Herbicides: Feedstocks
Why yellow phosphorus sets the cost of glyphosate
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.Herbicides are made from basic chemicals: phosphorus (glyphosate, glufosinate), chlorine, ammonia and amines, methanol and formaldehyde, phenol and aromatics. Phosphorus is the critical one: yellow phosphorus needs about 13-15 MWh per tonne in electric furnaces (indicative), so cheap Chinese hydro and coal power in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan gives China its edge.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| P Phosphate rock | about 0.18 t phosphorus per t glyphosate, roughly 1.5 t of rock (stoichiometric, indicative) | phosphorus atom in glyphosate and glufosinate | yellow phosphorus about 20-30% of glyphosate cash cost (indicative) | stoichiometry; indicative |
| Gas Natural gas | not published; methanol and formaldehyde in glycine route | carbon and nitrogen building blocks | about 10-20% (indicative) | indicative |
| Glycine | about 0.44 t (stoichiometric) to about 0.6 t (actual, indicative) per t glyphosate | amino acid backbone in the Chinese route | about 20-25% (indicative) | stoichiometry; indicative |
| Chlorine (chlorine tile) and HCl | for PCl3 and chloroacetic acid | phosphorus trichloride and many chlorinated intermediates | about 5-10% (indicative) | indicative |
| NaCl Salt | indirect | source of chlorine and caustic soda | small | indicative |
| Electricity and steam | yellow phosphorus about 13-15 MWh/t P4 (indicative) | furnaces, reaction heat, evaporation of effluent | large through phosphorus (indicative) | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Chinese producers integrated from phosphate rock and hydro or coal power to yellow phosphorus (Xingfa, Fuhua) sit at the bottom of the glyphosate curve. Bayer's US IDA chain is integrated but higher cost. Indian producers compete in molecules where they control intermediates, and import the rest from China.