Plastics industry producers

Fig. 1. US total sales and captive use of selected thermoplastic resins by major market for 2001. Major market volumes are derived from plastic resins sales and captive use data as compiled by VERIS Consulting, LLC and reported by the American Plastics Council s Plastic Industry Producers Statistics Group. Selected thermoplastics are low-density polyethylene, linear low-density polyethylene, high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyvinyl chloride, thermoplastic polyester, engineering resins, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene, styrene-acrylonitrile, other styrenics, polystyrene, and styrene butadiene latexes. (Data from ref. 25.)...

Sources APC Plastics Industry Producers Statistics Group, as compiled by VERIS Consulting, LLC APC... 

SOURCE Major market volumes are derived from plastic resin sales and captive use data as compiled by Veils Consulting, LLC, and reported by ARC S Plastic Industry Producers Statistics Group, includes ARC estimates. 

Source ACC plastics industry producers statistics group, as compiled by Veris Consulting, Inc. Copyright 2010 the American Chemistry Council. All rights reserved. 

Sources Plastics industry producers statistics group (PIPS), as compiled by veris consulting, inc ACC... 

Aldehydes fiad the most widespread use as chemical iatermediates. The production of acetaldehyde, propionaldehyde, and butyraldehyde as precursors of the corresponding alcohols and acids are examples. The aldehydes of low molecular weight are also condensed in an aldol reaction to form derivatives which are important intermediates for the plasticizer industry (see Plasticizers). As mentioned earlier, 2-ethylhexanol, produced from butyraldehyde, is used in the manufacture of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate [117-87-7]. Aldehydes are also used as intermediates for the manufacture of solvents (alcohols and ethers), resins, and dyes. Isobutyraldehyde is used as an intermediate for production of primary solvents and mbber antioxidants (see Antioxidaisits). Fatty aldehydes Cg—used in nearly all perfume types and aromas (see Perfumes). Polymers and copolymers of aldehydes exist and are of commercial significance. 

Synthetic Fiber and Plastics Industries. In the synthetic fibers and plastics industries, the substrate itself serves as the solvent, and the whitener is not appHed from solutions as in textiles. Table 6 Hsts the types of FWAs used in the synthetic fibers and plastic industries. In the case of synthetic fibers, such as polyamide and polyester produced by the melt-spinning process, FWAs can be added at the start or during the course of polymerization or polycondensation. However, FWAs can also be powdered onto the polymer chips prior to spinning. The above types of appHcation place severe thermal and chemical demands on FWAs. They must not interfere with the polymerization reaction and must remain stable under spinning conditions. 

The first cellular synthetic plastic was an unwanted cellular phenol—formaldehyde resin produced by early workers in this field. The elimination of cell formation in these resins, as given by Baekeland in his 1909 heat and pressure patent (2), is generally considered the birth of the plastics industry. The first commercial cellular polymer was sponge mbber, introduced between 1910 and 1920 (3). 

Suggested Relative Hasard Classification of Organic Peroxides, Technical PubHcation, Organic Peroxide Producers Safety Division, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., New York, 1992. 

As a family of resins originally developed in the early twentieth century, the nature and potential of phenoHc resins have been explored thoroughly to produce an extensive body of technical Hterature (1 8). A symposium sponsored by the American Chemical Society commemorated 75 years of phenoHc resin chemistry in 1983 (9), and in 1987 the PhenoHc Mol ding Division of the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) sponsored a conference on phenoHcs in the twenty-first century (1). 

Extra-Fine Precipitated Hydroxide. Very fine (< 1 /im-diameter) particle size hydroxide is produced by precipitation under carefully controlled conditions using specially prepared hydroxide seed. Precipitation is usually carried out at low (30 —40°C) temperatures causing massive nucleation of fine, uniform hydroxide particles (Fig. 5). Tray or tumiel Ape dry ers are used to dry the thorouglily washed filter cake to a granular product wliich is easily pulverized to obtain the fine hydroxide. Alternatively, the washed product is spray dried. Precipitation from an organic-free aluniinate Hquor, such as that obtained from the soda—sinter process, fields a very wliite product. Tlie fine precipitated hydroxide is used by the paper and plastic industries as fillers. 

Ammonia is used in the fibers and plastic industry as the source of nitrogen for the production of caprolactam, the monomer for nylon 6. Oxidation of propylene with ammonia gives acrylonitrile (qv), used for the manufacture of acryHc fibers, resins, and elastomers. Hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA), produced from ammonia and formaldehyde, is used in the manufacture of phenoHc thermosetting resins (see Phenolic resins). Toluene 2,4-cHisocyanate (TDI), employed in the production of polyurethane foam, indirectly consumes ammonia because nitric acid is a raw material in the TDI manufacturing process (see Amines Isocyanates). Urea, which is produced from ammonia, is used in the manufacture of urea—formaldehyde synthetic resins (see Amino resins). Melamine is produced by polymerization of dicyanodiamine and high pressure, high temperature pyrolysis of urea, both in the presence of ammonia (see Cyanamides). 

