Isopropanol Price | Current and Forecast
Monitor Isopropanol Prices Worldwide
See monthly Isopropanol prices in 5 locations: US, China, Middle East, S. America, Africa, SE Asia, Europe. Also check Isopropanol price history since 2007 and forecasts. Subscribe now to Intratec Primary Commodity Prices and gain access to current prices of 244 commodities, including Isopropanol.
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Data Legend. The Isopropanol price chart shows the prices in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) in 7 locations, as follows:
- US: transaction, fob
- China: transaction, cif
- Middle East: transaction, cif, Saudi Arabia
- S. America: transaction, cif, Brazil
- Africa: transaction, fob, South Africa
- SE Asia: transaction, cif, India
- Europe: transaction, fob, Netherlands
Data Use. Isopropanol prices are provided as an annual subscription where subscribers have access to reliable pricing data of 244 commodities worldwide. To better understand data provided by Intratec Primary Commodity Prices, check the following documents: Price Assessment Basis , Commodities Specifications , Methodology , User Guide , and Glossary .
Price Dynamics. The Isopropanol price in United States increased during September 2018 to 1,360 USD per metric ton, which represents a considerable rise of 15% compared to the previous month’s value. On a year-over-year basis, Isopropanol prices in United States increased modestly by 2%. Meanwhile, in China, the average price of Isopropanol amounted to 1,460 USD per metric ton, from 1,280 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the Isopropanol price in China is 5% higher than the price one month before.
The price of Isopropanol in Saudi Arabia declined considerably throughout September 2018, reaching 1,020 USD per metric ton. The price in Saudi Arabia is 7% lower than the average price in the previous month and 16% lower than the average price one year before. In contrast, Isopropanol prices in Brazil increased modestly during September 2018, reaching 1,340 USD per metric ton, which means a rise of 2% from the previous month’s price and a rise of 4% from the previous year’s price.
The Isopropanol prices in South Africa experienced a modest decline of 21 USD per metric ton from the prior month's price, to 989 USD per metric ton. Such price movement in South Africa meant a decrease of 2% on a monthly basis and a decrease of 8% on a yearly basis. On the other hand, in September 2018, the Isopropanol price in India was flat when compared against the previous month's price. The September 2018 price in India is 0.9% lower than the price one year before.
In Netherlands, the average price of Isopropanol was 1,370 USD per metric ton on September 2018 – a little decrease of 30 USD per metric ton, or 2%, compared with the previous month. On a year-over-year basis, the Isopropanol price in Netherlands is 24% lower than the price one year before.
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About Isopropanol. Isopropyl Alcohol (a.k.a. Isopropanol, 2-Propanol) is a colorless and flammable liquid with a strong odor. Isopropyl alcohol was among the first petrochemical products to be industrially manufactured - it has been produced since 1920. Today, it is one of the most produced lower alcohols (C1 to C5 alcohols), the third in commercial production, behind methanol and ethanol. Also, the future demand for this commodity is expected either to remain flat or to grow slightly.
Since 1951 the direct hydration process was first implemented in a commercial scale plant. This process employed a catalyst that allowed propylene to react directly with water, without the intermediate reaction with sulfuric acid. Differently from the indirect hydration, this process requires the use of high-purity propylene as feedstock.
More recently, market changes made the hydrogenation of acetone economically feasible under some specific conditions and there are already commercial plants based on this process. There are also early-stage processes that aim to manufacture Isopropanol from renewable sources. Most of these processes are based on fermentation of biomass and are still in the lab scale.
The distribution of Isopropanol is typically done in railroad tank cars or tank trucks made of steel, in 3.8 glass jugs, and 19 an 208 L phenolic-lined steel pails and drums. Plain steel should be avoided if the Isopropanol contains water due to the risk of rusting. Stainless steel or baked phenolic-lined steel are the preferred materials for tanks if rust is not tolerated. Aluminum is not suitable for use, as it is attacked by Isopropanol, forming aluminum isopropoxide In case of anhydrous Isopropanol, carbon steel tanks can be used.
The main raw materials for Isopropanol manufacture are propylene and acetone. Propylene is reacted with water directly, or indirectly (in the presence of sulfuric acid), to form Isopropanol. Acetone, in turn, passes though a hydrogenation process. Raw materials and the respective production processes employed in the manufacturing of Isopropanol are listed below.
- Propylene (direct hydration),
- Propylene + sulfuric acid (indirect hydration),
- Acetone (hydrogenation)
The uses and applications of Isopropanol may vary according to its specification. The main forms of Isopropanol are anhydrous (99.8% min isopropanol); azeotropic (85% min isopropanol); cosmetic (91 vol% and anhydrous); and nanograde.
The main applications of Isopropyl Alcohol are as chemical intermediate and as solvent in the manufacturing of cements, primers, paints, varnishes, skin cleaners, perfumes, lotions, shampoos, and deodorants. It is also used as disinfectant and antiseptic.