Nearly all cyclohexane consumed in the production of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, which are then used mainly to make adipic acid and caprolactam respectively. Adipic acid accounts for 60% of cyclohexane demand and is used to make nylon 6,6. Around 75% of global caprolactam is used in nylon 6 manufacture.
Smaller outlets for cyclohexane include its use as a solvent, a reaction diluent and in chemical synthesis. It is also a starting material for KA Oil (cyclohexanone-cyclohexanol mixture).
Nylon growth, which is the main driver in the cyclohexane market, has stagnated in many applications to below GDP levels although there is still some growth in nylon plastics for automotive and other resin applications. According to US-based consultants SRI Consulting, world growth will be around 2%/year to 2010. Nylon 6 will see stronger growth than nylon 6,6.
One of the better performing markets for nylon is engineering thermoplastics. These materials have tough physical properties such as high tensile strength, excellent abrasion, chemical and heat resistance, which allow them to replace metals. Automotive applications have been growing strongly where there has been a drive to replace metals with plastics to reduce the weight of motor vehicles.
Growth of other nylons such as textile filaments and carpet fibres is stagnant with polyester being substituted for nylon. Demand has been growing for nylon industrial filaments used in heavy equipment tyres and conveyor belts but this is now slowing.
Future global demand growth for cyclohexane is put at around 2-3%/year. SRI Consulting estimates global demand for cyclohexane was just over 5m tonnes in 2005. With an average growth rate of 3%/year, demand should reach 6m tonnes by 2010.
In the US market, growth is estimated by ICB Americas at 2.5%/year. This will lift demand from 1.16m tonnes in 2006 to 1.28m tonnes in 2010. Fibre applications, which are primarily industrial and consumer carpets, will see growth of 1.8%/year while automotive and other resin applications will perform better.
In Europe, future demand growth is about 2%/year with the main growth in engineering plastics and some industrial filament uses. BASF, Europe’s largest cyclohexane consumer, brought on-stream a 130,000 tonnes/year plant near Ludwigshafen, Germany, at the end of 2005 using surplus hydrogen from its chemical complex. Spain’s Cepsa started up an Aromax reformer during 2006, solving its shortage of hydrogen and allowing higher cyclohexane production.
A growing issue for cyclohexane producers, particularly in Europe and the US, is the availability of low cost hydrogen. Regulations in Europe and the US calling for low sulphur content in gasoline and diesel have increased hydrogen demand for desulphurisation.
Hydrogen availability is particularly difficult in Europe where the switch from gasoline to diesel means that refineries have not been investing in catalytic cracking units or reformers which produce hydrogen as a by-product. Much of the incremental hydrogen required for desulphurisation is coming from on-purpose production such as methane reforming.
Any new investment in cyclohexane is likely to be focussed in the Middle East and Asia where demand growth is strongest. Aromatics Thailand started up a 150,000 tonnes/year plant in May 2006 although production could be increased to 180,000 tonnes/year depending on feedstock availability.
(Updated: May 2007. Sources: ICB Americas Chemical Profile, 14 May 2007; ECN Chemical Profile, 12 June 2006)
Cyclohexane
Price Reports
ICIS pricing gives you access on a weekly or real time basis to the latest price movements and critical market commentary on the Cyclohexane market. Click below to see a quarterly market overview.
More about Cyclohexane Price Reports
Cyclohexane
Process Technologies
Traditionally, cyclohexane was produced by fractional distillation of naphtha but the separation is difficult because of a large number of components with similar boiling points. The bulk of commercial production is based on the catalytic hydrogenation of benzene because of its simplicity and high efficiency. The reaction can be carried out using liquid or vapour-phase methods in the presence of a highly dispersed catalyst or in a catalytic fixed bed.
More about Cyclohexane Process Technologies
Search for
Cyclohexane
Suppliers
If you are sourcing
Cyclohexane
products and services, use ICIS search for fast and accurate results. ICIS search
is the search engine dedicated to the chemical industry – we show you only relevant
results -
search now.