News
Graphite-Related Industry as Field of Continuous Innovation
April 4, 2019
The graphite-related industry is considered a field of continuous and prospective innovation. Of course, any new innovative sector is often confronted by multiple challenges and ungrounded expectations. Pioneers, innovators, and early adopters are commonly optimistic at the initial stages of …
Isopropanol Market Behavior as Synergetic Effect of Multiple Forces
March 14, 2019
Isopropanol is one of the secondary alcohols, used in a wide range of applications and consumption sectors. The production of solvents has been isopropanol’s largest outlet for years, though this trend has been gradually reversing. Other major uses of isopropanol …
Acrylonitrile Market: Major Issues & Prospects
March 7, 2019
Acrylonitrile (CAN) is an important monomer used for the production of acrylic fibres, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) resins, and water-soluble polymers. The versatility of these product groups employed in a vast range of applications raises the commercial status of acrylonitrile. …
Challenges & Prospects of Nickel Market within Battery Materials Segment
February 28, 2019
Nickel is an important metal resource used in a wide variety of commodities which represent various, often high-tech, industrial, domestic, military and other sectors. Among them, the sector of rechargeable battery systems is one of the most interesting despite the …
Innovative Technologies Act as Major Driver of Expandable Polystyrene (EPS) Market
February 21, 2019
Expandable polystyrene (EPS) is a rigid cellular form of polystyrene with advanced performance in various parameters, including energy efficiency, thermal insulation capacity, air tightness, moisture resistance, durability, shock absorbing properties, compressive strength per weight, maintenance easiness, etc. Application areas for …
BASF’s Biomass Balance Approach as Innovative Strategy of Methanol Production
February 14, 2019
Methanol is an important chemical commodity with versatile and prospective applications, including power generation, transportation, and chemical industry. In the chemical industry, methanol is used to manufacture a wide range of chemicals via the methanol-to-olefins process. Among other things, the …
China’s Iron Ore Market Vulnerabilities
February 7, 2019
Iron ore mining remains a vibrant and lucrative mining sector, though its high expansion rates and sky-rocketing prices over the previous decade (especially in the Asia-Pacific region) are mostly the matter of the past. The iron ore market forecasts for …
New PET Recycling Legislature to Hamper PET Market Growth
January 31, 2019
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling and related policy/regulation are likely to become one of the major factors, affecting the global and regional PET markets. Due to current legislative initiatives, many PET producers may encounter significant challenges. First, these challenges will affect …
Hard Times for Antimony Producers Are Imminent
January 24, 2019
Currently, the Chinese economy is undergoing a period of relative slow-down, and the Chinese government is scrutinizing and making its environmental and manufacturing policy and regulation more stringent and ecology-conscious. The local antimony market, which is the largest in the …
Cement Industry Needs to Take Measures to Bring Down Carbon Dioxide Emissions
January 17, 2019
Global and regional cement industries are coupled with multiple negative externalities among which the rise in cement-related CO2 emissions is considered to belong to the class of the so-called wicked problems. The world cement industry accounts for the second largest …
Growing Concerns about Nitrogen Pollution May Hamper Ammonia Market Growth
January 10, 2019
In early 2019, the ammonia market has been demonstrating a vivid bearish sentiment for several months now, though such kind of mood has been evident for a much longer period. The product oversupply, low margins, price volatility, flat consumption in …
Positive Selenium Image May Improve its Marketability
December 20, 2018
Selenium is a relatively rare non-metal element which finds uses in multiple high-tech industrial products and applications, including photovoltaic cells, AC-to-DC electrical converters, specialized low-conductance sheet glass, human dietary supplements, cosmetics, steel alloys, catalysts, medicinal compounds, etc. Major selenium reserves …
Post-Colonial Concerns Affect Regional Germanium Markets
December 13, 2018
