PODCAST: Europe oxo-alcohols chain sees uptick in demand as August holiday season ends

LONDON (ICIS)–Oxo-alcohols report editor Jane Massingham discusses current conditions in the oxo-alcohols chain with acrylate esters editor Mathew Jolin-Beech and butyl acetate (butac) editor Nick Cleeve.

N-butanol (NBA) is a solvent with more than half of its production used as an intermediate chemical in the production of butyl acrylates for paints, coatings and adhesives, or acetates and glycol ethers. 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH) is used to make plasticizers, mainly dioctyl phthalate (DOP). Key end markets include the construction, appliance and automotive industries.

Butyl acetate (butac) is mostly used as a solvent in paints and coatings or as a synthetic fruit flavouring in food products.

Acrylate esters are used in the manufacture of surface coatings, paints and resins, adhesives, plastics, textiles and paper.

Divided in E-series and P-series, depending on whether they are made from ethylene oxide (EO) or propylene oxide (PO), glycol ethers are mainly used as a solvent for domestic and industrial applications such as paints and coatings.