I/EC M A R K E T O F T H E
R E P O R T
M O N T H
Ethanolamines Liquid detergents and gas treating head changing and diverse end use pattern for ethanolamines
ETHANOLAMINE PRODUCERS
(Capacity, millions of pounds)
Allied Chemical,r Nitrogen Division
10
Dow Chemical
40
Jefferson Chemical
40
Olin Mathieson
10
Union C a r b i d e Chemicals
120
Total
220
In 1961, consumption of ethanolamines is estimated to break down as 35% monoethanolamine (MEA), 35% diethanolamine (DEA), and 30% triethanolamine (TEA). Such consumption pattern distinctly differs from the 1951 pattern. Then more TEA was made than MEA and DEA combined. At that time too, use of ethanolamines to make detergents and to treat natural gas was small compared to present use. Much TEA went to make cosmetics and toiletries. The growing use in detergents and gas treating led to a substantial growth in demand for ethanolamines during the first half of the fifties. This growth in demand caused consumption to nearly equal 1955 U. S. production capacity of about 95 million pounds per year of ethanolamines. The growing demand touched off a round of plant expansions and new plants which almost doubled capacity, raising it to 180 million pounds per year. These expansions came on stream between mid1955 and the end of 1956. Since that time, no significant expansion of capacity has occurred, other than de—bottlenecking and process improvements. Estimated capacity is now rounded off at 220 million pounds per year. Demand for ethanolamines slowed in 1957 along with the slowing of general business pace. In addition, about 17 million pounds more ethanolamines were produced than sold in 1956. This inventory took some time to be reduced, a factor which helped hold down production for a couple years. After resting on a plateau equal to about half of plant capacity from 1956 to 1959, demand picked up to where preliminary totals for 1960 show production of 124 million pounds. This year's production is expected to exceed 130 million pounds, just a small gain over 1960. By 1965, production is estimated to total over 165 million pounds, roughly 75% of present capacity, assuming no additions to capacity will come in the next few years. Those uses for ethanolamines that pushed production nearly to capacity in 1955 remain the more important uses for these materials. Detergents of the household liquid type will lead the gains in use of ethanolamines, largely DEA. By 1965 as much as 40 million pounds of DEA will go in liquid detergents. Add another 10 to 15 million pounds of MEA going into solid detergents, 10 million pounds of TEA and the total detergent take will exceed 60 million pounds, or at least 35% of all ethanolamines production. A much more optimistic figure could be found from projections of the growth of the liquid type detergents. However, the rate of growth for liquid syndets surely will decline, upsetting present, consumption trends which indicate a 1965 use of ethanolamines in syndets at 85 million pounds as compared to about 43 million pounds in 1960. The predicted gain to 60 million pounds from 43 million pounds does VOL. 53, N O . 8
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AUGUST 1961
23 A
MARKET
I/EC MAJOR USES OF ETHANOLAMINES Manufacture of:
Detergents
Textile chemicals
Cosmetics and toiletries
Rubber accelerators
Corrosion inhibitors
Emulsion polishes
Herbicides
Plasticizers
Pharmaceuticals
Waterproofing agents
Gas treating
Detergents Gas scrubbing Textile chemicals Cosmetics and toiletries Miscellaneous Totals
INDUSTRIAL
OF
THE
MONTH
remain impressive. It could be more so if a heavy duty liquid detergent for household use gains good acceptance. The second largest use of ethanolamines, gas treating, also is tied to a public preference—natural gas for heating. Fast growth in consumption of ethanolamines has come for treating natural gas to remove acid gases such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide. Almost as large is consumption of ethanolamines to remove the acid gases from refinery and plant gas streams. Gas scrubbing of all kinds consumed a little less than 30 million pounds of ethanolamines in 1960. By 1965 an estimated 40 million pounds of MEA and DEA—split 75—25—will go for gas scrubbing. No appreciable amount of TEA is used in gas treating. Behind the preference for MEA is its greater ease of recovery by distillation and its solubility in hydrocarbons. Use of ethanolamines in gas scrubbing will grow at a slower pace in the future because of competition of hot potassium carbonate solutions and other solvent systems now getting wide use, particularly where the carbon dioxide concentration is high as in ammonia plant synthesis gases. In addition, synthetic Zeolite adsorbants may become important in gas scrubbing. Some technical problems hold back wider use of these newer gastreating materials. If any of them prove significantly more economical, then all bets are off on any increased use of MEA or DEA in gas treating. Third in importance as a use of ethanolamines are textileprocessing chemicals. DEA occupies over half of the textile uses which include emulsifiers for bleaching baths, antistatic and mothproofing agents, and cleaners. In 1960, textile uses took about 20 million pounds of ethanolamines, up from about 10 million pounds in 1955. New and expanded uses in the textile area for ethanolamines now come more slowly so that estimated consumption by 1965 will be up to around 24 million pounds. Other uses of ethanolamines vary widely. Cosmetics and toiletries consumed about 14 million pounds in 1960, almost all TEA. These uses can also be counted on to grow slowly, possibly to 16 or 17 million pounds by 1965. Rubber accelerators, corrosion inhibitors, and emulsion polishes—which consume a lot of DEA converted to morpholine—herbicides, plasticizers, pharmaceuticals, and waterproofing agents are some of the other uses that fall into a large miscellaneous category. Its I960 total came to about 17 million pounds. The miscellaneous category contains several possibilities that could lead to a significant increase in ethanolamine use. None, however, now seem bright enough to make a sizable outlet to compare with past growth of uses in detergents or gas treating. As a group, the miscellaneous uses will increase by 1965 to 20 million pounds per year.
Estimated Consumption of Breaks Down Like This . •
24 A
REPORT
Ethanolamines
Millions of Pounds per Year 1960 1965 43 60-65 30 40 24 20 14 16-17 16 20 160-166 123
AND ENGINEERING CHEMISTRY
Production of Ethanolamines Thousands of Pounds Year Total MEA DEA TEA 1954 23,511 22,7'55 62,885 16,619 78,052 25,827 1955 30,547 21,678 23,784 1956 93,359 29,147 40,428 23,882 93,705 32,302 37,521 1957 97,384 30,614 40,654 1958 26,116 1959 124,812 43,177 29,457 52,178 123,663" 1960 " Prelimary figure. Source: U. S. Tariff Commission