Germanium is closely associated with applications in various high-tech sectors and products, including the production of fibre and infrared optics, terrestrial solar cells, light-emitting diodes, polymerization catalysts, germanium-antimony-tellurium material in rewritable optical discs, propagermanium-based medicines, to name only a few. …
Solvay’s Recent Soda Ash Operations
December 6, 2018
Soda ash has the following main outlets: glass (both container and flat), detergents, soaps, chemicals, as well as metallurgy, pharmaceuticals, environment protection (e.g. acidity combating) and other applications. The natural route of soda ash production involves trona ore purification. Trona …
Environmental Issues Have Substantial Impact on Caprolactam Market
November 28, 2018
Caprolactam is involved in complex production chains composed of multiple feedstocks, derivatives (intermediates) and end-products. In a simplified form of the traditional Beckmann process used in caprolactam manufacturing, key intermediate cyclohexanone is converted to cyclohexanone oxime, which later is rearranged …
Bioethanol Market: Key Challenges & Prospects
November 20, 2018
The production of transport fuel has long been the major outlet for ethanol. This fuel is derived from various cellulosic biomass feedstocks via the method of the fermentation of available carbohydrates, like simple sugars, or via second-generation ethanol technology. The …
Bans and Restrictions Restrain Asbestos Market Growth
November 12, 2018
Asbestos has a long history of application. There is also already a rather continuous history of asbestos phasing-out or elimination. Despite a couple of million tonnes still in annual production by a limited number of countries, the asbestos market curtailment …
Global Acetic Acid Market Is Characterised by Cyclical Nature
November 1, 2018
Acetic acid is an important large-volume chemical, which acts as a building block in complex manufacturing and commodity chains. These chains involve petroleum-based raw materials, multiple intermediate chemicals and a wide range of end-products, like solvents, adhesives, soft drink bottles, …
Depleting Resources Could Emerge as Key Challenge of Global Bentonite Market
October 25, 2018
Bentonite is a highly versatile industrial clay with diverse application areas including foundry sand binders, pet litter, iron ore pelletizing, mud drilling, agriculture, industrial absorbents, amid others. It is also quite often used an ingredient involved in innovations and high-tech …
Purified Terephthalic Acid Market is Characterised by High Volatility
October 18, 2018
Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) is a large-tonnage commodity and intermediate, which acts as an element of the complex value chain, consisting of upstream paraxylene and downstream products, including polyester fibre and non-fibre applications such as PET-bottles, PET-films, and engineering plastics. …
Environmental Legislation can be Detrimental for Cadmium Market Development
October 11, 2018
The situation with cadmium pollution is a subject of major concern of various European and international organizations monitoring the turnover of chemicals. Cadmium is known to have a detrimental carcinogenic effect upon human and animal health. The production of mineral …
China to Continue Leading Global Tungsten Market
October 4, 2018
It is a general rule of thumb that the world tungsten market follows the trajectory of the global macroeconomic situation. This has become especially evident during the world economic downturn of 2009 when the world tungsten production fell to a …
Regional Phthalic Anhydride Markets Demonstrate Positive Dynamics
September 27, 2018
Many regional markets for phthalic anhydride (PA) are currently demonstrating positive dynamics, though the environment in which these markets operate can be characterised by disruptive economic turbulence, shifting political climate, and confrontational regulatory regime. It is only sufficient to mention …
New US Tariffs Against Chinese Goods May Affect Titanium Dioxide Trade
September 20, 2018
The recent introduction of a new 10% duty on many Chinese goods worth $200bn, including titanium ores and concentrates, as well as pigments and preparations based on titanium dioxide, may impact global trade with titanium dioxide. It could also affect …
US-China Trade Tensions May Affect Global Adipic Acid Market
September 6, 2018
The global and regional markets for adipic acid are highly volatile, which is manifested in rapid changes in adipic acid price and trade dynamics. This volatility is predetermined by the dynamic complexity, built around multiple interdependent factors which influence the …
