
Acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) is an amorphous thermoplastic copolymer. Its high degree of customization arises from the ability to adjust the ratio, morphology, and structure of its three monomeric components – acrylonitrile, butadiene, and styrene – allowing fine-tuning of the material’s properties. …
Liquid Crystal Polymers (LCPs): High-Performance Materials for the Future
April 14, 2025
Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) constitute a class of specialty thermoplastic polymers and super engineering plastics. They exhibit properties characteristic of both an ordered solid and an isotropic liquid. In other words, under certain conditions, LCPs behave like crystals while simultaneously …
Why Diatomite Matters: A High-Performance Mineral with Eco-Friendly Benefits
April 8, 2025
Diatomite (diatomaceous earth, kieselgur, or kieselguhr) is a sedimentary siliceous rock composed primarily of fossilized remains of diatom algae, known as diatoms. Its key component is silicon dioxide (SiO₂), which makes up more than 50% of its sediment weight. Diatomite …
Polyvinylidene Fluoride (PVDF): High-Performance Polymer for a High-Tech World
March 25, 2025
Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is a semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymer classified as a high-performance fluoropolymer, containing approximately 59% fluorine by weight. It exhibits a range of advanced properties, including enhanced mechanical strength and wear resistance, low thermal conductivity, high thermal stability, a …
Bentonite Market Overview: Applications & Key Industry Trends
March 12, 2025
Bentonites are natural clay materials primarily composed of minerals from the smectite group, such as calcium and sodium montmorillonites. Montmorillonite is a hydrous aluminosilicate, and its calcium and sodium variants represent the two main types of bentonite, each distinguished by …
Polyvinyl Acetate: A Versatile Polymer Driving Multiple Industries
March 4, 2025
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA or PVAc) is a non-crystalline polymer and water-soluble material with a wide range of applications. Known primarily for its excellent adhesion and binding properties, relatively low cost, non-toxic nature, and good compatibility, polyvinyl acetate has been commercially …
The Asbestos Dilemma: Essential Uses & Serious Health Risks
February 20, 2025
Asbestos (and its asbestiform varieties) is a term used to describe a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals, classified into two groups – amphiboles (amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, anthophyllite, and actinolite) and serpentines (chrysotile). These minerals have been widely used across …
Polypropylene: The Backbone of Modern Packaging & Consumer Products
February 12, 2025
Polypropylene, including both propene homopolymers and copolymers, is a versatile thermoplastic polymer produced through catalytic chain-growth polymerization and used across a wide range of applications. Packaging applications account for nearly 50% of polypropylene production. Packaging is followed by consumer products (over …
Cyclohexane: Major Applications & Market Dynamics
February 4, 2025
Cyclohexane (CX) belongs to a group of monocyclic saturated hydrocarbons, known as common cycloalkanes or naphthenes. Cyclohexane acts as a key chemical intermediate derived from benzene. In industrial processes, the liquid-phase oxidation of cyclohexane yields cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol, which can …
Decoding Ammonia: Production Methods, Market Trends, & Sustainability Goals
January 27, 2025
Ammonia (NH3) is an essential raw material for urea production and a key component in the manufacturing of various other fertilizers, such as DAP, NPK, ammonium nitrate, and others (ammonia can be directly applied to soil as a plant nutrient …
Calcium Chloride: Navigating Major Applications and Market Trends
January 16, 2025
Calcium chloride (CaCl2) is an inorganic salt used across a wide range of applications. It is essential for de-icing and anti-icing purposes, as well as oilfield and water treatment. In the food processing industry, calcium chloride plays a key role …
A Premium Choice for Sustainable Agriculture: Navigating the Potassium Sulphate Market
January 6, 2025
Potassium sulphate (K₂SO₄), also known as sulphate of potash (SOP), is regarded as a premium specialty fertilizer rich in potassium. It contains potassium (50% K₂O) and sulphur (18%) and is notable for its low chloride content, which is essential for …
Chlorine: A Vital Chemical in the Modern Industrial Ecosystem
