The two main uses for acetone are in the manufacture of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and bisphenol-A (BPA). It also goes into many solvent applications with pharmaceuticals the largest sector and is used to make a number of chemical intermediates.
The largest outlet for acetone is the manufacture of acetone cyanohydrin, which is a precursor to MMA and methacrylic acid. An important derivative of MMA is polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) which is used to make acrylic products: cast and extruded sheet, acrylic mouldings and extrusion compounds. 
Applications for PMMA include windows, skylights, signs, lighting fixtures, automotive parts, medical devices and appliances. A growing sector is in electronic applications where it is used in flat screen televisions and liquid crystal displays.
Methacrylates are also used in latex surface coatings in applications such as architectural, automotive, wood furniture, lacquers and enamels.
While the world growth in MMA is predicted to be 3-5%/year, much of this will not be reflected in future acetone demand as some of the new MMA capacity under construction uses non-acetone processes to make MMA. For example, Lucite International’s new 120,000 tonnes/year plant in Singapore, due on-stream in Q4 2008, uses ethylene, methanol and carbon monoxide as feedstocks. Evonik Industries plans to use a C4 process based on isobutylene in its 100,000 tonnes/year MMA plant in Shanghai, China, that is expected to start up in the second half of 2009.
The other major and fastest growing outlet is the manufacture of BPA, a raw material for the production of epoxy and polycarbonate (PC) resins. Polycarbonate has been responsible for most of the growth driven by applications in optical media (CDs and DVDs), electrical and electronic (insulators, connectors and housings) and automotive sectors. Growth in optical media is now slowing while automotive glazing is seen as a key development target. The BPA market is expected to grow globally at 7-8%/year and will overtake MMA as the largest acetone derivative in the next few years.
The solvents sector is also a significant outlet for acetone with consumption estimated by US-based consultants CMAI at around 2m tonnes in 2007. Pharmaceuticals accounts for the largest demand at close to 600,000 tonnes. Glass reinforced plastics, cigarette tow, rubber chemicals and household, cosmetic and personal care products make up another 900,000 tonnes of demand, says CMAI. Other smaller uses include electronics, surface coatings and printing inks and hot stamp foils. It is also used as a carrier for acetylene in cylinders. Little increase in overall demand is expected.
Acetone is used to make a number of chemical derivatives such as methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), isophorone and diacetone alcohol/hexylene glycol. MIBK is used as a solvent in paints and coatings while isophorone is used to make a series of fast growing derivatives used as specialities in the surface coatings industry. Growth in this sector is around 3%/year.
CMAI forecasts basic acetone demand to grow globally at 3%/year. The world acetone market is estimated at 5.4m tonnes in 2007.
Around 90% of acetone production is via the cumene route where 0.62 tonnes of acetone is produced with each tonne of phenol. As a coproduct to phenol, acetone availability is dependent on market conditions for phenol which is estimated by CMAI to be growing 1%/year faster than acetone. While both phenol and acetone are used to make BPA, only 0.29 tonnes of acetone are required to make 1 tonne of BPA against 0.88 tonnes of phenol. So as BPA demand grows so the acetone surplus grows.
Hence, future world demand growth for acetone will not be sufficient to absorb capacity growth, leading to a surplus of acetone. Some supply can be adjusted by reducing the more expensive isopropyl alcohol (IPA)-based production for acetone.
Producers have been studying alternative routes to phenol that do not produce acetone. For example, Solutia has developed a technology that produces phenol directly from benzene using nitrous oxide but it has not been commercialised. Shell has a phenol process that coproduces both acetone and methyl ethyl ketone (MEK).
The European market remained steady in 2007 with demand much improved on 2006. Delayed expansions and restarts stopped the market becoming flooded with product and maintained a balance.
In Europe, future demand for acetone is put at GDP rates. The key drivers remain MMA/PMMA and BPA/PC while solvents demand shows minimal growth. However, supply in Europe will lengthen in 2008 as the impact is felt from new capacity.
In the US, demand growth for acetone is forecast to be 2.9%/year through to 2009. ICIS Chemical Business (ICB) predicts that domestic demand will grow from 1.44m tonnes in 2005 to 1.61m tonnes in 2009.
With US acetone capacity estimated at 1.56m tonnes/year, the domestic market should remain balanced with utilisation rates above 90%. No new major capacity is planned although Ineos is considering an expansion at its Theodore, Alabama, plant for 2009-2010. Any potential supply shortages should be met by a combination of increased imports and reduced exports.
(Updated: March 2008. Sources: CMAI 2008 World Petrochemical Conference, 26-27 March 2008, Houston, Texas: ICB Chemical Profiles, 26 November 2007 and 27 March 2006)
Acetone
Process Technologies
Early processes for the manufacture of acetone were based on the thermal decomposition of calcium acetate or the carbohydrate fermentation of corn starch or molasses. The ready availability of propylene in the 1960s led to routes based on the dehydrogenation of isopropyl alcohol or cumene peroxidation.
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