Chemical Economics Handbook. 31 January 2017 ihs.com

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1 IHS CHEMICAL Acetylene Chemical Economics Handbook ihs.com Abstract Acetylene is used as an intermediate in chemical manufacture and as an industrial gas in the metalworking industry, primarily for cutting and welding. Since compression and transportation of acetylene is not practical for large-scale chemical use because of its flammability and explosiveness, almost all acetylene for chemical synthesis is consumed at or near the production site. Chemical uses account for about 88% and industrial uses for 12% of consumption. Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is the largest chemical use for acetylene, representing nearly 85% of the total acetylene chemical consumption. Vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) is the second-largest chemical use, accounting for about 7%. Production of acetylenic chemicals (1,4-butanediol [BDO], etc.) is the third-largest chemical use, with a global share of about 5%, but it represents the largest market in the United States and Western Europe. Other chemical uses include the production of polychloroprene rubber and acetylene carbon black. Use as an industrial gas in the metalworking industry primarily for cutting and welding is also an important end use for acetylene. The following pie chart shows consumption of acetylene by major region/country in 2016: China is the dominant player in the acetylene market, accounting for nearly 95% of the total acetylene production and consumption in the four major regions in 2016, with Europe, the United States, and Japan accounting for the remainder. China s abundant coal reserves have led to the development of large-scale production of chemicals from coal via acetylene. Because of the dominance of China in the global acetylene market, consumption and growth in recent years have been driven by China. Contacts Koon-Ling Ring Koon-Ling.ring@ihs.com Maria deguzman Maria.deguzman@ihs.com IHS CHEMICAL COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER. For internal use of IHS clients only. No portion of this report may be reproduced, reused, or otherwise distributed in any form without prior written consent, with the exception of any internal client distribution as may be permitted in the license agreement between client and IHS. Content reproduced or redistributed with IHS permission must display IHS legal notices and attributions of authorship. The information contained herein is from sources considered reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted, nor are the opinions and analyses that are based upon it, and to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage, or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained herein. In particular, please note that no representation or warranty is given as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on, any projections, forecasts, estimates, or assumptions, and, due to various risks and uncertainties, actual events and results may differ materially from forecasts and statements of belief noted herein. This report is not to be construed as legal or financial advice, and use of or reliance on any information in this publication is entirely at client s own risk. IHS and the IHS logo are trademarks of IHS.

2 With the rapid development of VCM, VAM, and BDO production from acetylene in the past five years, Chinese consumption of acetylene increased at an average annual rate of 5 6% between 2011 and 2016 and is expected to continue to grow at nearly 5% per year between 2016 and Since 2000, demand for acetylene in industrialized regions has remained stable or even decreased, while that in China has increased dramatically. Factors that have contributed and will continue to contribute to China s rapid development of acetylene include the following: Steady economic growth, leading to strong demand for VCM (for PVC) in finished goods, construction (pipes, wires, etc.), and infrastructure Abundant coal reserves, coupled with a global rise in crude oil and petrochemical feedstock pricing, resulted in more desirable economics for coal/calcium carbide/acetylene production (at least through 2014) Restricted availability and infrastructure for ethylene and coproduct streams outside of large petrochemical complexes Government pressure to develop industry in noncoastal regions of China, to create jobs and balance disparities in wealth Acetylene consumption in Europe is forecast to grow at only around 1% annually. Western Europe accounts for more than half of the total European market, followed by Eastern Europe and Central Europe. The acetylene market in the United States is small and mature, and is expected to increase at a rate of less than 2% annually during the next five years. Japan is a small producer and consumer of acetylene. Japanese consumption is mainly for the production of polychloroprene rubber. Overall consumption will decrease slightly during the forecast period. 2

3 Contents Executive summary 4 Summary 5 Introduction 9 Manufacturing processes 11 From hydrocarbons 11 Partial oxidation (BASF process) 11 Ethylene coproduct 11 Wulff process 12 Electric arc 12 Other 13 From calcium carbide 13 Environmental issues 15 Supply and demand by region 16 United States 16 Producing companies 16 Production 18 Consumption 19 Chemical uses 20 Acetylenic chemicals 20 Other 22 Industrial uses 23 Price 24 Trade 25 Canada 25 Producing companies 25 Consumption 25 Trade 26 Mexico 26 Producing companies 26 Salient statistics 27 Central and South America 27 Western Europe 28 Producing companies 28 Salient statistics 30 Production 31 Consumption 32 1,4-Butanediol 33 Vitamins and acetylenic alcohols 34 Vinyl ethers and esters 34 Acetylene black 34 Vinyl acetate monomer 34 Industrial uses 34 Price 35 Trade 35 IHS CHEMICAL COPYRIGHT NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER. For internal use of IHS clients only. No portion of this report may be reproduced, reused, or otherwise distributed in any form without prior written consent, with the exception of any internal client distribution as may be permitted in the license agreement between client and IHS. Content reproduced or redistributed with IHS permission must display IHS legal notices and attributions of authorship. The information contained herein is from sources considered reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not warranted, nor are the opinions and analyses that are based upon it, and to the extent permitted by law, IHS shall not be liable for any errors or omissions or any loss, damage, or expense incurred by reliance on information or any statement contained herein. In particular, please note that no representation or warranty is given as to the achievement or reasonableness of, and no reliance should be placed on, any projections, forecasts, estimates, or assumptions, and, due to various risks and uncertainties, actual events and results may differ materially from forecasts and statements of belief noted herein. This report is not to be construed as legal or financial advice, and use of or reliance on any information in this publication is entirely at client s own risk. IHS and the IHS logo are trademarks of IHS. 3

4 Central Europe 35 Producing companies 35 Salient statistics 37 Production 37 Consumption 38 Eastern Europe 39 Producing companies 39 Salient statistics 41 Production 41 Consumption 42 Middle East 43 Africa 44 Japan 45 Producing companies 45 Production 47 Consumption 48 Price 50 Trade 50 China 50 Producing companies 50 Salient statistics 55 Consumption 56 Vinyl chloride 57 Vinyl acetate 57 1,4-Butanediol 57 Polychloroprene rubber 57 Other chemical uses 57 Industrial uses 57 Price 58 Trade 58 Other Asia 59 Producing companies 59 Trade 62 Oceania 62 Bibliography 63 4

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