Propylene Price | Current and Forecast
Monitor Propylene Prices Worldwide
Intratec tracks the following commodity prices in multiple locations.
See below a preview of PG Propylene prices, as an example of prices available. It presents monthly PG Propylene prices in 7 locations: United States, South America, Europe, South Asia & Oceania, China, Middle East.
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Data Legend. The PG Propylene price chart shows the prices in USA Dollar per metric ton (USD/mt) in 6 locations, as follows:
- US: Propylene, Polymer Grade, United States, spot, fob, Mont Belvieu
- SAM: Propylene, Polymer Grade, South America, transaction, cif, formula, Colombia
- EUR: Propylene, Polymer Grade, Europe, transaction, cif, Germany
- SEA: Propylene, Polymer Grade, South Asia & Oceania, spot, cfr, Southeast Asia
- CN: Propylene, Polymer Grade, China, spot, cfr
- MDE: Propylene, Polymer Grade, Middle East, transaction, fob, formula, Saudi Arabia
Data Use. PG Propylene prices are provided as an annual subscription where subscribers have access to reliable pricing data of 237 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 .
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Price Dynamics. The PG Propylene price in United States decreased during November 2018 to 865 USD per metric ton, which represents a considerable decline of 17% compared to the previous month’s value. On a year-over-year basis, PG Propylene prices in United States decreased significantly by 18%. Meanwhile, in Germany, the average price of PG Propylene amounted to 1,190 USD per metric ton, from 953 USD per metric ton one year earlier. On a month-over-month basis, the PG Propylene price in Germany is 0.8% lower than the price one month before.
The price of PG Propylene in China declined considerably throughout November 2018, reaching 1,070 USD per metric ton. The price in China is 19% lower than the average price in the previous month and 12% lower than the average price one year before. In contrast, PG Propylene prices in Indonesia decreased modestly during November 2018, reaching 1,130 USD per metric ton, which means a decline of 3% from the previous month’s price and a rise of 36% from the previous year’s price.
The PG Propylene prices in Saudi Arabia experienced a decline of 80 USD per metric ton from the prior month's price, to 1,210 USD per metric ton. Such price movement in Saudi Arabia meant a decrease of 6% on a monthly basis and a rise of 37% on a yearly basis. On the other hand, in November 2018, the PG Propylene price in Colombia witnessed a decline of 20 USD per metric ton when compared against the previous month's price, to 1,410 USD per metric ton. The November 2018 price in Colombia is 21% higher than the price one year before.
About Propylene. Propylene (a.k.a. Propene, Methyl Ethylene) has been established as a major component of the global olefins business, second only to ethylene. Having one double bond, this was the first petrochemical employed on an industrial scale and is the second in natural abundance. Being a byproduct in ethylene production, propene’s development and expansion grew tremendously since 1965, due to ethylene's success as a chemical building block.
On a global scale, the predominant source of Propylene is derived from NGL (Natural Gas Liquids) or naphtha steam crackers, which concurrently generate ethylene. The production of Propylene holds such paramount significance in these plants that they are often referred to as 'olefins plants' rather than 'ethylene plants.' Within an olefins plant, the synthesis of Propylene involves the pyrolysis of the incoming feed, followed by subsequent purification steps. With the exception of ethane-based feedstocks, the production of Propylene typically ranges from 40 to 60 wt% of the ethylene yield. The specific yield of Propylene in the pyrolysis furnace is influenced by the choice of feedstock and the operating conditions. Furthermore, Propylene can also be intentionally generated in dedicated processes such as propane dehydrogenation or metathesis plants.
Liquid propylene exhibits different storage methods depending on the volume and specific requirements. It can be stored at ambient temperature in spherical pressure tanks, but for exceedingly large quantities, storage at an ultra-low temperature of -47 °C, where the propylene is nearly pressureless, becomes more suitable. When it comes to transportation, propylene is commonly transported via road and rail using cylindrical pressurized tanks maintained at ambient temperature. Railway tankers for propylene transportation typically have a capacity of 42 tons. For road transport, the maximum allowable weight of around 40 tons restricts the propylene load to approximately 20 tons. In ship transportation, a combination of smaller pressurized tanks and larger atmospheric tanks equipped with reliquefaction devices are employed to ensure safe and efficient delivery.
As previously mentioned, the largest volume of PG Propylene is produced from NGL or naphtha in steam cracking processes, which generates ethylene as well. However, it can also be manufactured through other routes, based on propane dehydrogenation, metathesis or syngas-to-olefins processes. Raw materials and the respective production processes employed in the manufacturing of Propylene are listed below.
- Ethylene + 2-butene (metathesis reaction),
- Natural gas liquids/ naphtha (stream cracking, coproduced ethylene),
- Propane (dehydrogenation),
- Methanol (MTP process, coproduced with gasoline),
- Vacuum gas oil (fluid catalytic cracking, coproduced propane, C4 fraction, C5+, naphtha, fuel oil)
The uses and applications of Propylene may vary according to its specification. The main forms of Propylene are polymer grade (PG, 99.5% minimum purity); chemical grade (CG, 90-96% minimum purity); and refinery grade (RG, 50-70% minimum purity).
While polypropylene and propylene oxide are usually produced from PG Propylene, most chemical derivatives (e.g. oxo-alcohols, acrylonitrile, etc.) are directly derived from less pure CG Propylene. RG Propylene, in turn, can also be used in some chemical syntheses (e.g., cumene or isopropanol). The most significant market for RG Propylene, however, is the conversion to PG or CG Propylene.