December 23, 2024
Chlorine is an essential chemical intermediate, deeply integrated into the value chain of chlorinated compounds and chlor-alkali products. The chlor-alkali industry exists as a co-production system for chlorine and sodium hydroxide (caustic soda) because chlorine manufacturing traditionally involves the electrolysis …
Urea Market: Exploring the Complex Dynamics of a Key Agricultural Input
December 12, 2024
Urea is an essential nitrogen fertilizer and a source of ureic nitrogen, with a 46% nitrogen content. In addition to ureic nitrogen, plants can absorb nitrogen in the forms of nitrate and ammoniacal nitrogen, or a combination of these three …
Sodium Chlorate Market: Navigating Applications and Regional Dynamics
December 3, 2024
Sodium chlorate (NaClO3) is an industrial inorganic sodium salt primarily used in the pulp and paper industry to produce chlorine dioxide, a common pulp-bleaching agent. Other significant applications of sodium chlorate include water treatment and the production of pesticides and …
Adipic Acid: Driving Forces and Market Dynamics in the Global Landscape
November 25, 2024
Adipic acid is a dicarboxylic acid used as a chemical intermediate in the production of various important products. Its primary application is in the manufacture of nylon-66 and nylon-6 fibres, which account for up to 80% of adipic acid consumption. …
Polybutadiene Rubber: Fueling the Synthetic Rubber Revolution
November 14, 2024
Polybutadiene rubber (BR) is a high-volume synthetic rubber, which, together with styrene-butadiene rubber, accounts for over 60% of global synthetic rubber production. In terms of synthetic rubber consumption, in 2020, butadiene rubber and emulsion polymerized styrene-butadiene rubber (E-SBR) made up …
Polystyrene in the Global Economy: Production Capacity and Market Insights
November 6, 2024
Polystyrene (PS) is an amorphous thermoplastic polymer produced with the help of the polymerization of styrene monomer and processed using such methods as injection moulding, extrusion, or thermoforming. Polystyrene, styrene monomer, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrenic specialties, and relevant styrene-based …
Polyether Ether Ketone (PEEK): Revolutionizing Industries with Advanced Polymer Solutions
October 28, 2024
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) belongs to a class of semi-crystalline and high-performance thermoplastic specialty polymers, known for their significant role in the production of advanced and composite materials for use in multiple industrial and consumer applications. Specialty polymers demonstrate numerous …
Ethylene oxide (EO): Technological Advancements & Market Dynamics
October 15, 2024
Ethylene oxide (EO) is an important chemical used in a wide range of products and industries. It is mainly utilized in the form of an intermediate to make ethylene glycol (EG), monoethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, ethanolamine, ethylene glycol ethers, and …
Perchloroethylene (PERC): Balancing Industrial Demand with Health & Environmental Risks
October 3, 2024
Perchloroethylene (PERC or PCE), also known as tetrachloroethylene or tetrachloroethene, is a volatile chlorinated hydrocarbon used in various industrial and consumer applications. PERC’s key application areas include (a) a dry cleaning agent (in use since the 1940s and is currently …
Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (MTBE) Market: Navigating Dynamics and Challenges
September 24, 2024
Methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) belongs to the class of oxygenates, which also includes ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE), tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME), tertiary amyl ethyl ether (TAEE), and ethanol. Oxygenates are used as octane boosters to raise the …
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC): Exploring the Third Most Used Plastic Worldwide
September 16, 2024
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is an amorphous thermoplastic polymer with significant functional versatility that spreads to nearly all industries, including electrical engineering, construction, agriculture, healthcare, automobiles, toys, clothing, footwear, packaging, etc. This makes PVC the world’s third most widely used plastic. …
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE): A Cornerstone of the Fluoroplastics Market
September 5, 2024
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) belongs to a large family of polymers produced by chain-growth polymerization. It is also a fluoroplastic, which accounts for over 60% of the $4.5bn-worth fluoroplastics market. Polytetrafluoroethylene is known to exhibit high levels of crystallinity and melting temperatures. …
