Caustic Prices

The price of chlorine and liquid caustic has constantly changed, unlike that of solid caustic, over the past 25 years. The US spot price variations are presented in Fig. 3.21. The United States is the largest merchant market for chlorine in the world, and is also the main exporter of chlorine derivatives. 

The price of chlorine was on an increasing trend from 1970 to 1980, and then decreased to 90-105 per ton during 1981 and 1982. The prices increased from 1983 until 1988, when the prices fell to 35 per ton in 1992 due to an overall weak economy. The caustic prices also dropped to 220 per ton in 1992. The pricing took an upward trend in 1993 from 215 per ton to 270 per ton and continued to increase due to the strong EDC, VCM, and PVC markets. 

FIGURE 3.21. CWorine and caustic list prices fix)m 1970 to present (plotted from the data in [2,7,9]). 

The chlorine price at the start of 1998 was 220 per ton, but it had decreased to 60 per ton by the end of 1998 mainly due to increased world capacity and a lower than expected demand for chlorine derivatives as a result of the Asian situation at that time. 

The chlorine prices started increasing toward the end of 1999, as the Asian situation improved, and the industry restructured to make its operations profitable. The spot price of chlorine in the United States in 1997 was 260 per ton and had fallen to 32 per ton in 2001 as a result of the financial problems in Asia, slow growth in the test of the world, economic echoes of the 9/11 terrorist acts, increased energy costs and fuel prices, coupled with an increased world capacity. Since then, the industry has restructuied its operations and chlorine prices increased to 240per ton in late 2(X)2. It should be noted that most chlorine is sold under contract prices, which do not bounce around, unlike the spot market prices that vary with market demands. 

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When the rate of decomposition of bleach is reduced, achieving the desired product strength at the point of use does not require as large a safety margin in the concentration of the product from the reactor. This results in a direct savings in raw material consumption. The improved yield also saves raw materials, as does the ability to reduce the excess caustic concentration. With chlorine and caustic priced at 550 per ecu, the combined effect of the three factors just enumerated is about 10 m of 16% bleach [66]. 

Demand for Caustic Soda Types. Approximately 99% of the sodium hydroxide produced in 1987 was 50% caustic solution (5). Higher concentrations require additional evaporation and therefore increased prices relative to the sodium oxide values. To obtain maximum value, users have learned to adapt manufacturing processes to the 50% caustic soda. 

Sodium Hydroxide. Before World War 1, nearly all sodium hydroxide [1310-93-2], NaOH, was produced by the reaction of soda ash and lime. The subsequent rapid development of electrolytic production processes, resulting from growing demand for chlorine, effectively shut down the old lime—soda plants except in Eastern Europe, the USSR, India, and China. Recent changes in chlorine consumption have reduced demand, putting pressure on the price and availabiHty of caustic soda (NaOH). Because this trend is expected to continue, there is renewed interest in the lime—soda production process. EMC operates a 50,000 t/yr caustic soda plant that uses this technology at Green River it came onstream in mid-1990. Other U.S. soda ash producers have aimounced plans to constmct similar plants (1,5). 

Economic Jispects. Sodium borohydride is produced ia large quantities mainly as powder and stabilized water solution. Potassium borohydride powder is produced ia lesser amounts. Commercial quantities of sodium borohydride powder sell for ca 55/kg (1992 price) the 12% solution ia caustic soda is priced at ca 47/kg of contaiaed NaBH. ... 

Sodium borobydride is available as a 12% solution in caustic soda and in soHd form either as powder or pellets (3). The predominant form produced is the solution, the DOT shipping classification for which is corrosive Hquid. Forms of packaging are 18.9-L pails, 208.2-L dmms, and either tank tmck or tank car for bulk shipments. 1991 pricing for the solution form was 40.34/kg of borobydride contained. SoHd sodium borobydride, a white powder packaged in polyethylene bags in metal containers, was priced at 48.39/kg. 

Oxidation of Straight-Chain Alcohols. Two methods have been developed. One uses an air oxidation catalyzed by a metal, eg, copper, platinum, etc, whereas the other is a caustic oxidation. Generally, however, fatty alcohols are priced higher on the world market than their corresponding fatty acids and, consequently, these conversions are uneconomical. 

