News
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 …