Most end-use markets for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) are mature and the growth in the largest applications - adhesives, paints, paper coatings and textiles - expected only to track GDP or slightly below. However, there are strong growth areas for VAM such as ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) barrier resins, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymers and polyvinyl butyral (PVB).
Worldwide growth for VAM is predicted to be 3-6%/year. The strongest regional growth will come from Asia, and China in particular.
Vinyl acetate monomer is usually produced by the catalysed, vapour phase reaction of acetic acid with ethylene and oxygen in a fixed bed tubular reactor using a supported noble metal catalyst. The VAM is recovered by condensation and scrubbing and purified by distillation.
Vinyl acetate is a colourless, volatile, flammable mobile liquid, with characteristic sweet etheral odour. Vinyl acetate is a dangerous fire and explosion hazard because it will polymerise violently when exposed to heat.
Vinyl acetate
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 Vinyl acetate market. Click below to see a quarterly market overview.
More about Vinyl acetate Price Reports
Vinyl acetate
Uses and Outlook
Most end-use markets for vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) are mature and the growth in the largest applications - adhesives, paints, paper coatings and textiles - expected only to track GDP or slightly below. However, there are strong growth areas for VAM such as ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH) barrier resins, ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) polymers and polyvinyl butyral (PVB).
More about Vinyl acetate Uses and Outlook
Vinyl acetate
Process Technologies
Acetylene-based technology was used first in the commercial production of VAM with the gas phase process preferred to the liquid phase reaction. Ethylene has now become the preferred feedstock with the gas phase route used due problems of corrosion and byproduct formation when using the liquid phase process.
More about Vinyl acetate Process Technologies
Search for
Vinyl acetate
Suppliers
If you are sourcing
Vinyl acetate
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.
Vinyl acetate
Plants and Projects
Get the latest information on global
Vinyl acetate
plants and projects