Chemical Profile: Sodium hypochlorite

28 February 2006 11:14  [Source: ICB Americas]

Producer	Product*
Alexander Chemicals, Kingsbury, Ind.	I
Allied Universal, Brunswick, Ga.; Ellisville, Miss.; Elroy, Ariz.; Ft. Pierce, Fla.; Miami, Fla; Ranger, Ga.; Tampa, Fla.; West Memphis, Tenn.	I
Altivia Chemical, Greens Bayou, Tex; St. Gabriel, La.	I
Brenntag Chemical, Chattanooga, Tenn.; Clearwater, Fla.; Henderson, Ky.; Kansas City, Mo.; Orlando, Fla.; Proctor, W.Va.; St. Albans, W.Va.	I
Clorox, Aberdeen, Md.; Chicago, Ill.; Cleveland, Ohio; Fairfield, Calif.; Forest Park, Ga.; Houston, Tex; Los Angeles, Calif.; Tampa, Fla.	H
DPC Industries, Albuquerque, N.M.; Billings, Mont.; Cleburn, Tex.; Corpus Christi, Tex.; Hudson, Colo.; Jacksonville, Ark.; Hobbs, N.M.; Long-view, Tex.; Monroe, La.; Omaha, Neb.; Rosemont, Minn.; San Antonio, Tex.; Sweetwater, Tex.	I
Fort James, Green Bay, Wis.; Rincon, Ga.	I
GAC Chemical, Searsport, Me.	I
GAC MidAmerica, Indianapolis, Ind.	I
H. Krevit, New Haven, Conn.	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, Phoenix, Ariz.	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.; Milford, Va.; Tacoma, Wash.; Torrance, Calif.; Warwick, N.Y.; Wyandotte, Mich.	I
K.A. Steel Chemicals, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; ?Lemont, Ill.	H, I
KIK, Auburndale, Fla.; Cumberland, R.I.; Danville, Ill.; Denver, Colo.; Eagan, Minn.; Hampton, Ga.; Houston, Tex.; Salem, Va.; Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Tacoma, Wash.	H, I
Kuehne Chemical, Delaware City, Del.;?Kearney, N.J.	I
Lynx Chemical, Dalton, Ga.	H, I
Occidental Chemical, Niagara Falls, N.Y.	I
Olin Chlor Alkali Products, Augusta, Ga.; Charleston, Tenn.; McIntosh, Ala.; Niagara Falls, N.Y.	I
Pioneer Americas, Henderson, Nev.; Santa Fe Springs, Calif.; Tacoma, Wash.; Tracy, Calif.	H, I
Rowell Chemical, Willow Springs, Ill.	I
Sentry Industries, Miami, Fla.	I
Sierra Chemicals, Sparks, Nev.; Stockton, Calif.	I
Thatcher Chemical, Henderson, Nev.; Salt Lake City, Utah	I
Trinity Manufacturing, Hamlet, N.C.	I
Ulrich Chemical, Terre Haute, Ind.	I
Univar Chemical, Bunola, Penn.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Middletown, Penn.; Providence, R.I.; Suffolk, Va.	I
Vertex Chemical, Camanche, Iowa; Dupo, Ill.; Memphis, Tenn.	H, I

H = Household sodium hypochlorite solution; 5.25% NaOCl

I = Industrial sodium hypochlorite solution; 12.5% 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, so economies of scale are relatively unimportant. Sodium hypochlorite is manufactured by dissolving chlorine in sodium hydroxide solution.

In June 2003, Lynx Chemical Group acquired the assets of Callaway Chemical in Dalton, Ga., from Vulcan Materials. Fort James became part of Georgia Pacific in 2000, and last December, Koch Industries acquired Georgia Pacific. GAC Chemical divested two chemical plants, including the hypochlorite plant in Indianapolis, Ind. in 2003, to a private equity firm. The divestiture was subsequently named GAC MidAmerica.

Last October, Olin Chlor Alkali Products announced that it had plans to double sodium hypochlorite production capacity at each of its four US manufacturing sites over the next three to five years. Combined annual capacity for Olin presently stands at approximately 50 million gallons of 12.5% sodium hypochlorite solution.

PROFILE LAST PUBLISHED 3/24/03; THIS REVISION 2/27/06.

DEMAND

Household (5.25% NaOCl) 2004: 547 million gallons; 2005: 553 million gallons; 2009: 580 million gallons, projected.

Industrial (12.5% NaOCl) 2004: 302 million gallons; 2005: 310 million gallons; 2009: 340 million gallons, projected.

There are virtually no imports or exports of sodium hypochlorite as it is supplied in low-concentration aqueous solutions and therefore, transportation costs are prohibitive.

GROWTH

Household, Historical (2000–2005): 1.1% per year; future: 1.2% per year through 2009.

Industrial, Historical (2000–2005): 2.4% per year; future: 2.5% per year through 2009.

 

PRICE

Industrial, Historical (2000–2005): High, $0.65 per gal., list price, 12.5% sol., t.l., f.o.b.; low, $0.44, same basis. Current: $0.65, same basis.

USES

Household Residential laundry bleach and sanitizer, 80%; institutional and restaurant sanitizer, 18%; residential pool and spa sanitizer, 2%.

Industrial Municipal and industrial water treatment, 48%; commercial and municipal swimming pools, 26%; commercial laundry bleach, 3%; liquid dishwasher detergent, 3%; textile bleaching, 3%; chemicals, 3%; miscellaneous, 3%.

 

MARKET PERSPECTIVE and OUTLOOK

Water treatment, sodium hypochlorite’s largest sector, is also the fastest-growing sector at about 5% annually. Beginning in 1999, the EPA required major chlorine users to have emergency response plans, which highlighted the downside to handling chlorine. Hence, sodium hypochlorite is favored over chlorine for potable water, wastewater and cooling water treatments where safety is a concern, particularly operations situated within or near concentrated populated areas. Other consuming segments for industrial-strength hypochlorite are stable, zero- to low-growth markets. Consequently, future growth is forecast at 2.5% annually.

The household solution market is a steady but slow-growth sector, generally in line with population growth. Major applications include laundry bleaching and surface sanitizing, but a variety of household cleaning products contain sodium hypochlorite - dishwasher detergents, drain openers, and mildew stain removers. Future annual growth through 2009 is estimated at 1.2%.

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