Friday 17 November 2017

Spiraling Demand for Phenol to Trigger Adoption of Cumene

Cumene is extensively used in production of acetone, phenol, acetophenone, and methylstyrene. Increasing adoption of phenol across various end-use applications such as pharmaceuticals, adhesives, and construction materials is estimated to keep demand for cumene high in the coming years.

Key Properties of Cumene

Cumene, also known as isopropylbenzene, is an organic compound. It is a clear and colorless liquid, which is highly flammable in nature. It is a constituent of crude oil and finished fuels, with a boiling point of 152 0C. Cumene is formed by a reaction between propylene and benzene, using catalysts such as aluminum chloride, zeolite, and phosphoric acid. For commercial purposes, it is primarily manufactured using Friedel-Crafts alkylation method.

Benzene Alkylation with Isopropanol for Cumene Synthesis

Researchers and scientists are focusing on research activities to develop innovative methods to synthesize cumene. For instance, researchers from the Nanjing Tech University and SINOPEC Shanghai Research Institute of Petrochemical Technology have found that benzene alkylation with isopropanol over beta-zeolite is a cost-effective method to produce cumene. Fresh and used catalysts were characterized to investigate deactivation of a beta-zeolite catalyst. Catalyst regeneration was carried out by using calcination and ethanol rinse to maintain catalytic performance.

Market Insights

According to Grand View Research Inc., the global cumene market is likely to cross the valuation of USD 28 billion by 2025. Robust growth of the chemical industry across can help the market is experiencing healthy growth in the forthcoming years. The rapid development of the packaging, electronics, pharmaceutical, and construction sectors worldwide is translating into an upswing in demand for phenol byproducts. This, in turn, is expected to stoke the growth of the market. Market growth can, however, be hampered by protean prices of crude oil and harmful effects of cumene on human health.

Nevertheless, several governments, including the Canadian government, have provisionally concluded cumene as not hazardous to environment or consumers due to low exposure. To address the issue pertaining to volatile crude oil prices, a large number of producers have integrated themselves among the value chain.

Some of the prominent companies operating in the market are Dow Chemical Company, ExxonMobil Corporation, INEOS Group, BASF SE, and Total S.A.

In-Depth research report on Cumene Market:
http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/cumene-market

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