Some Barriers May Impede Potassium Sulphate Market Development
August 29, 2018
Well-balanced potassium nutrition is indispensable for crop yield, plant health, and its quality, thus providing a huge economic, social and environmental impact, especially in developing countries, which are among the major consumers of different types of potassium fertilizers. Numerous researches …
Intrinsic Character of Tellurium Market Threats
August 22, 2018
Tellurium is a versatile rare earth element and metalloid. Despite its functional versatility, tellurium applications are of mostly high-tech and value-added character. These applications include the following industries: photovoltaics to manufacture thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells (40%); electronics to …
Monopolization May Pose Threat to Global Gypsum Industry
July 27, 2018
Vulnerability of the global gypsum market is evident. While being a versatile product used in many applications, its major outlet is the construction sector. In 2016, gypsum was mainly used to make cement (appr. 61% of all gypsum produced globally) …
Vanadium as Good Alternative to Lithium in Energy Storage Applications
July 23, 2018
The deficit of lithium in lithium-ion batteries may necessitate the development of new types of batteries in which lithium might be substituted. The possible alternative may come in the form of the so-called vanadium redox batteries (VRB) or vanadium flow …
Lithium Shortage Can Make Transition to Electric Vehicles Unsustainable
July 5, 2018
Lithium-based compounds have become a primary ingredient of the lithium-ion batteries used in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) and electric vehicles (EV). The amount of lithium consumed by these types of vehicles varies, but it is …
Fluorspar Is Critical Raw Material in European Manufacturing Value Chains
June 13, 2018
Fluorspar is applied in the production of hydrofluoric acid (which is a feedstock for fluorine-containing compounds, incl. fluoropolymers), steelmaking, aluminium manufacturing, and other consumption sectors. It is included in the regularly updated list of critical raw materials (CRMs). The list …
Environmental and Social Factors Affect Global Sodium Cyanide Market
June 5, 2018
Sodium cyanide plays an important role in the mining solutions business due to its capacity to meet the growing demand from the gold and silver mining sectors. This is especially true for North and South America, Australia, South Africa and …
Developing Countries Drive Polyisobutylene Market
May 29, 2018
Polyisobutylene (PIB) is an important elastomer that is used to produce tires (more than 70% of global PIB consumption), fuel and lubricant additives (10%), automotive mechanical goods (8%), adhesives and sealants (3%), and other products (6%). These consumption sectors enjoy …
Vertical Integration as a Way to Address Phenol Market Challenges
May 21, 2018
Phenol, produced mainly via the cumene peroxidation process, plays an important role in the chemical and other industries. It is an indispensable building block used in the production of plastics (further processed into automotive parts, mobile phones, etc.), paints, coatings, …
Regional Melamine Markets Exhibit Different Dynamics
April 27, 2018
The wood-based panel industry with its subsectors focused on laminates and adhesive resins is considered the largest outlet for melamine. Both subsectors (i.e. laminates and adhesives) jointly account for over 70% of melamine consumption globally. Melamine: structure of the global …
Sulphuric Acid Demand Rises Amid Tightening Supply
April 18, 2018
Sulfuric acid is one of the most fundamental chemical building blocks, serving as a keystone for many modern industries, branches of economy and chemical products. On a corporate level, wide applicability of sulfuric acid stipulates a multiplicity of market players …
UK to Impose Deposit Return Scheme Aimed at PET Recycling
April 3, 2018
One of the main trends of the global polyethylene terephthalate (PET) market is the increase in PET recycling rates due to environmental concerns caused by the augmented usage of PET products, including drinks bottles and containers. This augmented usage is …
Carbon Black (CB) Supply Reductions in China Impact Indian Tyre Manufacturers
March 27, 2018
Carbon black is used as a rubber-reinforcing agent and performance additive in rubber products (tires, hoses, belts, etc.), coatings, printing inks, extruded profiles, moulded goods, polymer systems and other specialty applications. The latter implies high versatility and contingency of products …