Polyphenylene Oxide: Pioneering Advanced Thermoplastics Across Industries
August 29, 2024
Polyphenylene oxide (PPO) or polyphenylene ether (PPE, also known as modified polyphenylene ether, mPPE) are thermoplastic polymers obtained via step-growth polymerization reactions and specifically via oxidative polymerization of 2,6-disubstituted phenols. Polyphenylene oxide forms blends or alloys with other polymers, such …
Vinyl Chloride Monomer: The Backbone of the Polyvinyl Chloride Industry
August 16, 2024
Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is an important chemical intermediate mainly utilised in the production of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). PVC is one of the world’s most widely used polymers, after polyethylene and polypropylene. Despite the ongoing PVC oversupply, demand for this …
O-Xylene Market: Essential Feedstock for Diverse Industrial Commodities
August 5, 2024
Ortho-xylene (o-xylene) is an important aromatic hydrocarbon and an essential raw material in the production of phthalic anhydride (PA) through the oxidation of o-xylene in a fluidized bed reactor. PA is in turn used to manufacture phthalate plasticizers, unsaturated polyester …
Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether (ETBE): A Key Oxygenate for Cleaner and Efficient Fuels
July 29, 2024
Ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE) is a popular oxygenate additive and a representative of the fuel ethers family, which also includes methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE), tertiary amyl methyl ether (TAME), and tertiary amyl ethyl ether (TAEE). Being a key …
Epichlorohydrin (ECH) in the Modern World: Meeting Demand Across Diverse Industries
July 15, 2024
Epichlorohydrin (ECH) is a chemical intermediate known for its important role in the manufacture of epoxy resins. Globally, epoxy resin production accounts for over 80% of ECH consumption. Epichlorohydrin is used in the textile industry, paper and paperboard products, air/water …
Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) Market: Bridging Engineering Excellence and Sustainability
July 2, 2024
Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) is a versatile engineering thermoplastic copolymer of styrene and acrylonitrile. Styrene monomer is obtained mostly via the dehydrogenation of ethylbenzene, while acrylonitrile is manufactured by combining propylene, ammonia, and air via an ammoxidation process. Over 95% of …
Expandable Polystyrene: From Production to Market Trends and Environmental Impact
June 20, 2024
Expandable polystyrene (EPS) is a versatile polymeric foam used in a vast range of commercial applications and industries, including packaging, construction (especially, when EPS is employed as an energy-efficient, durable, light, and robust insulation material), electronics, electrical goods, the automobile …
Polyphthalamide (PPA): The High-Performance Polymer Revolutionizing Various Applications
June 13, 2024
Polyphthalamide (PPA) is a high-performance engineering polymer with more advanced mechanical and thermal properties as compared to conventional commodity polymers. For instance, its melting point could peak 325°C, which is impressive for a polymer. In general, PPA is firmly embedded …
Dimethyl Terephthalate (DMT) & Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET): Navigating Market Changes & Innovations
June 6, 2024
Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) is a high-production volume chemical intermediate, which is predominantly used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and other linear polyesters (e.g. polybutylene terephthalate). For example, dimethyl terephthalate can be applied to manufacture 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol, which is further employed to …
Acetone: A Critical Component in Diverse Industrial Sectors
May 27, 2024
Acetone is an important chemical compound used in a wide range of commercial applications. It plays a prominent role as an intermediate to manufacture such chemicals as methyl methacrylate (MMA), bisphenol-A (BPA), and methacrylic acid, which are in turn applied …
Titanium Dioxide: Market Trends and Production Insights
May 16, 2024
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is an oxide of titanium and a mineral product that can be obtained from natural or synthetic sources. Natural titanium dioxide exists in three crystalline forms, i.e. anatase, rutile, and brookite. However, the bulk of pure titanium …
