MARKETS
Acetic Acid Output Heads Upward Again This year output may hit 900 million pounds, up from 780 million in 1961, as vinyl acetate and cellulose acetate swell demand Acetic acid production, which temporarily slowed down last year, seems to be heading upward again. Pushing it upward is a brisk demand for the acid in both vinyl acetate and cellulose acetate, its two major outlets. Output of synthetic acetic acid, which accounts for all but a fraction of total acetic acid produced, increased about 100 million pounds in both 1959 and 1960. Then last year it hit a snag. According to preliminary figures, output of acetic acid only reached 780 million pounds last year, a scant 5% rise over 1960's 743 million pounds. Still, as late as mid-1961, a few observers were predicting little, if any growth at all. What happened was that monthly output of acetic acid didn't begin to creep upward until about mid-year. During the last quarter, the monthly production rate averaged about 75 million pounds, 259c higher than that for the first nine months. So far, this momentum has spilled over into 1962. If it continues, as some of the top producers feel that it will, synthetic acid output will wind
up the year at 900 million pounds. Add to this about 25 million pounds of "natural" acetic acid and about 5 to 7 million pounds of imports, and new acetic acid won't miss by much the billion-pound mark that some marketers figured wouldn't come until 1966. Where It Goes. Almost 70% of the new acid (as contrasted with recycle acid) goes into vinyl acetate and acetic anhydride. The anhydride, in turn, serves primarily as raw material for the cellulose esters—acetate, propionate, butyrate, and others. Considerable amounts of anhydride also go into vinyl acetate, aspirin and other pharmaceuticals, dyes, and acetylation of cotton. Recycle acid is produced during the cellulose process, and the amount is tremendous. A rough estimate is that over 2 billion pounds were recovered last year. But most of this stays in the process, either as acid or as anhydride. In any event, this material isn't reported to the Tariff Commission as production. Last year, these cellulose esters required about 320 million pounds of fresh acetic anhydride which, in turn,
Synthetic Acetic Acid Production Due to Rise Sharply
Six Companies Make New
Millions of Pounds 1000
called for an estimated 365 million pounds of acid. Not all anhydride is made from the acid. Some is produced from acetaldehyde. Chief among the cellulose esters is cellulose acetate. Last year, according to the Textile Economics Bureau, 302 million pounds of acetate yarn, staple and tow were produced. This is a 5r/c increase over the preceding year. But more important, acetate yarn jumped 9% to 249 million pounds. Not since 1951 has acetate yarn output reached or surpassed this figure. Cellulose acetate requirements for acetic acid, through the anhydride, will probably increase this year. The acetate is moving well in both of its major outlets—fibers and plastics. Just as acetic acid picked up steam as 1961 wore on, so did acetate yarn. Production, which was only 50.6 million pounds during the first quarter, jumped 2 5 % to 63 million pounds during the next three months. It maintained this pace during the third quarter, then skipped another 10% to 71 million pounds for the last three months. Industry sources agree that
Synthetic Acetic Acid
·
Company
Location
Celanese
Bishop and Pa m pa, Tex.
Commercial Solvents
Peoria, III.
Hercules Powder
Parlin, N.J.
Publicker
Philadelphia, Pa.
400
Tennessee Eastman
Kingsport, Tenn. Brownsville, Tex.
200
Union Carbide Chemicals
oL 1955
X 1956
1957
1958
1959
Source: U.S. Tariff Commission and C&EN estimates
34
C&EN
MAY
7,
1962
1960
1961
1962
Institute. W Va. South Charleston, W.Va. Texas City, Tex.
Vinyl Acetate and Acetic Anhydride Are the Big Consumers of Acetic Acid Outlet
Acetic anhydride Vinyl acetate Acetate esters Salts Monochloroacetic acid Miscellaneous Total
Acetic Acid Consumption, 1961* (millions of pounds)
365 195 140 20 30 60 810
* New synthetic acetic acid only. Source: C&EN estimates
pace hasn't slackened so far this year. The other major outlet for acetic acid—vinyl acetate—increased its need for the acid last year, too. Best esti mates indicate that probably 315 to 325 million pounds of vinyl acetate were produced in 1961. This ac counted for roughly 195 million pounds of acid. Again, not all vinyl acetate is produced from acid. Celanese, for instance, makes it from the anhydride and acetaldehyde. Last year's vinyl acetate production was about 2 5 % higher than the pre ceding year and was achieved mainly on the strength of polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl alcohol, and polyvinyl butyrate. These same materials should bolster vinyl acetate demand again this year. New Plants. For acetic acid pro ducers, though, vinyl acetate could change the face of the merchant mar ket. Several polyvinyl acetate pro ducers are planning to make their own vinyl acetate. Some of these plants are already being built and should be on stream before the end of the year. They include Monsanto at Texas City, Tex., Borden Chemical at Geismar, La., and National Starch at Seadrift, Tex. Early last year, Reichhold Chemical and Tenneco Chemicals both indicated they would build vinyl monomer plants at Houston, Tex. Construction has yet to begin, but neither company says there has been a change in its plan. If all these plants are completed, they will add about 250 million pounds to vinyl acetate capacity. And this is likely to bite into some of the vinyl acetate business now held by Carbide and Celanese, both of whom are large acetic acid producers. (And Carbide
recently completed an estimated 50 million pound-per-year vinyl acetate plant at Institute, W.Va.) But what these two companies may lose in vinyl acetate, they could recoup in acetic acid sales to the new monomer pro ducers. Besides vinyl acetate and cellulose acetate, only acetate esters, as a group, consume large amounts of acetic acid. Together, these esters (but butyl and ethyl esters primarily) took an esti mated 140 million pounds of acid last year. Salts took about 20 million pounds, monochloroacetic acid ac counted for 30 million pounds, and 60 million pounds of acid went into several miscellaneous applications, in cluding acrylates. No outstanding growth will come from any but the two prime consumers of acetic acid. But, fortunately for acetic acid producers, these two, vinyl acetate and cellulose acetate, account for most of the market. If they grow substantially, acetic acid will benefit along with them.
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PREVIOUS
$
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1.135 I *P\* Pont Reg. T.M.
MAY
7,
1962
C&EN
35
