July 15, 2022 Acetone and Isopropyl Alcohol, two major commodity solvents, are softening due to market shifts with feedstock propylene. A by-product of crude oil and natural gas refining, propylene is experiencing both an increase in supply and simultaneously a decrease in demand. Propylene can be derived from various intermediates, such as ethane, butane, or […]
Overseas Producers Relieve Citric Acid Shortage
May 26, 2022 Domestic production issues and a lack of imported Citric Acid from Thailand left the U.S. short on supply for some time now. This situation was not expected to change for another year or so. However, large quantities of import material have filtered their way into the U.S. market from China and India […]
Propylene Glycol Sees Relief But Still Tight
April 28, 2022 A softening in spot prices and increased availability for Propylene Glycol was welcome news earlier this year. Despite this, tightness of supply is still at hand in the U.S. market, and is expected to last at least through 2022. Propylene Glycol (PG) is a downstream product of either crude oil (crude-derived Propylene […]
Plant Outages Plague Sodium Hydroxide
April 21, 2022 Unplanned and planned plant outages have been plaguing the Sodium Hydroxide market. Most recently, disasters at two Chlor-alkali producers are causing ripples. A chlorine leak and fire in a Plaquemine, LA plant did not result in any injuries but has disrupted production at a major Chlor-alkali producer. They have declared Force Majeure […]
Plugging the Gap: Crude, Chemicals, and the Ukraine Conflict
March 30, 2022 The conflict in Ukraine is heavily impacting both oil and downstream chemicals. Here is the current situation and outlook, plus all of the chemical increase announcements we’ve seen so far. Crude Oil (situation/outlook): Russia, one of the top three oil producers in the world, has been supplying about 10% of the global […]
The Ukraine Crisis & U.S. Manufacturers
March 8, 2022 The crisis in Ukraine is having an impact on the U.S. economy in many different ways. Learn more about the potential effects to U.S. manufacturers from this insightful blog published by IndustryNet: The Potential Impact of the Ukraine Crisis on U.S. Manufacturers
Sodium Hypochlorite Contends with Chlorine Challenges
February 28, 2022 Bleach (also known as Sodium Hypochlorite) is made from a pale, yellow-green gas known as Chlorine. This gas is created during the Chlor-alkali process, as a “co-product” of Sodium Hydroxide and Hydrogen gas. Although the word ‘Chlorine’ may immediately make you think of the notorious ‘pool smell’, Bleach is not the only […]
Sulfuric Acid Struggles with Persistent Sulfur Shortage
February 8, 2022 Sulfuric Acid is a very important commodity chemical. America, the top chemical producer in the world, produces more Sulfuric Acid than any other chemical. Interestingly, we have found that the price of Sulfuric Acid also serves as a pretty good economic barometer, often revealing the overall state of a country’s economy. Sulfuric […]
Potassium Hydroxide Gets a Boost From Ag
January 12, 2022 Potassium Hydroxide is derived from Potassium Chloride, one of the most widely applied fertilizers in the U.S. Agriculture industry. Originally born in the 1600’s with the Native Americans and the (starving) Pilgrims in Jamestown, the Agriculture industry has always been critical to keep America running. However, it wasn’t until the 1900’s, when […]
Hurricane Ida Another Setback for Supply Chains, But…
September 16, 2021 …On a positive note, Ida was less devastating than the winter storms Uri & Viola last February. (When supply chains have as many problems as they’ve had this year, yeah, we’re looking for the bright side!!) It’s been a rough year for supply chains. Most recently, Hurricane Ida, a dangerous and major […]
