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Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA)

Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) Prices Overview

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Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) Prices Overview

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Market Overview

Quarterly Update on Global Isopropyl Alcohol Market

For the Quarter Ending September 2020

Asia

Asia Pacific Isopropanol (IPA) demand eased in July-Sep quarter after registering a historic Q2 surge as an outcome of the demand boom due to its growing usage in rubbing alcohol and hand sanitizers. Market sentiments turned bearish as IPA’s major downstream sectors viz. construction and automotive were still grappling with poor margins amid retreating economy. Prices were more or less stagnant throughout the quarter, resisting further gains due to tapering demand for disinfectant products as several Asian economies showed abrupt downfall in per-day COVID-19 cases. Moreover, the news of shutdown of a Chinese acetone-based IPA manufacturing unit for scheduled maintenance raised the Asian sentiments. Firming feedstock, Acetone largely contributed to the uptrend observed in the Southern Asia prices where IPA which were traded in the range of USD 1200-1300 per MT in the period.

Europe

Demand for IPA in the European Union seemed eager to find balance between ample inventories and resilient buying as manufacturing of hand gels and disinfectants started to recede in Q3 after surging exponentially in Q2. Europe is a net importer of IPA. Imports from Asia flooded the region starting May until September, where prices rose amid higher Acetone prices. Demand was heard further pressured as some hand-gel producers preferred substituting IPA with ethanol, a cheaper counterpart. Moreover, dampened industrial consumption due to muted activity in the paints and coatings further pressured the market sentiments as the second wave of COVID-19 was being heard wreaking havoc in the region.

North America

The third quarter showed mixed results as several small IPA producers in the region who started IPA manufacturing to pace with the COVID-led skyrocketing demand began to wind up their production. Several players started maintaining curtailed operating rates as the demand for hand sanitizers, which is still higher year on year, started falling as sanitizer production dipped considerably. FOB US Gulf prices of IPA, which remained the star product of 2020, surged to USD 1300 per MT amid higher shipping costs observed particularly for containers from Asia and firming Acetone values.

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Services

Market Analysis

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 Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) is calculated considering the production, import, export and inventory-levels on the country and regional level markets.

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Pricing Analysis

The product price is correlated with the price trend of crude oil, demand-supply gap, fluctuations in the feedstock and with the market movement of the downstream sectors.

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Company Profile

Basic details and information on financial performance of leading global players in the Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) 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.

News & Deals

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.

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Methodology

ChemAnalyst gathers information through primary research surveys conducted with various Isopropyl Alcohol manufacturers, spread across the domestic and international markets, suppliers and dealers/distributors to gain insights into value-chains and demand-supply scenario to assess the market situation. Thorough study of the company’s annual reports and secondary sources such as exhaustive search on credible paid databases, including our internal database is done to verify the information. All the collected information is analyzed, evaluated and presented in chronological order to depict a meaningful and clear picture of the concerned market.

Our dedicated team of industry experts comprehensively monitors and analyzes various aspects of the Global Isopropyl Alcohol market. The team analyzes various industrial segments, strategic viewpoints and provides an analysis of the industry’s performance in the long run. This would enable our clients in efficiently plan their future investments, mitigate risk, understand the cost dynamics and strike out a balance amidst market volatility.

Critical examination of the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the global supply chains and shift in demand patterns with change in buying behavior of consumers across the globe.

Several ongoing development projects across industries are tracked, followed by the details of major projects in the development stage, which can positively or negatively influence the Global Isopropyl Alcohol market.

Pricing is captured through exhaustive primary interviews with domestic and international manufacturers, traders and importers and customers on monthly and yearly basis.

Finally, region-specific markets for Isopropyl Alcohol are analyzed and region-wise demand pattern is tracked.

About

Isopropyl alcohol (IPA), also known as Isopropanol, is a clear, colorless liquid, possessing an alcoholic odor. It is a medium evaporating low-cost solvent, possessing complete miscibility with most solvents. Based on applications, IPA has several grades specially selected on the basis of purity and odor. It has proven microbial, anti-bacterial, anti-infectant properties making it suitable to be used in the cosmetics and toiletries. It is also widely used as a low-cost solvent in many industries such as pharmaceuticals, coatings and inks, specialty chemicals and as an extractant. Some important chemical derivatives manufactured from IPA include methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), isopropylamines and isopropyl esters. IPA can be produced either from Propylene, as a by-product from the operations of a naphtha cracker, from acetone, or as a by-product from producing phenol. Two main routes are used to produce IPA commercially. The traditional method involves indirect hydration of refinery-grade propylene (RGP) using sulfuric acid to form isopropyl sulfate, which is then hydrolyzed with steam to form sulfuric acid and IPA. Another route is the direct hydration of chemical grade (90-99%) Propylene, without using sulfuric acid. Small amount of IPA is also produced by the hydrogenation of Acetone in aqueous medium. However, this process is only suitable where excess Acetone is available.

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Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) Prices Overview