This chart shows Propylene Oxide price assessments in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) in 3 locations, as follows:
- Propylene Oxide, US (United States): Propylene Oxide, export transaction price, fob, United States
- Propylene Oxide, CN (China): Propylene Oxide, domestic spot price, exw, China
- Propylene Oxide, EUR (Europe): Propylene Oxide, contract price (formula), ddp, Northwest Europe
The chart above is a sample of Intratec Primary Commodity Prices. Subscribe and access now current prices of 225 commodities, including Propylene Oxide.
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Propylene Oxide Price Outlook
Propylene Oxide Price Outlook. The price of Propylene Oxide (United States) decreased during June 2020 to 915 USD per metric ton, which represents a slight decline of 4% compared to the previous month’s value. On a year-over-year basis, the prices of Propylene Oxide (United States) decreased significantly by 20%. Meanwhile, the average price of Propylene Oxide (China) amounted to 1,420 USD per metric ton, from 1,360 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the price of Propylene Oxide (China) is 9% higher than the price one month before.
The price of Propylene Oxide (Europe) rose throughout June 2020, reaching 1,550 USD per metric ton. The price is 6% higher than the average price in the previous month and 11% lower than the average price one year before.
About Propylene Oxide
About Propylene Oxide. Propylene Oxide (a.k.a. PO, Epoxypropane, Methyl Oxirane) is a synthetic, highly-flammable, volatile, colorless liquid with ethereal odor that is soluble in water and miscible with most organic solvents. This organic, highly reactive compound is a major commodity chemical, as well as starting material for several products, from polymers and solvents to industrial fluids.
Propylene Oxide is produced mainly by the so-called chlorohydrin process, based on the reaction of propylene and chlorine in the presence of water to produce propylene chlorohydrin, which is dehydrochlorinated with a base. Liquor is used usually when the PO plant is integrated with a chlorine plant.
PO may also be produced on commercial scale by the oxidation of propylene by organic hydroperoxides, yielding alcohols as by-product. Depending on the hydroperoxide used, tert-butanol (raw material for MTBE) or 1-phenylethanol (raw material for styrene) may be generated as co-product. These processes, referred to as indirect oxidation routes, actually involve two steps where the first is the formation of the peroxide, and the second the epoxidation of propene to PO. It is worth noting that, in the indirect oxidation routes, the co-products are formed in larger amounts than PO itself, in such a way that existing markets for such co-products play a decisive role in a producer decision to use the chlorohydrin route or the indirect oxidation route.
Propylene Oxide Handling. Propylene Oxide should be stored in vessels made of steel or stainless steel, under an inert atmosphere such as nitrogen. It is usually transported in gravity or gas ships, railcars, tank trucks, and containers. Shipment by rail is done in tank cars with a capacity of 95.000 L and equipped with a 75-psig safety relief valve. Shipment by truck is done in steel tanks of about 20.800 L capacity, having a pressure rating of 15–35 psig. ISO tanks have a capacity of 22.700 L. All shipments of propylene oxide employ a nitrogen pad of 15–35 psig.
Propylene Oxide Production. As previously mentioned, there are primarily two main commercial routes for Propylene Oxide production: the chlorohydrin process, based on the dehydrochlorination of propylene chlorohydrin with a base, and the hydroperoxide process, based on the oxidation of propylene by an organic hydroperoxide with co-products generation. Raw materials and the respective production processes employed in the manufacturing of Propylene Oxide are listed below.
- Propylene + chlorine + base (chlorohydrin process),
- Propylene + organic hydroperoxide (indirect oxidation process, coproduced with alcohols),
- Cumene hydroperoxide + propylene (Sumitomo cumene process, coprodduced with cumene),
- Propylene + hydrogen peroxide (direct oxidation process)
Propylene Oxide Uses. The uses and applications of Propylene Oxide may vary according to its specification. The main forms of Propylene Oxide are chemical grade (ca. 8% propane); and polymer grade (ca. 0.3% propane).