Chemicals produced in the United States

Adipic acid is a very large volume organic chemical. Worldwide production in 1986 reached 1.6 x 10 t (3.5 x 10 lb) (158) and in 1989 was estimated at more than 1.9 x 10 t (Table 7). It is one of the top fifty (159) chemicals produced in the United States in terms of volume, with 1989 production estimated at 745,000 t (160). Growth rate in demand in the United States for the period 1988—1993 is estimated at 2.5% per year based on 1987—1989 (160). Table 7 provides individual capacities for U.S. manufacturers. Western European capacity is essentially equivalent to that in the United States at 800,000 t/yr. Demand is highly cycHc (161), reflecting the automotive and housing markets especially. Prices usually foUow the variabiUty in cmde oil prices. Adipic acid for nylon takes about 60% of U.S. cyclohexane production the remainder goes to caprolactam for nylon-6, export, and miscellaneous uses (162). In 1989 about 88% of U.S. adipic acid production was used in nylon-6,6 (77% fiber and 11% resin), 3% in polyurethanes, 2.5% in plasticizers, 2.7% miscellaneous, and 4.5% exported (160). 

Eastman Goal Chemicals. In 1983 Eastman Chemical Co. became the first chemical producer in the United States to return to coal as a raw material for large-scale manufacture of industrial chemicals (35). In that year, Eastman started manufacturing acetic anhydride from coal. Acetic anhydride is a key intermediate for production of coatings, ceUulosic plastics, and cellulose acetate fibers. Acetic anhydride from other sources also is used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals, starches and sweeteners, and flavors and fragrances. 

Table 1. Barium Chemicals Produced in the United States...

Production. MTBE production capacity has grown steadily, usually at an annual rate of 10 to 20% per year. In 1980, world capacity was 30 thousand barrels per day (1.5 X 10 t/yr). By 1990, capacity was up to 180 thousand barrels per day (7 x 10 t/yr). Because of the requirements of the U.S. CAA, production capacity is expected to more than double from 1990 to 1995 (25). By 2000, MTBE may be the second largest organic chemical produced in the United States, second only to ethylene (26). 

Phenol is both a man-made chemical and produced naturally. It is found in nature in some foods and in human and animal wastes and decomposing organic material. The largest single use of phenol is as an intermediate in the production of phenolic resins. However, it is also used in the production of caprolactam (which is used in the manufacture of nylon 6 and other synthetic fibers) and bisphenol A (which is used in the manufacture of epoxy and other resins). Phenol is also used as a slimicide (a chemical toxic to bacteria and fungi characteristic of aqueous slimes), as a disinfectant, and in medicinal preparations such as over-the-counter treatments for sore throats. Phenol ranks in the top 50 in production volumes for chemicals produced in the United States. Chapters 3 and 4 contain more information. 

Chlorine is the 20th most abundant element on the Earth. It is not found as a free element (atoms) except as a diatomic gas escaping from very hot active volcanoes. It has been known for thousands of years as rock salt (hahte). It is also found in sylvite and carnalhte and as a chloride in seawater. In nature, it is mostly found in dissolved salts in seawater and deposits in salt mines. Its best-known compound is sodium chloride (NaCl), which is common table salt. Chlorine is important for the chemical industry. Numerically, it is the 12th most produced chemical in the United States and ranks ninth in volume of chemicals produced in the United States. 

We begin our discussion with what is by far the largest volume chemical produced in the United States sulfuric acid. It is normally manufactured at about twice the amount of any other chemical and is a leading economic indicator of the strength of many industrialized nations. Since about 80% of all sulfuric acid is made by the contact process which involves oxidation of sulfur, we will examine this raw material in detail. The average per capita consumption of sulfur in the United States is a staggering 135 Ib/yr. 

Table 1.11 contains a listing of the major chemical producers in the United States and the world. These producers are involved directly and/or indirectly with some form of synthetic polymers. 

Adipic acid is a very large-volume organic chemical. It is one of the top 50 chemicals produced in the United States in terms of volume. Demand is highly cyclic, reflecting the automotive and housing markets especially. Prices usually follow the variability in crude oil prices. Adipic acid for nylon takes about 60% of U.S. cyclohexane production the remainder goes to caprolactam for nylon-6, export, and miscellaneous uses. 

As catalytic semihydrogenation of alkynes to Cis-alkenes is not only a very important synthetic operation (ref. 1) but also of industrial interest, it is a challenging task for both synthetic and catalytic chemists. For instance, the importance of the problem is illustrated by numerous recent publications on different aspects of the selective hydrogenation of many compounds related to the propargyl alcohol structure (refs. 2-7). In this respect, 1,4-butenediol, obtained by the liquid-phase semihydrogenation of 1,4-butynediol, is a raw material for insecticides and Vitamin Bg (refs. 2,8,9). Furthermore, the total and selective liquid-phase hydrogenation of this compound is one of the procedure for making butanediol, the top 95 chemical produced in the United States (refs. 10,11), whose major use is in the manufacture of polyesters. 

The estimate represents the net volume of organic chemicals produced in the United States and does not double count volumes of intermediates and their derivatives. 

The vast majority of the top 50 organic chemicals produced in the United States, according to data from Chemical and Engineering News... 

