Chemical Profile Sodium hypochlorite

24 March 2003 00:00  [Source: ICB Americas]

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SODIUM HYPOCHLORITE    March 24, 2003

PRODUCER	PRODUCT
Alexander Chemical, Kingsbury, Ind.	I
Altivia Chemical, Greens Bayou, Tex; St. Gabriel, La.	I
Callaway Chemical, Dalton, Ga.	H, I
Clorox, Aberdeen, Md.; Chicago; Cleveland, Ohio; Fairfield, Calif.; Forest Park, Ga.; Houston; Los Angeles; Tampa, Fla.	H
Delta Chemical, Baltimore	I
Dial, St. Louis, Mo.	H
Dover Chemical, Dover, Ohio	I
DPC Industries, Albuquerque, N.M.; Cleiburn, Tex.; Festus, Mo.; Houston; Mobile, Ala.; Omaha, Neb.; Reserve, La.; Rosemont, Minn.	I
Fort James, Green Bay, Wis.; Rincon, Ga.	I
Harcros Chemicals, Dallas, Tex.; Memphis, Tenn.; Muscle Shoals, Ala.; St. Gabriel, La.; Tampa, Fla.	I
Hasa Chemicals, Elroy, Ariz.; Pittsburg, Calif.; Saugus, Calif.	I
Hawkins Chemical, St. Paul, Minn.	I
Hills Brothers Chemical, St. Paul, Minn.	I
HoltraChem Manufacturing, Acme, N.C.; Orrington, Me.	I
Hydrite Chemical, Oshkosh, Wis.	I
Jones Chemicals, Barberton, Ohio; Beach Grove, Ind.; Caledonia, N.Y.; Charlotte, N.C.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Merrimack, N.H.; Tacoma, Wash.; Torrance, Calif.; Warwick, N.Y.; Wyandotte, Mich.	I
K.A. Steel Chemicals, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Lemont, Ill.; Niota, Tenn.	H, I
KIK, Denver, Colo.; Houston; Luling, La.; Santa Fe Springs, Calif.	H, I
H. Krevit, New Haven, Conn.	I
Kuehne Chemical, Delaware City, Del.; Kearney, N.J.	I
Occidental Chemical, Niagara Falls, N.Y.	I
Olin, Augusta, Ga.; Charleston, Tenn.; McIntosh, Ala.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.	I
P.B.&S. Chemical, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Henderson, Ky.; Orlando, Fla.; Proctor, W.Va.; St. Albans, W.Va.	I
Pioneer, Henderson, Nev.; Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Tacoma, Wash.; Tracy, Calif.	H, I
PPG Industries, Natrium, W.Va.	I
Sierra Chemicals, Sparks, Nev.; Stockton, Calif.	I
Thatcher, Henderson, Nev.; Salt Lake City, Utah	I
Vertex Chemical, Camanche, Iowa; Dupo, Ill.; Memphis, Tenn.	H, I

H = Household sodium hypochlorite solution; 5.25 percent NaOCl. I = Industrial sodium hypochlorite solution; 12.5 percent NaOCl. Total annual capacity for household sodium hypochlorite solution is estimated to be 1 billion gallons. Total annual capacity for industrial sodium hypochlorite solution is estimated to be 1.55 billion gallons, excluding captive product generated for wood pulp bleaching. Most producers consider their manufacturing capacities to be confidential. Capital requirements are relatively modest, however, reducing the importance of economies of scale. Sodium hypochlorite is manufactured by dissolving chlorine in sodium hydroxide solution. Profile last published 1/8/01; this revision 3/24/03.

DEMAND
Household: 2001: 532 million gallons; 2002: 540 million gallons; 2006: 569 million gallons, projected.
Industrial: 2001: 275 million gallons; 2002: 278 million gallons; 2006: 292 million gallons, projected.
There are virtually no imports or exports of sodium hypochlorite as it is supplied in low concentration aqueous solutions and transportation costs are therefore prohibitive.

PRICE
Industrial: Historical (1997-2002): High, $0.64 per gallon, average contract price, 12.5 percent solution, t.l., f.o.b.; low, $0.36, same basis. Current: $0.46 to $0.53, same basis.

GROWTH
Household: Historical (1997-2002): 1.1 percent per year; Future: 1.3 percent per year through 2006.
Industrial: Historical (1997-2002): 0.6 percent per year; Future: 1.3 percent per year through 2006.

USES
Household: Residential laundry bleach and sanitizers, 80 percent; institutional and restaurant sanitizers, 18 percent; residential pool and spa sanitizers, 2 percent.
Industrial: Municipal and industrial water treatment applications, 45 percent; commercial and municipal swimming pools, 33 percent; commercial laundry bleach, 5 percent; liquid dishwasher detergents, 5 percent; textile bleaching, 4 percent; chemicals, 4 percent; miscellaneous, 4 percent.

STRENGTH
Water treatment, sodium hypochlorite's largest sector, is also the fastest growing, at 3.1 percent annually. As of 1999, the Environmental Protection Agency has required major chlorine users to have emergency response plans, highlighting the downside to handling chlorine. Sodium hypochlorite is therefore favored over chlorine for potable water, wastewater and cooling water treatment where safety is a concern, particularly operations situated within or near concentrated populated areas.

WEAKNESS
The household solution market has been flat. Future growth through 2003 is estimated at 1.5 percent. On-site generated sodium hypochlorite has displaced merchant industrial product at locations remote from producing plants, especially in states with warmer climates where ambient temperatures accelerate the decomposition of industrial strength solutions.

OUTLOOK
Future growth through 2006 is estimated at 1.3 percent. In 2000, Clorox introduced a concentrated household bleach product (Ultra Clorox) having a 33 percent higher concentration of sodium hypochlorite. Other suppliers to this sector have since followed with similar product offerings. In the industrial sector, growth is anticipated to be 1.2 percent overall, largely driven by municipal and industrial water treatment applications, whose annual growth is 3.1 percent. Liquid dishwasher detergents and commercial laundry bleaching will also do moderately well at 3 and 2 percent annual growth, respectively. The aggregate growth rate is pulled down, however, by declining consumption in the pulp and paper industry as a wood pulp bleaching agent. Sodium hypochlorite production capacity is vastly underutilized.

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