Higher Feedstock Costs Drive Current Polyvinyl Alcohol Prices in the US
March 22, 2018
Polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH) is firmly entrenched in the complex commodity chain. This chain includes acetic acid, ethylene, oxygen, vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), polyvinyl acetate and other end-products in a wide range of applications, like paper, adhesive, film, textiles, packaging, construction, …
Global Chlorine Market Is Affected by Anti-Pollution Initiatives of Chinese Government
March 13, 2018
China plays a dominant role in the global chlorine market. The country’s chlorine-manufacturing capacity is over 40 mln tonnes per year; the actual chlorine output is about 30 mln tonnes per year. Chlorine: structure of the global production capacity broken …
Flexibility at the Core of Nitrile-Butadiene Rubber Business
February 21, 2018
Nitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) comprises a family of synthetic rubber copolymers of acrylonitrile and butadiene. This generic status of NBR means that rubber compounders can flexibly adjust product parameters and properties (processability, oil/fuel resistance, tensile strength, heat ageing, etc.) by experimenting …
China’s Antipollution Measures Affect Maleic Anhydride Market
February 13, 2018
The importance of maleic anhydride as a vital chemical intermediate used in a vast range of products is an undisputed fact. As such, maleic anhydride indispensability for multiple industries and large dependence on Asia for its supply create prerequisites for …
Technological Innovations as Key Success Factor in Highly Competitive Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Market
January 30, 2018
The global and regional markets for purified terephthalic acid (PTA) have always been the arena for fierce competitive struggle. Numerous manufacturing companies with different levels of integration in upstream and downstream sectors constantly compete in the extremely volatile and dynamic …
Recent Styrene Price Surges Will Have Short-Term Effect on Polystyrene Market
January 19, 2018
The global polystyrene market is characterised by high contingency and specificity subject to various dimensions and factors. Its complex dynamics depends on the interplay of different forces. These forces primarily include feedstock styrene monomer (SM) price fluctuations. Another important factor …
Aniline Production Has High Potential for Innovations
January 4, 2018
Aniline is an important chemical compound applicable in a variety of industries, including dye, pharmaceutical, biomedical, rubber and other industries. It is also a vital intermediate in the methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) production, comprising the route consisting from nitrobenzene, aniline, …
Lime Market Presents High Potential for Innovation
December 12, 2017
Lime and its products are versatile commodities with a wide range of application areas, including metallurgy, flue-gas desulfurization (FGD), environment protection, glass & ceramics, paper & cellulose industry, sugar production, refractories, construction, agriculture and others. Globally, the sectorial structure of …
BASF Mulls Over Methane-to-Methanol-to-Propylene Project
November 27, 2017
Methanol remains one of the cornerstones of the modern chemical industry, participating in multiple complex feedback relationships, both upward and downward, along relevant supply chains involving various companies, many of which are vertically integrated. The vivid example of such vertically …
Environmental Concerns as Key Driver of Propylene Oxide Market
November 17, 2017
Propylene oxide (PO) plays important role in numerous chemicals value chains, composed of multiple indispensable upstream and downstream products. As such, fairly large fluidity, dynamicity and volatility of the global and regional PO market are inevitable, driven by a magnitude …
Butadiene Markets Show High Volatility
November 9, 2017
The global and regional markets for butadiene, which is as an important intermediate embedded in various commodity chains (primarily leading to the production of synthetic rubbers, such as styrene butadiene rubber), have been demonstrating significant share of volatility. The current …
China Leads Global Sodium Sulfate Market
October 25, 2017
Sodium sulfate is the sodium salt of sulfuric acid, which is mined from mirabilite at mineral salt deposits (for example, salt lakes). It can also be obtained from by-products of many chemical processes such as hydrochloric acid production. Its applications, …