Potassium Hydroxide: A Global Market Overview and Future Prospects
May 7, 2024
Potassium hydroxide (KOH), also known as caustic potash, is a potassium salt that serves a wide range of end-use markets. These key end markets include the production of potassium carbonate and potassium phosphates, chemical intermediates, potassium salts, and other applications, …
Ethylbenzene Market: Balancing Industrial Demand with Environmental Responsibility
April 29, 2024
Ethylbenzene (EB) is an aromatic compound that is among the most popular building blocks in the chemical industry, together with benzene, toluene, and xylene. Ethylbenzene is traditionally produced by the alkylation of benzene with ethylene in the presence of a …
Aniline in the Modern World: Production Insights and Market Constraints
April 18, 2024
Aniline, also known as phenylamine or aminobenzene, is an aromatic amine compound within an important commodity value chain consisting of nitrobenzene, aniline, methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI production is a major outlet for aniline) and polyurethanes. It is used in a …
Polyphenylene Sulphide: Bridging Performance with Versatility in Advanced Applications
April 9, 2024
Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) is a high-performance engineering thermoplastic which demonstrates a useful combination of properties, such as high thermal and dimensional stability, excellent chemical, corrosion and fire resistance, low toxicity, good rigidity and toughness, as well as excellent processing capacity. …
Polyisobutylene: Charting the Course of a High-Performance Elastomer in Global Industries
April 1, 2024
Polyisobutylene (PIB) is a thermoplastic elastomer whose properties vary from an oily liquid to a rubbery material, subject to a degree of polymerization. PIB grades could be of low, medium, and high molar mass, as well as conventional and highly …
Polyethylene Market: Charting the Course of the World’s Predominant Plastic
March 21, 2024
Polyethylenes (PEs) are generally referred to as homopolymers of ethylene, as well as ethylene copolymers with some olefins. Ethylene can be obtained by cracking ethane or naphtha, which are in turn derived from natural gas and oil, respectively. Fossil fuel-derived …
Polyarylsulfones: Revolutionizing High-Tech Industries with Grade Versatility and Multifunctionality
March 13, 2024
The large family of high-performance amorphous thermoplastic polymers is represented by polysulfone (PSU), polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyetherimide (PEI), and polyethersulfone (PESU). According to the polymer typology applied by BASF, polyarylsulfones comprise PSU, PESU, and PPSU. Polyarylsulfones are known for their high …
Polyvinyl Alcohol Market: Sustainable Focus & Stressed Macroeconomic Environment
March 1, 2024
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is an acetylene-based polymer used in adhesives, films, packaging, paper, textile fibres, ceramics, agriculture, the oil industry, construction, and other applications and industries. PVOH is the product of the hydrolysis of polyvinyl acetate. The latter is manufactured …
Ammonium Sulphate: Navigating Market Dynamics and Sustainability Concerns
February 21, 2024
Ammonium sulphate is an important nitrogen and sulphur fertilizer with a global output of over 30 million metric tonnes per year (or over 6 million metric tonnes by nitrogen content). As major contributors of soil nitrogen for synthetic N fertilization, …
Polybutylene Terephthalate (PBT): Market Dynamics Amidst a Challenging Environment
February 8, 2024
Polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) is a high-performance engineering polyester within a broader category of polycondensates. Being one of the most important polyesters, PBT resin is used primarily in the production of high-quality construction materials, especially for manufacturing cars (the largest end-sector …
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Market: Thriving Amidst Macroeconomic Turbulence
January 31, 2024
Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) comprises a family of copolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate. Ethylene vinyl acetates are highly customizable, for example, through varying the percentage rate of vinyl acetate in the copolymer. This augments the versatility of EVA applications …
Nitrile Rubber Market: Navigating Prominent Trends
January 23, 2024
Nitrile rubber (nitrile butadiene rubber or NBR) forms a broad group of synthetic rubber copolymers of acrylonitrile and butadiene. Patented by the chemists Erich Konrad and Eduard Tschunkur in 1934, nitrile rubber is produced by performing emulsion polymerization using butadiene …
Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM): The Essential Chemical in Modern Manufacturing
January 15, 2024
Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is an important chemical intermediate indispensable in the production of an extensive range of consumer and industrial commodities. It is involved in the complex value chains of various feedstock materials, intermediates, derivatives, and end-products. Polyvinyl acetate …
Hydrogen Cyanide Market: Balancing Industrial Demand with Safety Concerns
January 4, 2024
Hydrogen cyanide (HCN, also known as prussic acid) is a volatile liquid or gaseous organic compound and an important chemical intermediate used to manufacture such vital products as adiponitrile, hexamethylenediamine, methyl methacrylate, sodium cyanide, acetone cyanohydrin, methionine, cyanuric chloride and …
Polybutadiene Rubber Market: Navigating Major Trends, Prospects And Challenges
December 18, 2023
Polybutadiene (PBR) is an amorphous sticky material and a synthetic rubber acting as a viable alternative to natural rubber. The popularity of synthetic rubber has gained momentum since WWII. The production of tires and re-tread tires accounts for the bulk …
Polymethyl Methacrylate: Insights into the Evolving Market Landscape
December 7, 2023
Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA, acrylic glass) is a thermoplastic polymer obtained via radical chain-growth polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomer. It can be represented by copolymers of MMA with acrylonitrile, styrene, α-methyl styrene, and acrylic esters. In combination with quartz or …
Polyvinyl Acetate: Comprehensive Insights into the Evolving Market Landscape
November 30, 2023
Polyvinyl acetate (PVA) is an important chemical derivative featuring all homopolymers and copolymers with the vinyl acetate content of at least 50%. PVA is embedded in an extended network of upstream and downstream chemical products. This network comprises such compounds …
The Versatile World of Liquid Crystal Polymers: Major Applications and Market Dynamics
November 15, 2023
Liquid crystal polymers (LCP) are high molecular weight materials and thermotropic (melt-orienting) thermoplastics with a capacity to enter a physical state (phase) between an ordered solid body and a disordered liquid. In other words, they combine the anisotropic physical properties …
Dioctyl Phthalate: Navigating the Complexities of a Global Market
November 2, 2023
Dioctyl phthalate (DOP or di-n-octyl phthalate, DnOP) belongs to a multi-functional class of high-tonnage chemical compounds known as phthalates, which are the esters of phthalic acid. Phthalates are added to various polymer materials (e.g. polyvinyl chloride or PVC) as plasticizers …
Styrene Market: Navigating Global Dynamics, Sustainability Trends & Technological Advances
October 16, 2023
Styrene is an organic hydrocarbon and an aromatic monomer manufactured from petroleum feedstock, specifically ethylbenzene, via various technological pathways, namely ethylbenzene dehydrogenation, oxidation, oxidative conversion, or side-chain chlorination. Ethylbenzene in turn can be produced by liquid-phase alkylation of benzene with …
Methyl Ethyl Ketone Market: Recent Developments & Trends
September 28, 2023
Methyl ethyl ketone (MEK) is an organic solvent and a valuable chemical intermediate used in a very broad range of industries. The three top MEK-consuming sectors include painting/coatings, printing inks, and adhesives. Industry-wise, MEK is consumed in refining, construction, cosmetics, …
Ethylene Dichloride: Role in the Modern Chemical Landscape & Market Insights
September 21, 2023
Ethylene dichloride (EDC; 1,2-dichloroethane) belongs to a family of chlorohydrocarbons. It is a large-tonnage chemical involved in the synthesis of other compounds within the chlor-vinyls value chain of products. This complex value chain comprises the following: ethylene, chlorine/caustic soda, EDC …
Butyl Acetate: Navigating Applications, Challenges & Market Landscape
September 13, 2023
Butyl acetate (BAC, butac, or BuAc) is the acetate ester of butanol and a chemical intermediate, which is widely used as a solvent in acrylic polymers, coating resins, adhesives, cosmetic formulations, etc. Apart from demonstrating a significant solvent power, it …
P-Xylene: Global Production Dynamics & Evolving Market Landscape
September 5, 2023
P-xylene (para-xylene, paraxylene, PX) belongs to a group of petrochemical products known as aromatics (benzene, toluene, and xylenes, often abbreviated as BTX). Being an aromatic hydrocarbon, it is traditionally produced by catalytic reforming of petroleum naphtha via a series of …