Vinyl acetate is a dear colorless liquid. It has a boiling point of 72 °C and a flash point of -9 °C. In 1977 vinyl acetate production in the United States was 1.60 x 10 pounds (1 ). This gave vinyl acetate a rank of 45 among the 50 top-volume chemicals produced in the United States during 1977. The major end uses of vinyl acetate were adhesives (30 ), paints (20 ), textile finishes (15%), and paper coatings (10 ). Approximately 15 of the vinyl acetate produced was exported (2). 

The transformation of raw materials into products of greater value by means chemical reaction is a major industry, and a vast number of commercial prod is obtained by chemical synthesis. Sulfuric acid, ammonia, ethylene, propyl phosphoric acid, chlorine, nitric acid, urea, benzene, methanol, ethanol, ethylene glycol are examples of chemicals produced in the United States, billions of kilograms each year. These in turn are used in the large-scale manu ture of fibers, paints, detergents, plastics, rubber, fertilizers, insecticides, Clearly, the chemical engineer must be familiar with chemical-reactor design operation. 

Benzene found in the environment is from both human activities and natural processes. Benzene was first discovered and isolated from coal tar in the 1800s. Today, benzene is made mostly from petroleum sources. Because of its wide use, benzene ranks in the top 20 in production volume for chemicals produced in the United States. Various industries use benzene to make other chemicals, such as styrene (for Styrofoam and other plastics), cumene (for various resins), and cyclohexane (for nylon and synthetic fibers). Benzene is also used for the manufacturing of some types of rubbers, lubricants, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. Natural sources of benzene, which include volcanoes and forest fires, also contribute to the presence of benzene in the environment. Benzene is also a part of crude oil and gasoline and cigarette smoke. For more information on the nature and uses of benzene, see Chapters 3 and 4. 

Production, Import/Export, Use, and Release and Disposal. In 1994, benzene was the 17th highest volume chemical produced in the United States, compared to the 18th and 17th ranks in 1993 and 1992, respectively (C EN 1994 Kirschner 1995 Reisch 1994). In 1994, the U.S. production volume of... 

Sulfuric acid is the chemical produced in the United States with the highest volume of production. In one of the earliest processes used to make it, an ore containing iron pyrites (FeS2) is roasted... 

Biocatalysis is one of a number of forms of chemical catalysis (Fig. 1) that can be utilized to synthesize a variety of organic chemicals. Over 60% of the 135 MM tons of organic chemicals produced in the United States involve a catalytic step somewhere in their manufacture (1,2). In recent years many reports and reviews extolling the virtues of biocatalysis for the production of chemicals have been released (e.g., 3-9). However, there have still been very few examples of commercial chemical processes introduced in the last few years that utilize a biocatalyst, for example, the acrylamide process (10-12). There has been small but growing concern as to the validity of the expectations placed on bioconversion-based chemical process (13). 

Lime is one of the most important chemicals in the world. It usually ranks in the top 10 chemicals produced in the United States. 

Chlorine ranks among the top 10 chemicals produced in the United States. In 2008 approximately 11.5 million short tons (10.4 million metric tons) of chlorine were produced in the United States. Chlorine, in one form or another, is added to many swimming pools, spas, and public water supplies because it kills bacteria that cause disease. Many people also use chlorine to bleach their clothes. Large paper and pulp mills use chlorine to bleach their products. 

In the early 2000s, about 6.6 million short tons (6.0 million metric tons) of ammonium nitrate and about 2.9 million short tons (2.6 million metric tons) of ammonium sulfate were produced as fertilizers. These two compounds ranked number 14 and number 21 among chemicals produced in the United States. 

Nitric acid usually ranks about number 13 among chemicals produced in the United States. The major use of nitric acid is to make ammonium nitrate as a synthetic fertilizer. Nitric acid is also used to make explosives, dyes, certain kinds of synthetic rubber and plastics, and in the preparation of metals. 

But oxygen has many commercial uses also. The most important use is in the manufacture of metals. More than half of the oxygen produced in the United States is used for this purpose. Oxygen usually ranks among the top five chemicals produced in the United States each year. The gas is prepared almost entirely from liquid air. 

Finally, in Section 3.8, Economic Issues and Competitiveness, we learn how chemical producers are facing a major change in the patterns of trade, globally. In particular, chemical producers in the United States and other OECD countries are facing stiffer competition from newer producers in the Middle East and Asia. 

Chemical producers in the United States and other OECD countries are facing stiffer competition from newer producers in the Middle East and Asia. 

This BTX monoaromatic product stream is usually produced in several different refinery operations. Each of these rank in the top 30 chemicals produced in the United States by volume. They have reached this significance because of their large demand as feedstocks for many of the important... 

In technological societies, acids, bases, and salts are indispensable compounds. Table 4-13 lists the 16 such compounds that were included in the top 50 chemicals produced in the United States in 1997. The production of H2SO4 (number 1) was more than twice as great as the production of lime (number 2). Sixty-five percent of the H2SO4 is used in the production of fertilizers. 

Xylene is a colorless, sweet-smelling liquid that burns easily. Xylene occurs naturally in petroleum and coal tar. It is used as a solvent in the printing, rubber, and leather industries. It is also used as a cleaner, paint thinner, and as a component of paints and varnishes. Xylene is one of the top 30 most abundant chemicals produced in the United States by volume. 

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