Acrylic Acid

Crude acrylic acid has traditionally been used as the raw material for acrylate esters; methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. These bulk acrylates were used to produce solvent-based acrylic resins but environmental concerns over solvent use led to the development of water-based acrylics. Applications for water-based acrylic acid (glacials) are primarily in decorative, masonry and industrial coatings, but other uses include adhesives, paper and leather coatings, polishes, carpet backing compounds and tablet coatings. Smaller volumes of acrylic acid are used in polyacrylates which are utilized as thickeners, dispersants and rheology controllers. Glacial acrylic acid is also employed as a co-monomer with acrylamide in anionic polyacrylamide and to produce hydroxyacrylates for use in industrial coating formulations.

From the mid-1980s, two new applications - super absorbent polymers (SAPs) and detergent polymers - have emerged, accounting now for nearly 40 percent of world glacial acrylic acid consumption. SAPs are cross-linked polyacrylates with the ability to absorb and retain more than 100 times their own weight in liquid.

Detergent polymers are essentially homopolymer polyacrylates and copolymers of polyacrylic acid and maleic anhydride that can be used with both zeolites and phosphates in washing powder formulations. They grew strongly in western Europe from the mid-1980s as phosphate-based detergents were phased out, and more recently, their use in the US has increased. However, the move to compact formulations in washing powders and a slowdown in phosphate replacement has diminished the growth of these polymers.

ICIS pricing quotes glacial acrylic acid in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the US.

NOTE: In Asia and the US, glacial Acrylic Acid is covered under the umbrella of the combined Acrylic Acid/Acrylate Esters reports. Please see the separate entry for more details.

Frequency: 

Published weekly on Wednesdays.

Acrylic Acid (EUROPE)

Weekly Price Assessments:

Acrylic Acid Contract (Quarterly) Prices

• FD NWE (EUR/MT & conversion to US CTS/LB)

Acrylic Acid Spot Prices

• FD NWE (EUR/MT & conversion to US CTS/LB)

General Information

Assessment window: Assessments are based on information supplied by market participants up to the close of business at 1800 hours London time

Specification: The quotes in Europe and the US are for product 99.7% purity, with a maximum water content of 0.07%.

Timing: ICIS pricing spot price assessments are based on cargoes delivered typically within two to four weeks forward, depending on source.

Terms: 30-60 days after bill of lading date.

Standard cargo size: A typical cargo size in Europe is 1,000 tonnes for bulk volumes, while a typical truck/railcar is circa 20 tonnes.

Assessment Basis: The European contract and spot price ranges are assessed following verification from major buyers and sellers in northwest Europe. European price quotations are published on a free delivered (FD) basis and incorporate discussions and confirmed deals across northwest Europe.

The report offers market commentary that includes details of transactions, news on the supply/demand balance, export/import information, contract price negotiations and general sentiment for price direction. Where applicable there is product information, comments on up and downstream market developments and general market intelligence.