In 1968 the average selling costs were 10% of the sales dollar. There is, however, a large variance in this percentage. For basic bulk chemicals such as sulfuric acid, caustic, and soda ash the sales costs are less than 5% of the selling price, while for specialty chemicals having a low sales volume the sales costs may exceed 50% of the selling price. 

The returns for the industry can be monitored (see Figs 1.1-1.3). The selling price of caustic soda is fairly transparent everywhere and chlorine pricing is transparent in the USA. Chlorine is less transparent outside the USA as most of the consumption is captive rather than merchant. The market for ethylene dichloride (EDC) is, however, transparent and chlorine values can be worked out from the selling price of the EDC and the input price for the ethylene. Knowledge of the chlorine value and the caustic value gives the value of the Electrochemical Unit or ECU. This provides a measure of the profitability of the business at any time. Convenient marker prices can be found in the US Gulf for both EDC and caustic as well as out of north-west Europe. 

From several price histories it is possible to establish caustic soda and chlorine values in different markets and hence calculate the ECU value and with it some measure of profitability. The chlorine value in export EDC can be calculated on the formula assuming the ethylene price is known. The chlorine value using hydrogen chloride is complicated by the extra costs of using HC1 rather than chlorine and the slightly lower yields with oxychlorination, though that too can be calculated to give a chlorine value. 

Caustic soda prices vary with time. They usually cycle between 30 and 300 in the U A and from around DM300 to DM550 per Dry Metric Ton (DMT) in Europe. A... 

Fig. 1.11 United States export and domestic caustic soda prices. Source Tecnon/Anorganica.

Europe too is now facing increasing pressure to offer international prices for caustic soda. There are indeed few markets currently where the domestic caustic market has immunity from caustic turbulence elsewhere though there are areas with freight advantages. 

One of the most important contracts in caustic soda is the contract for the alumina industry in Australia. This is just over one million tons out of world production of about 44 million. Some have questioned why this contract should have an influence on the markets elsewhere. Although the Australian demand is a fraction of world demand the alumina price there is adopted elsewhere, notably in the USA in the pulp sector and detergent sector. Thus a considerable part of the user industry is indirectly following events in Australia. In the past Australia has bought caustic soda from... 

Fig. 1.12 West European caustic soda prices liquid market (Germany only). Source Tecnon/Anorganica.

The advent of e-commerce will have a profound effect on the marketing and pricing of caustic soda and some of the chlorine derivatives. 

Now that there is a choice of caustic soda grades as increased quantities of rayon grade become available it is evident that fresh water pulp mills are seeing a difference in their process. The price differential will enable the diaphragm caustic soda to be sold, but as in any free market, market forces may wish to move to rayon grade as it becomes more widely available. 

This premium price is now seen as independent of the cyclical market pricing of caustic soda. So how long could you expect the differential to last The current view is that the more rayon grade, and the less diaphragm grade available, then the more the... 

Fig. 15.3 The balance factoring the price of rayon-grade caustic soda production from membrane technology.

Typically, a single-effect membrane caustic evaporator takes around 1.2 tonnes of steam per tonne of caustic soda while a double-effect uses around 0.7 tonne of steam per tonne of caustic soda. An equivalent single-effect diaphragm evaporator uses 4.2 tonnes per tonne. However, a well-run multiple four-effect diaphragm evaporator consumes about 2.1 tonnes of steam to produce one tonne of caustic soda. At a price of US 20 per tonne of steam, a saving of US 4 million per year for a 200 000 tonnes per year plant can be achieved (Fig. 15.6). So what extra equipment is required besides electrolysers ... 

In many other uses soda ash competes directly with caustic soda as an alkali. The chemical of choice is then dependent on price and availability of the two. 

An HD CatOx system having a capacity of 200 standard cubic feet per minute (scfm) is priced at approximately 150,000 (1992 dollars). Daily operating costs for utilities and the caustic for hydrochloric acid neutralization are about 200 (1992 dollars). The preheater s monthly operating cost would be 220. Monthly electrical costs for the extraction blower and refrigeration unit would be approximately 800 (D135319, p. 530 D13108Y, p. 50). 

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