Perlite and Vermiculate Markets Retain Good Prospects
October 12, 2017
Perlite and vermiculate are naturally occurring minerals which feature a number of useful properties like good insulation, inertness, low density, fire resistance and ecological friendliness. These properties are coupled with general availability of the two minerals, though sufficient information is …
Hitech Catalysis Applications to Drive Zeolites Market
October 5, 2017
Zeolites form a class of aluminosilicate minerals primarily applicable in detergent powders, catalysts (especially in petroleum refining), absorbents, feed additives, soil amendments, water treatment agents, to name only a few. Zeolites are extremely useful as catalysts for several important reactions …
Barite Market Closely Follows Oil Industry Behaviour
September 21, 2017
The main end-use application for barites, which are primary, naturally occurring barium-based minerals, is the oil and gas industry where barites are used as weighting agents in drilling muds: the oil and gas exploration sector accounts for about 75 of …
Current Oversupply Leads to Price Decreases in Ammonia Market
September 15, 2017
Ammonia is one of the most important building blocks of the chemical industry. It is also indispensable in the production of liquid nitric fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate, urea, DAP/MAP or aqua ammonia. As a commercial product and important chemical …
Asia Dominates 2-Ethylhexanol (2-EH) Market
September 6, 2017
Fatty alcohol 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) is a large-tonnage organic chemical used in numerous applications such as solvents, flavors, functional fluids, emollients, coating agents and fragrances. As such, it is embedded into complex chemical product chains (e.g. propylene, synthesis gas, n-butyraldehyde, 2-EH …
Relationship between Belaruskali and Uralkali as Manifestation of Potash Market Volatility
August 28, 2017
The global potash market demonstrates volatility and large price fluctuations. It is true in the case of regional markets though some of them can demonstrate bigger stability, especially in fixing prices (e.g. China). This volatility is multi-faceted, dynamic, complex and …
Iodine Price Stabilized and Increased in H1 2017
August 18, 2017
Large monopolization of the global iodine market, both on corporate and regional levels, leads to iodine supply and price fluctuations, augmented by various factors. Chile, which is the world largest iodine manufacturer with a growing production potential (with 60% of …
Recent Tightness on Caprolactam Market Eases Off
August 11, 2017
The dynamics of the caprolactam (capro) market is largely dependent on the behaviour of its upstream and downstream sectors. Upstream here means predominantly cyclohexane since approximately 68% of the world’s caprolactam is produced from cyclohexane, which in turn relies on …
Mining Sector Presents Foundation for Sodium Cyanide Market
August 3, 2017
The thriving global mining sector remains the cornerstone of the market for sodium cyanide, which is indispensable in mining operations, especially in gold and silver processing. Whenever the mining sector is at risk (due to the lack of reforms, protective …
Tight Supply on Methyl Methacrylate Market Might Persevere
July 27, 2017
The recent developments of the methyl methacrylate (MMA) sector, marked by very tight supply, strong demand and price hikes, fit well into the general picture of uncertainty and volatility from both current macroeconomic perspective and the MMA sector specifics. The …
Innovation Is Key Activity in Iron Ore Mining Business
July 19, 2017
Iron ores like hematite and magnetite, being one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust, have laid the foundation for modern and previous civilizations through the myriad of their application in weaponry, tools, machinery, construction, transportation, to name …
Steady Demand and Flexible Marketing Strategies Foster Borate Market Development
June 29, 2017
The demand for boron minerals and compounds has been growing at a steady pace driven by various exogenous and endogenous factors. First, it seems that applicability of borates is predetermined by their very nature, including their importance for humans and …
Prospects for Platinum Group Metals Look Good Despite Uncertainty
June 22, 2017
Platinum group metals or PGM (platinum, palladium, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium) form a uniform, yet fairly diverse with respect to market trajectories, selection of rare metals with unique properties and a wide application range. This range mainly centers on high-tech …
