Butyl Acetate supply across the Europe remained tight throughout the fourth quarter after the major producer BASF declared force majeure at one of its upstream n-Butanol (NBA) facilities due to unspecified technical problems at its production unit in Ludwigshafen, Germany. Strong pull from the downstream markets and tight production levels spurred the regional offers during Q4, which are anticipated to extend further gains even in the upcoming quarter. Demand outlook seemed buoyant for a larger part of Q4 as offtakes improved in tandem with raised sentiments across the automotive sector compared to the levels observed in Q2 and Q3. Price of Butac was assessed around USD 1600-1700 per tonne in the northwest Europe, showing a marked uptrend compared to levels seen in Q3.
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Company-wise installed capacity, production volume and plant operating efficiency is captured directly from manufacturers. Import and Export volume is captured from government sources and demand for Acrylonitrile is calculated considering the production, import, export and inventory-levels on the country and regional level markets.
Acrylonitrile price is correlated with the price trend of crude oil, demand-supply gap, Propylene and with movement across the downstream derivatives such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS), styrene-acrylonitrile (SAN) etc.
Basic details and information on financial performance of leading global players in the Acrylonitrile market is presented in a visually captivating manner. Expansion plans and the company’s strategy is also captured to understand the vision and mission of the company to help understand the areas where companies need to focus more.
Daily updates on industry-specific and product-specific news, exclusive primary-based news capturing plant shutdowns/outages/closures, capacity expansions, operating rates, insights on demand-supply situation, awarding of technology licenses, new product launch and deals specifying mergers and acquisitions, strategic investments and disinvestments, to help players capitalize on market opportunity.
Butyl Acetate (Butac) is a colorless, moderately volatile liquid, possessing a characteristic ester (fruity) odor. It is readily miscible with all conventional solvents such as alcohols, aldehydes, epoxies, ketones, ethers, glycols, aromatic and aliphatic hydrocarbons, but shows limited solubility in water. Owing to its excellent solvency for cellulose nitrate, polymers, oils and resins such as methyl methacrylate (MMA), it finds important usage in the production of paints, coatings, textile, plastics and in other chemical industries. It is also widely used as an extractant for oils and pharmaceuticals, and as an ingredient for perfumes and synthetic essences. Due to its great flow and brush resistance, Butyl Acetate is widely used in film-coating resins. Butac is commercially manufactured by the esterification of Acetic Acid with n-Butanol (NBA) in the presence of Sulphuric Acid as a catalyst. The production process involves combined heating of Acetic Acid, Butanol and Sulphuric Acid in a reactor at 89 dec. Celsius, followed by the condensation of vapors containing Butac, Butanol and water. The unreacted alcohol is reused for further reaction while the remaining mixture is made to undergo distillation to cast off the by-products.
