Worldwide production capacity

Worldwide production capacity in 1989 was estimated to be over 15.5 x 10 t as 37 wt % formaldehyde (98). The United States, Canada, Europe, and Japan account for nearly 70% of the total capacity (98). Worldwide demand for formaldehyde in 1989 was estimated to be about 85—90% of capacity (98). 

Phthahc anhydride (1) is the commercial form of phthaUc acid (2). The worldwide production capacity for the anhydride was ca 3.5 x 10 metric tons ia 1993, and it was used ia the manufacture of plasticizers (qv), unsaturated polyesters, and alkyd resins (qv) (see Polyesters, unsaturated). Sales of terephthahc acid (3) and its dimethyl ester are by far the largest of any of the benzenepolycarboxyhc acids 14.3 x 10 t were produced in 1993. This is 80% of the total toimage of ah. commercial forms of the benzenepolycarboxyhc acids. Terephthahc acid is used almost exclusively for the manufacture of poly(ethylene terephthalate), which then is formed into textiles, films, containers, and molded articles. Isophthahc acid (4) and trimehitic anhydride (5) are commercial products, but their worldwide production capacities are an order of magnitude smaller than for terephthahc acid and its dimethyl ester. Isophthahc acid is used primarily in the production of unsaturated polyesters and as a comonomer in saturated polyesters. Trimehitic anhydride is used mainly to make esters for high performance poly(vinyl chloride) plasticizers. Trimesic acid (6), pyromehitic dianhydride (7), and hernimehitic acid (8) have specialized commercial apphcations. The rest of the benzenepolycarboxyhc acids are not available commercially. 

Worldwide production capacity of Hquid polysulfides is about 33,000 t with manufacturing sites in the United States, Japan, and Germany. Total consumption is about 28,600 t. Approximately 50% is for insulating glass sealants, 30% for constmction appHcations, and - 10% for aircraft sealants. In addition, - 909 t of the soHd polysulfide mbbers are sold each year. 

There are six 1-propanol producers ia the world, ie, Hoechst Celanese, Texas Eastman, and Union Carbide ia the United States BASF AG and Hoechst AG ia Western Europe and Sasol ia South Africa. In 1993, worldwide production capacity for 1-propanol was ia excess of 180,000 t/yr actual production was approximately 110,000 t/yr (39). The December 1995 average deHvered price for 1-propanol ia the United States was 1144/1 (40). 

Annual worldwide production is probably on the order of 2500 metric tons. Total worldwide production capacity is likely to be about 5000 metric... 

The synthesis route to vinyl ester-based polymers starting from ethylene is shown in Fig. 2. The basic monomer for PVAc and its related polymers is VAM. The worldwide production capacity for VAM was estimated to be close to 5,900 ktons in 2009 with an actual production of around 5,500 ktons [13]. About 50% of the VAM is converted to PVAc and VAc-containing polymers, and around 30% is converted to PVA. The remaining 20% is converted in other ways, including the production of PVB [13]. As can be seen from Fig. 2, basically only ethylene and air are needed for the production of PVAc and its polymer analogous products PVA and PVB. 

Worldwide production capacities for toluene diisocyanates in 1987 were reported as (thousand tonnes) western hemisphere, 356 eastern Europe, 46 western Europe, 380 and Japan and the Far East, 88 (Ulrich, 1989). Worldwide production capacities in 1993 were reported as (thousand tonnes) North America, 485 Europe, 530 Pacific region, 308 and Latin America, 102.5 (Anon., 1995). 

Nearly 40 % of the total worldwide production capacity of carbon black is concentrated in the United States and Western Europe. A detailed survey of the capacities in Western Europe is given in Table 35. 

Vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) is one of the leading chemicals used mainly for manufacturing polyvinyl chloride (PVC). The PVC worldwide production capacity in 2005 was of about 35 million tons per year, with an annual growth of about 3%, placed after polyolefines but before styrene polymers. In the 1990s the largest plant in the USA had a capacity of about 635 ktons [1], but today there are several plants over one million tons. At this scale even incremental improvements in technology have a significant economic impact. Computer simulation, process optimization and advanced computer-control techniques play a determinant role. 