Adipic Acid Market Demonstrates Mixed Sentiments and Complex Picture
June 15, 2017
Adipic acid (ADA) is a large-scale chemical product embedded in the nylon-66/nylon-6 production chain which also features upstream benzene, cyclohexane and hexamethylenediamine. The bulk of cyclohexane is used to produce adipic acid and caprolactam (capro). With other outlets, including downstream …
Ethyl Tertiary Butyl Ether Market Demonstrates High Volatility
June 8, 2017
Ether-based oxyfuels, like methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) and ethyl tertiary butyl ether (ETBE), can be defined as octane boosters or Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP) reducers used as green blending components and additives in motor vehicle fuels. ETBE has a …
Volatility is Mega-Trend of Monoethylene Glycol (MEG) Market
May 25, 2017
Monoethylene glycol (MEG) is a versatile large-scale chemical intermediate embedded in complex chemical commodity chains, composed of various upstream (incl. crude oil and offgas) and downstream products (e.g. polyethylene terephthalate or PET and its multiple derivatives). These chains mostly exist …
Construction Sector Drives Gypsum Industry Growth
May 18, 2017
The global gypsum industry is mainly driven by the construction and renovation sectors as natural gypsum is especially suitable for the manufacture of cement, building plasters, dry mixes, wallboards and other gypsum products. In some of these uses, gypsum has …
Lime Producers Need to Develop Clever Market Strategies
May 11, 2017
Lime and its products are marked by use versatility and abundance of resources. In market terms, lime is a low-value commodity which is not widely traded internationally. Most countries have limestone resources and manufacture lime for domestic consumption. Lime is …
Scandium Market Exhibits Lucrative Growth Potential
April 20, 2017
Scandium is a soft, silvery-white metallic element that might be viewed as a representative of the rare earth class of natural elements. This class includes lanthanides, such as yttrium and scandium. The latter has properties which make it possible to …
Current Economic Outlook May Affect Zirconium Market
April 12, 2017
Zirconium (Zr) is a grayish-white metallic element employed in ceramics, foundry, refractory, electronics, nuclear industry and other applications. More than 80% of the world zirconium reserves are located in two countries: Australia (65%) and South Africa (18%). Zirconium production is …
Recent Upsurge in Cumene Prices in US Is Viewed as Manifestation of Bigger Trend
April 5, 2017
Cumene is an important intermediate in the chemical chain leading from refinery-grade propylene (RGP) and benzene (which have precursors as well), via their catalytic alkylation, to other chemicals, including predominantly phenol and acetone, followed by a number of chemical and …
Low Abundance and High Monopolization Are Major Subjects of Concern in Indium Market
March 29, 2017
Indium (In) is a rare-earth metal employed in flat-panel display screens (as a component of thin-film coatings), solders, alloys, electrical components, semiconductors, photovoltaic cells (e.g., copper indium gallium diselenide solar cells), complex intermetallic compounds (e.g. indium gallium nitride) and other …
Propylene Glycol Market to See Near Equilibrium Situation throughout 2017
March 16, 2017
Propylene glycol is a viscous synthetic liquid derived either from propylene oxide under petroleum-based pathway or glycerine via the bio-based way of production. Specific properties, low toxicity and large versatility make it an attractive commodity in many industrial and commercial …
South-East Asia Dominates Polyvinyl Acetate Market
March 7, 2017
Polyvinyl acetate is an aliphatic polymer made by polymerization of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM). Polyvinyl acetate absorbs nearly half of VAM. VAM itself is a highly versatile intermediate used in the production of polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) …
Effective Strategies for Carbon Black Market to Combat Current Macroeconomic Uncertainty
February 24, 2017
Carbon black is mainly used as a rubber-reinforcing agent and performance additive in diverse applications in rubber products (e.g. tires, hoses, belts, etc.), coatings, printing inks, extruded profiles, moulded goods and polymer systems. The diversity of carbon black uses dictates …