Calcium Chloride: A Versatile Inorganic Salt in a Changing Market Landscape
August 24, 2023
Calcium chloride (CaCl2) is an inorganic salt and a multifunctional chemical product used in a wide range of applications and commodities, such as the oil and gas industry, water treatment, de-icing, dust control, metallurgy, cement, concrete and gypsum, agriculture, tires, …
Cumene Market: Global Production Landscape & Market Implications
August 16, 2023
Cumene (also known as isopropylbenzene) is a simple alkyl aromatic hydrocarbon and an important chemical intermediate within a complex value chain. This chain includes fossil resources, refinery-grade propylene, benzene, phenol/acetone, methyl methacrylate, Bisphenol A, and a wide range of other …
Ammonium Nitrate Market: Meeting Global Food Demand Amid Environmental and Economic Challenges
August 8, 2023
Ammonium nitrate (AN) is a salt of ammonia and nitric acid, which is extensively used as a nitrogen fertilizer. The commercial grade of ammonium nitrate contains about 33.5 percent of nitrogen. Ammonium nitrate is made mainly by the reaction between …
Cyclohexane – an Essential Building Block for the Chemical Industry: Market Insights & Trends
July 27, 2023
Cyclohexane (CX) is an intermediate chemical product used to manufacture cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, adipic acid, and caprolactam. The latter serves as a precursor for making nylon 6 fibres and polyamide engineering plastics, which are in turn applied in a range of …
Caprolactam Market: Riding the Wave of Global Demand and Sustainability Solutions
July 19, 2023
Caprolactam (CPL) or epsilon-caprolactam (as a member of the class of caprolactams) is a widely used chemical intermediate consumed to manufacture nylon 6 fibres (65% of CPL use) and polyamide engineering plastics (30% of CPL use). Nylon carpets, rugs, textiles, …
A Closer Look at the Global Bisphenol A Market: Demand, Regulations & Sustainability
July 11, 2023
Bisphenol A (bisphenol-A, BPA) or 2,2-bis (4-hydroxyphenyl) propane is a phenol/acetone-based intermediate chemical that is mainly used to manufacture polycarbonate resins (65% of BPA use) and epoxy resins (30% of BPA use). Polycarbonate resins are applied in such sectors as …
Polycarbonate Market: Driving Forces Behind the Growing Demand
July 4, 2023
Polycarbonates (PC) form an important group of highly customizable thermoplastic polymers and engineering plastics used in various consumer applications, medicine, packaging, electrical devices, the automotive sector, electronics, construction, and optical media. Demand for polycarbonate resins is on the rise in …
Butanediol Market: Navigating Major Trends & Challenges
June 27, 2023
Butanediol (1,4-butanediol or BDO) is a large-tonnage chemical, which is primarily used to manufacture industrial polymers, such as polyesters and polyurethanes. In this capacity, it acts within complex production chains or networks of derivatives or intermediates. For instance, tetrahydrofuran, which …
Styrene Acrylonitrile (SAN) Market: A Half-Year Review of 2023
June 20, 2023
Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) resins belong to a commercially very important group of thermoplastic polymers. In general, around 60% of styrene output is used to manufacture thermoplastic polymers. The market for styrene acrylonitrile is tightly coupled with that for acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). …
Potassium Chloride Market: A Journey Through Turbulence Toward Stability
June 9, 2023
Potassium chloride (KCl; muriate of potash or MOP) belongs to the group of mined and manufactured salts that contain the element potassium (K) in water-soluble form. Potassium chloride has approximately 62% of potassium oxide equivalent, which differentiates it from other …
Sulphuric Acid Market: Dynamics & Challenges
May 31, 2023
Sulphuric acid is a fundamental chemical building block, which is indispensable for various industries and applications, especially for manufacturing agricultural fertilizers, like monoammonium phosphate, diammonium phosphate, and ammonium sulphate. In general, fertilisers account for nearly 60% of the world’s sulphuric …
Ammonium Sulphate Market: Overview of Major Challenges & Prospects
May 17, 2023
Ammonium sulphate belongs to a diverse group of sulphur-containing fertilizers. This group comprises more than twenty different commercially available fertilizers of four types. These types include fertilizers containing sulphates or elemental sulphur (or a mix of both), as well as …
