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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, …