New Capacity Additions to Meet Current Methanol Demand Rise
February 17, 2017
The use of methanol and its blends as a fuel is determined by a number of their strengths. These strengths may include attractive prices as compared to gasoline, ethanol and their blends; simplified applicability without significant modification of methanol-running engine; …
Polycarbonate Market Showed Little Apprehension on BPA-related Move
February 8, 2017
Polycarbonates are a group of thermoplastic polymers, which forms an important commodity chain from acetone/phenol feedstock to various end-products. They are notable for their excellent performance specs with respect to stability, impact strength, transparency, thermal resistance, processability, low-temperature toughness, dielectric …
Titanium Dioxide Market: Subdued Demand & Possible Responses
January 25, 2017
Titanium, which is obtained from different titanium-containing minerals, like ilmenite, rutile or anatase, is used in the production of pigments, paints, coatings, plastics, paper cosmetics, food additives, ceramics, textiles, titanium metal, welding electrodes, as well as in a number of …
Growing Environmental & Health Concerns Overshadow Arsenic Market Prospects
January 13, 2017
Arsenic and its compounds are firmly associated with toxicity and environmental risks. Detrimental impact of arsenic is a well-known fact. Its dangerous concentrations have been found in many parts of the world, while numerous remediation technologies and approaches combatting arsenic …
Varied Dynamics of Global Urea Market Leads to Uncertainty and Overcapacity
January 6, 2017
The current situation on the global urea market can be characterised by a fairly large degree of uncertainty, which might be typical for end-of-the-year seasonal fluctuations when players are apprehensive on the verge of a new crop-sowing season and unsure …
Bio-Acetic Acid May Substitute Petroleum-Based Analogue in Future
December 22, 2016
Bioplastics could become viable substitutes for petroleum-based products, and bio-acetic acid may be a good example of such substation. Of course, the capacity to substitute petroleum-based products by ‘green’ alternatives depends on multiple factors, including their production costs, oil prices, …
Possible Reinvigoration on the US PVC Market May Be Adversely Impacted
December 15, 2016
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) acts as a generic name for a group of PVC compounds manufactured by transforming vinyl chlorine monomer (VCM) into PVC resins with the help of additives to easily mold them and optimize their qualities with respect to …
Multiple Ethylene Expansion Projects are Underway
December 6, 2016
Ethylene is one of the most versatile and important chemical components and intermediates used for downstream chemical processing in order to obtain a wide range of consumer and industrial products. Ethylene economics and market are enormous in size and complexity. …
Construction of New Integrated Petrochemical Complexes in Underway on Toluene Market
November 28, 2016
Toluene is an aromatic hydrocarbon used in various applications. It is involved in production chains of multiple chemicals as an intermediate or precursor. In such role, toluene is often associated with the operation on integrated petrochemical complexes or chemical hubs, …
Mixed Sentiments on Purified Terephthalic Acid Market
November 17, 2016
Purified terephthalic acid (PTA) is a raw material used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and PET-based products (fibres, films, etc.), which in turn find application in versatile downstream products, like clothing, carpets, car parts, food containers, engineering plastics, to name …
Strategic Partnerships Present Rising Trend within Feldspar Sector
November 10, 2016
Feldspars are mainly used in industrial applications, including production of glass containers, ceramics (incl. tiles and sanitary ware), fillers, glass fibre insulation, fillers, extenders and other commodities. Relative content of feldspar in some feldspar-consuming product groups, % The current trends …
Controlled Release Urea Fertilizers Form New Trend of Fertilizer Industry
October 27, 2016
The market for controlled release fertilizers (CRF) is expected to demonstrate a robust growth as the demand for them will continue to rise due to their enhanced efficiency, high flexibility, improved transportability and reduced environmental impact. Products like Agrium’s XCU® …
Tight Supply and Market Uncertainty Drive Ethyl Acetate Prices Up in Europe
October 20, 2016