Nitrobenzene Market: Applications & Current Trends
May 8, 2023
Nitrobenzene (NB) is an important chemical intermediate in the extensive value chain from benzene via aniline to chemical products such as methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI), used to make rigid polyurethane foams. The nitrobenzene market is tightly coupled with that for …
Melamine Market: Challenges & Dynamics
April 26, 2023
Melamine (1,3,5-triaminotriazine) is a heterocyclic aromatic chemical and a triazine compound with a range of useful commercial properties. Melamine can react with formaldehyde to produce cross-linked melamine resins, which form an important class of thermosetting polymers. These melamine resins possess …
Ethyl Acetate Market: Overview & Recent Developments
April 13, 2023
Ethyl acetate (ETAC) is a valuable organic compound, firmly embedded in the acetyls group of petrochemical products. This group comprises such chemical products as methanol/ethanol (as feedstock), acetic acid, vinyl acetate monomer, butadiene acetate, acetic anhydride, and ETAC itself. Due …
Acetic Acid Market: Trends & Challenges
April 7, 2023
Acetic acid is an indispensable industrial chemical involved in complex value chains and intricate commodity networks, incorporating multiple stakeholders, manufacturing entities, and technological processes. Manufactured from ethanol or methanol (including bio-based materials), acetic acid is then transformed into a range …
Potash Market Dynamics
March 29, 2023
The term “potash” may refer to the group of potassium-rich salts extracted from subterranean deposits. These salts are vital for plant and animal nutrition. As such, their key area of application is in the form of mineral fertilizers to maintain …
Polyphenylene Sulphide Market Prospects
March 20, 2023
Polyphenylene sulphide (PPS) is a crystalline super engineering thermoplastic resin notable for its outstanding physical and mechanical properties, such as high heat and chemical resistance (it can withstand temperatures of over 150°C), excellent mechanical strength and dimensional stability, low toxicity, …
Feldspar Market: Challenges & Opportunities
March 9, 2023
The market for the feldspar group of minerals is represented by companies with extensive portfolios of industrial non-metallic minerals and mineral-based solutions. These companies operate across a broad range of industries. The key feldspar-consuming sectors include glass (e.g., automotive glass, …
Polyacetals Market: Dynamics & Trends
February 28, 2023
Polyacetals (polyacetal resins, polyoxymethylene products, or POM) may be structurally categorised as aliphatic polymers and functionally as highly customizable formaldehyde-based engineering thermoplastics. Due to their advanced properties (e.g., excellent mechanical properties, high resistance to wear, low VOC emissions, ease of …
Sulfur Market: Challenges & Developments
February 15, 2023
Sulfur is a nonmetallic element indispensable for modern chemical and other industries, acting as one of the most fundamental chemical building blocks. Manufacturing agricultural fertilizers, like phosphates and ammonium sulphate, is a main outlet for sulfur in the form of …
Iodine Market: Trends & Challenges
February 6, 2023
Iodine is a vital element and an important commodity with a broad range of medical, nutritional, industrial, and other applications. These applications specifically imply diagnostic contrast media, pharmaceuticals, catalysts, optical polarizing films (OPF), iodophors, and biocides in water treatment, to …
Ethanol Market: Prospects & Challenges
January 26, 2023
Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) is a non-toxic chemical compound used in a wide range of end-use sectors, namely transportation, food, cosmetics, medicine, and many other industrial applications. Ethanol or bioethanol (ethanol produced from sugarcane, corn, cassava, sweet sorghum, straw, and other …
Nitrile Rubber Market Trends
January 16, 2023
Nitrile rubber (also known as nitrile butadiene rubber and acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, abbreviated as NBR) belongs to an extensive group of elastomers and is characterised by a wide-meshed, cross-linked copolymer structure, as well as high resistance to petrol/benzene, acids, alkalines, …
Polyethylene Terephthalate Market Challenges & Developments
January 5, 2023
Polyethylene terephthalate (abbreviated PET) is derived from the esterification of ethylene glycol with terephthalic acid. PET is a ubiquitous thermoplastic polymer, which finds application in multiple consumption sectors and products (e.g., packaging, textiles, film, etc.). Various countries have a well-developed …
