Fatty alcohols: Feedstocks
Coconut or ethylene: the price ratio that picks the winner
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Oleo alcohols need lauric oils, which are a small and volatile market: palm kernel and coconut oil together are a fraction of palm oil supply. Synthetic alcohols need ethylene. The lauric-oil-to-ethylene price ratio decides which route is cheaper.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO Palm oil | about 1.1-1.2 t per t alcohol (indicative) | main lauric feedstock | about 70-80% (indicative) | palm_oil tile; indicative |
| Cnt Coconut oil | about 1.1-1.2 t per t | lauric feedstock (Philippines, Indonesia) | about 70-80% (indicative) | coconut tile |
| Gas Natural gas | about 0.02-0.03 t per t (indicative) | hydrogenation of esters or acids | about 3-5% (indicative) | indicative |
| Methanol | mostly recycled; small net use | transesterification | small | indicative |
| Oil Crude oil | about 1 t per t (indicative) | Ziegler and oxo alcohols | about 60-70% for synthetic producers (indicative) | ethylene tile; indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Integrated Indonesian and Malaysian producers with own palm kernel oil are lowest-cost on the oleo side; US Gulf synthetic plants on shale ethane are competitive when lauric oils are expensive. European and Indian producers buy feedstock at market and rely on specialties and proximity.
Raw materials on the commodity table
PO Palm oilCnt Coconut oilWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| Srf Surfactants | SLES, SLS and alcohol ethoxylates take most fatty alcohol |
| EO Ethylene oxide | ethoxylation partner |
| Amn Specialty amines and ethanolamines | fatty amines and quats |