In both processes the aqueous crude aldehyde is concentrated and byproducts are removed in a two-step distillation. Both processes give 94% yields of aldehyde, along with small amounts of 2-chloroethanol, ethyl chloride, acetic acid, chloroacetaldehydes and acetaldehyde condensation products. The Wack-er-Hoechst process currently accounts for 85% of the worldwide production capacity for acetaldehyde. 

In 1986 the worldwide production capacity of ethylene was 52J. 10 t/year widi the (( lowing distributioa ... 

Successful examples of selective oxidation catalysis in industry include the conversions of ethylene to ethylene oxide and of methanol to formaldehyde, both on silver catalysts. Ethylene oxide, with an annual worldwide production capacity over 11 million tons, is an important intermediate for the production of glycols (antifreeze agents), ethoxylates (additives in washing powder), cosmetics, polyester fibers, and pharmaceuticals. The partial oxidation of ethylene to ethylene oxide is carried out on silver metal particles supported on o -Al203 or SiC and promoted by alkaline earth or alkali metals. Trace amounts of ethylene dichloride are also fed continuously into the reactor to suppress deep oxidation. Selectivities of about 75-85% are typical nowadays for this process. Formaldehyde, with a production capacity of... 

Process Date of commercialization Worldwide production capacity, 1996,1000 mV... 

In recent years the worldwide production capacity for synthetic ammonia has increased slowly to its current high level from 102 10 t in 1983 to 112 10 t in 1993. Growth has mainly occurred in developing countries, the capacity in the Western World having largely stagnated or in the case of Western Europe decreased. The proportion of worldwide capacity in Western Europe has fallen from 15% in 1983 to 12% in 1993. Some increase in worldwide capacity is expected in the near future. 

The worldwide production capacity for potassium nitrate in 1996 was ca. 1.3- 10 t, of which 75% was for fertilizers and 25% for industrial applications. Table 2.2-10 gives the potassium nitrate consumption by region for 1997. 

The current worldwide production capacity for manganese dioxide from electrochemical manufacture (EMD) is 194.5 10 t/a, that for chemical manufacture (CMD) 40 UT t/a. 34% of the worldwide EMD-production capacity is in Japan and 21% in the USA. The CMD-production capacities are much more strongly concentrated, 90% of the capacity being in the company Sedema in Belgium. 

The production of a ca. 97% pure manganese metal by reduction of low iron content manganese ores with silicon, which is not dealt with here, is industrially less important than its electrochemical manufacture. The estimated worldwide production capacity for the electrolytic manufacture of manganese in 1988 was 77 10 t/a. 

The worldwide production capacity for carbon black in 1995 was estimated to be 7.3 10 t/a. Table 5.7 6 gives a survey of the carbon black production capacities in 1995 for different regions and countries. The value for Eastern Europe are uncertain. 

Worldwide production capacity for. synthetic inorganic pigments in 1995 5 I0< t/a... 

Table 5.9-3. Worldwide Production Capacities for Synthetic Inorganic Pigments in 1995 (in 10- t/a).

The worldwide production capacity for Cr203 is ca. 48 10- t/a. In Western Europe ca. 50% is used in paints and coatings, 25% in construction materials, 10% in enamels and ceramics and 5% for other applications such as in refractory ceramics. 

As already mentioned, the processes for the homogeneously catalyzed carbony-lation of acetylene have opened up the way for acrylic acid to become a mass product for which worldwide production capacities are currently two million tonnes per annum. Acrylic acid and its esters are important monomers for polymer dispersions, whose use is widespread. Since the mid-1960s, however, the availability of propene, a less expensive feedstock than acetylene, has led to the development of an even more advantageous production process the heterogeneously catalyzed gas-phase oxidation of propene [21, 22]. Nowadays, acrylic acid is produced almost exclusively by this process (cf. Chapter 1). The Reppe acrylic acid plant at BASF is now the only one left in the world which still uses acetylene as feedstock. 

In 1984 the worldwide production capacity of propylene oxide was 2. 10 t year and in 1986,3,0.106 t/year with the following distribution ... 

The catalytic oxidation of acetaldehyde in the liquid phase to acetic add by air or oxygen is still widely applied, and accounts for about 40 per cent of installed worldwide production capacity. 

The worldwide production capacity of n-butanol in 1985 was nearly L5.10 t/year. 

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