Propylene Market Dynamics
December 22, 2022
Propylene is an indispensable basic chemical that helps to lay a robust groundwork for the global petrochemical industry. It is used as a feedstock to manufacture a broad range of vital chemical products applied in a myriad of consumption sectors. …
Polyisobutylene Market Development Trends
December 14, 2022
Polyisobutylenes (PIBs or polyisobutenes), including conventional PIBs (C-PIBs) and highly reactive PIBs (HR-PIBs), belong to the class of thermoplastic polymer materials (thermoplastic elastomers). They possess a range of useful properties, like excellent thermal and chemical stability, resistance to acids and …
Urea Market: Dynamics & Challenges
December 6, 2022
Urea is an important chemical commodity employed in various applications, including agriculture (e.g., plant, soil, and cattle nutrition), industry, pharmaceuticals, and other uses. As a nitrogen-rich organic plant and soil nutrient supplement, urea is an indispensable and valuable fertiliser. Therefore, …
Hydrogen Peroxide Market: Barriers & Enablers
November 28, 2022
Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a versatile chemical compound with a range of useful properties, including oxidizing, cleaning, decontaminating, bleaching, and etching, as well as disinfectant, antiviral and anti-bacterial properties. These properties allow using hydrogen peroxide and its solutions in the …
Acrylonitrile Market Developments
November 17, 2022
Acrylonitrile (ACN) and its polymer blends are vital chemical products used in a wide range of applications, like clothing, car making, electronics and electrical goods, toys, medical items, personal care products, aeronautics, engineering, to name only a few. Acrylonitrile is …
Liquid Crystal Polymers Market: Challenges & Opportunities
November 8, 2022
Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs) form a family of polymer substances that can possess the dual properties of both crystals and liquids. LCPs feature multiple valuable properties, such as a very high flow without flash propensity; flame retardancy; excellent chemical inertness …
Polyvinyl Chloride Market Dynamics
October 26, 2022
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), represented by a wide range of homo- and copolymers, has laid the groundwork of the modern thermoplastic industry and acts as a workhorse material for multiple consuming sectors. Thanks to its copolymerization capacity for forming blends and …
Polybutadiene Rubber Market Dynamics
October 17, 2022
Polybutadiene (polybutadiene rubber or BR, including its high/low cis-trans isomers) and its copolymers with styrene (styrene-butadiene rubber or SBR) account for over 60% of the current total synthetic rubber production, which makes them the most popular synthetic rubbers in the …
Acrylic Acid Market Dynamics
October 5, 2022
Acrylic acid is an important chemical intermediate within complex production chains where it is typically converted into polymers. Further, these polymers are used in the production of a variety of industrial and consumer goods. Subject to its end use, acrylic …
Styrene Acrylonitrile Market: Trends & Challenges
September 26, 2022
Styrene acrylonitrile (SAN) and its blends with other materials belong to a large family of engineering thermoplastic plastics. This type of plastics is mostly used in high-performance applications with rather stringent requirements for their properties. Therefore, styrene acrylonitrile resins are …
Vinyl Chloride Market: Trends & Dynamics
September 15, 2022
Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is a vital chemical intermediate embedded in very complex chlor-vinyl production and commodity-provisioning systems. As such, it is an indispensable element within the following commodity chain: feedstock ethane or naphtha (subject to a production route), ethylene, …
Methyl Methacrylate Market: Sustainability Megatrend
September 7, 2022
Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a monomer and a raw material of acrylic resin. In this capacity, it is an element of complex methacrylate value chains, which may include varied feedstock materials (e.g., isobutylene, ethylene, methanol, and carbon monoxide), MMA itself, …
Polystyrene Market: Trends & Challenges
August 29, 2022
Polystyrene (PS) belongs to the “Big Six” group of plastics, known for its ubiquity and popularity (global PS production capacity accounts for over 15 mln mt/y as of 2022). Polystyrene popularity hinges on the following: reasonable prices, a well-balanced mix …