Caprolactam: Overview
From stockings to car engine parts
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Caprolactam is a ring-shaped molecule that polymerises into nylon 6, used in textiles, tyre cord, carpets and engineering plastics. It is made from cyclohexanone (from benzene or phenol) and hydroxylamine (from ammonia), followed by a rearrangement in oleum that produces ammonium sulphate fertiliser as a by-product. World capacity was 9.9 Mt/yr in 2024, 63% of it in China (Chemical Week). Chinese producers agreed a 20% output cut in November 2025. India has one producer, GSFC, which sought anti-dumping duties in 2026.
Volume about 7 Mt a year of demand (2024, indicative, basis: about 70% use of 9.9 Mt/yr capacity) Market value about $8.5 billion (2024, indicative, basis: 7 Mt x about $1,200/t, roughly China's CNY8,600/t in November 2025) Growth about 2-3% a year to 2030 (indicative) Chemical Week, Dec 2025; volume and value indicativeKey uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nylon 6 textile filament | 45% | about 3.2 Mtbasis | Nylon 6 yarn is strong, elastic and dyes well, so it suits hosiery, sportswear and lingerie. China's textile chain absorbs most of it. indicative share | polyester nylon 66 recycled nylon (Econyl) |
| Engineering plastics (nylon 6 compounds) | 28% | about 2.0 Mtbasis | Glass-filled nylon 6 replaces metal in car engine parts, electrical connectors and power tools because it is tough and heat resistant. indicative | nylon 66 PBT polypropylene compounds |
| Industrial yarn and tyre cord | 12% | about 0.8 Mtbasis | High-tenacity nylon 6 is used in tyre cord, fishing nets and ropes. India's tyre and fishnet industries are users. indicative | polyester tyre cord aramid |
| Film | 7% | about 0.5 Mtbasis | Nylon film is a good oxygen barrier for meat and cheese packaging. indicative | EVOH PET film |
| Carpet and other | 8% | about 0.6 Mtbasis | Bulked continuous filament for carpets, plus small chemical uses. indicative | polyester and PP carpet fibre |
From raw material to user
- Benzene to cyclohexanone Benzene is hydrogenated to cyclohexane and oxidised, or phenol is hydrogenated, to cyclohexanone; about 0.9 t benzene per t caprolactam (indicative).
- Hydroxylamine or ammoximation Ammonia is oxidised to make hydroxylamine, or reacted with hydrogen peroxide and cyclohexanone over a titanium silicalite catalyst (ammoximation).
- Oxime Cyclohexanone oxime forms.
- Beckmann rearrangement Oleum rearranges the oxime to caprolactam; neutralising with ammonia gives about 1.3-4.4 t ammonium sulphate per t caprolactam depending on route (indicative).
- Nylon 6 Caprolactam is polymerised to nylon 6 chips, then spun or compounded.
Made from (commodity table)
Oil Crude oilS SulfurThree things to know
- World capacity was 9.9 Mt/yr in 2024 and China held 63% (Chemical Week); China's largest producer, Highsun, alone has 1.2 Mt/yr.
- Conventional routes yield up to about 4.4 t of ammonium sulphate per t of caprolactam (indicative), tying caprolactam to fertiliser markets.
- India has one domestic producer, GSFC, and opened an anti-dumping investigation into imports from China, Russia, Thailand and the US in October 2026 (Indian Chemical News).