Isopropanol: Feedstocks
Long in propylene or acetone? Then you are cheap
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.IPA is made from propylene (from crude oil refining and cracking or propane) or from acetone (a co-product of phenol from benzene and propylene). Feed cost is most of IPA's cost, so producers long in propylene or acetone are competitive.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Crude oil | about 0.75 t per t IPA (indicative) | hydration feed | about 60-70% (indicative) | indicative |
| Oil Crude oil | about 0.98 t per t IPA (indicative) | hydrogenation feed | about 75-85% (indicative) | indicative |
| Gas Natural gas | about 0.035 t per t IPA (acetone route, indicative) | hydrogenation | about 5% (indicative) | indicative |
| S Sulfur | recycled; make-up only (indirect route) | hydration medium | small | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Chinese acetone-hydrogenation plants and US Gulf refinery-propylene units are lowest cost when acetone or refinery propylene is cheap. Western direct-hydration plants on polymer-grade propylene are higher cost.
Raw materials on the commodity table
Oil Crude oilWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| API Small-molecule APIs | solvent use |
| Pnt Paints and coatings | solvent use |
| UPW Ultra-pure wet chemicals | electronic-grade IPA |
| Gly Herbicides | isopropylamine salts |