Ethyl acetate (ETAC), an ether of acetic acid and ethyl alcohol, finds application in various products and industries. Such versatility makes prediction of ETAC market behaviour a complex task, which might foster a feeling of uncertainty for its manufacturers and …
Support from Lawmakers Has Major Impact on Biodiesel Market
October 12, 2016
Policy making and regulation play a central role in the future development of biodiesel market in many regions of the world. It is also quite common that public opinion, at least in democracies, is instrumental in shaping the national and …
Polyisobutylene Market Demonstrates Strong Positive Dynamics
October 4, 2016
The market for conventional and highly reactive polyisobutylene (PIB) demonstrates quite positive and upwards trends, which results in capacity expansion, construction and debottlenecking. For instance, TPC Group, which is one of the largest polyisobutylene producers in the USA (the US …
Bisphenol A Market Demonstrates Mixed Dynamics
September 26, 2016
The global bisphenol A (BPA) market is currently demonstrating a mixed dynamics. BPA prices in two main BPA-producing regions, Europe and Asia, are moving upwards thanks to various factors. These factors include the increase in feedstock prices; tightening of the …
Current Rise in Butadiene Prices Adversely Affects Margins of SBR Producers
September 16, 2016
Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is a mixture of butadiene and styrene, in which the amount of butadiene exceeds that of styrene by roughly three times. As such, SBR market behaviour is very sensitive to the fluctuations of prices for butadiene and …
Current Precarious Macroeconomic Situation Affects Steel Markets
September 9, 2016
Steel supply and demand reflect, though with some time lag, global and regional macroeconomic trends. These macroeconomic trends may vary in its temporal dimension since, for instance, the curtailments in the US steel industry of the 1980ies, caused by growing …
Health and Environmental Concerns Restrains Talc & Pyrophyllite Market Growth
September 2, 2016
Talc and pyrophyllite are two monoclinic minerals with similar physical properties and respective magnesium-based and aluminium-based composition, each belonging to the same sub-class of phyllosilicates. The products made on their basis are quite versatile and applicable in various areas. The …
Chemicals Industry Leads Global Salt Consumption
August 26, 2016
Production of industrial chemicals accounts for about 63% of the total consumption of salt, and as such, it is the biggest single application segment for salt. The whole branches of the chemical industry, like the chlor-alkali industry, are associated with …
Polystyrene End-Use Sectors Exhibit Different Dynamics
August 19, 2016
Polystyrene application sectors exhibit different dynamics, both temporarily and geographically. This dynamics is governed by various factors. Packaging industry is a major outlet for global polystyrene production, especially in Asia, which might be considered a world leader in packaging. However, …
Innovation as Indispensible Component of Polypropylene Market
August 9, 2016
Polypropylene is a highly sustainable and versatile thermoplastic polymer, which is being utilized in a wide range of applications thanks to its unique features. Polypropylene enjoys well-deserved popularity in many industries, including food packaging, electrical appliances, equipment, consumer goods, automotive …
High-density Polyethylene Market is Vibrant, Volatile and Bullish
July 25, 2016
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is one of the most commonly used plastics found in multiple products in different applications. Physical, chemical and safety-related properties of high-density polyethylene make it a highly durable, chemically non-reactive and environmentally safe material. Its versatility, wide …
Uncertainty as a New Trend of European Expandable Polystyrene Market
July 13, 2016
Building and construction applications are the largest outlet for expandable polystyrene (EPS), accounting for around two-thirds of its demand, though construction-related EPS application grows faster than EPS use in packaging. Other promising expandable polystyrene applications include furniture and sports accessories. …
Brexit to Impact Regional Potassium Sulphate Markets
July 7, 2016
Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has already rendered certain detrimental effect on the European and primarily UK fertilizer markets. The British fertilizer market is not particularly big, with clear predominance of NPK fertilizers and just a very small …