Most gums and resins, natural or artificial, when used in the paint, varnish, or plastic industries, are not ground veiy fine, and hammer or cage mills will produce a suitable product. Typical performance of the di attrition mill is given in Table 20-25. Roll crusners will often give a sufficiently fine product. 

Today, the plastics industry is heavily integrated with the oil industry. In fact a popular view is that it would not be able to produce plastics if oil were not available. This is very different from the situation 40-50 years ago when the plastics industry was being described as a scavenger of raw materials . 

Until the mid-1950s the main raw material source for the European plastics industry was coal. On destructive distillation coal yields four products coal tar, coke, coal gas and ammonia. Coal tar was an important source of aromatic chemicals such as benzene, toluene, phenol, naphthalene and related products. From these materials other chemicals such as adipic acid, hexamethylenedia-mine, caprolactam and phthalic anhydride could be produced, leading to such important plastics as the phenolic resins, polystyrene and the nylons. 

Because of its high cold flow, poly(vinyl acetate) is of little value in the form of mouldings and extrusions. However, because of its good adhesion to a number of substrates, and to some extent because of its cold flow, a large quantity is produced for use in emulsion paints, adhesives and various textile finishing operations. A minor proportion of the material is also converted into poly(vinyl alcohol) and the poly(vinyl acetal)s which, are of some interest to the plastics industry. 

Occupational and environmental exposure to chemicals can take place both indoors and outdoors. Occupational exposure is caused by the chemicals that are used and produced indoors in industrial plants, whereas nonoccupa-tional (and occupational nonindustrial) indoor exposure is mainly caused by products. Toluene in printing plants and styrene in the reinforced plastic industry are typical examples of the two types of industrial occupational exposures. Products containing styrene polymers may release the styrene monomer into indoor air in the nonindustrial environment for a long time. Formaldehyde is another typical indoor pollutant. The source of formaldehyde is the resins used in the production process. During accidents, occupational and environmental exposures may occur simultaneously. Years ago, dioxin was formed as a byproduct of production of phenoxy acid herbicides. An explosion in a factory in... 

Heterocyclic chemistry is of the utmost practical and theoretical importance. Heterocyclic compounds are in use as pharmaceuticals, dyes, pesticides, herbicides, plastics, and for many other purposes the industries producing and researching into these products provide employment for a large fraction of all chemists. On the theoretical side, heterocyclic chemistry has provided a host of interesting concepts and structures. Yet, the subject is often deprived of the importance it deserves it is said that it is possible to complete work at graduate schools of some universities without having attended a lecture course dealing specifically with heterocyclic chemistry. 

Butadiene is the raw material for the most widely used synthetic ruh-her, a copolymer of butadiene and styrene (SBR). In addition to its utility in the synthetic ruhher and plastic industries (over 90% of butadiene produced), many chemicals could also be synthesized from butadiene. 

Acrylic acid and its esters are used to produce acrylic resins. Depending on the polymerization method, the resins could he used in the adhesive, paint, or plastic industry. 

Caprolactam, a white solid that melts at 69°C, can be obtained either in a fused or flaked form. It is soluble in water, ligroin, and chlorinated hydrocarbons. Caprolactam s main use is to produce nylon 6. Other minor uses are as a crosslinking agent for polyurethanes, in the plasticizer industry, and in the synthesis of lysine. 

The rapid rise of the plastics industry since World War II may be attributed to a number of factors. Foremost has been the fact that whilst many materials of construction have been subjected to continual increases in their price, the development of the petrochemicals industry and economies of scale have, for most of the time, led to reductions in the prices of plastics materials. With the passage of time more and more products constructed from traditional materials have become cheaper to produce from plastics. Whilst economies of scale have probably almost reached their limits, and whilst the low profitability of many plastics-producing plants may cause companies to retard increases in plant and production, the trend of increased plastics usage seems bound to continue. 

Fumaric acid is used in the plastics industry, in the food industry and as a source of malic add. Although demand has increased rapidly over the last 30 years its production from fermentation has been totally replaced by a chemical method. It is now produced far more cheaply by the catalytic oxidation of hydrocarbons, particularly benzene. With the continuing uncertainties concerning the availability and cost of petroleum, however, fermentation may yet be a viable alternative. 

---