PRODUCT PROFILE

Profile editor elaine.burridge@icis.com

Polyacrylamide
After a weak 2001, demand for polyacrylamide is rising and strong growth may lead to short supply
if extra capacity is not installed
Uses 18% in pulp and paper applications. PAM Another option would be to dry the
Polyacrylamide (PAM) is a water-soluble pol- can also be used in food applications, or for PAM in order to obtain microbeads, or
ymer mostly used as a flocculant, coagulant irrigation purposes in agriculture, if approved grind the beads to get powder. Liquid PAM
and filtration aid in a whole range of applica- by the appropriate authorities. is easier to dissolve but also harder to ship
tions that are determined by its physical form PAM is commercially available in liquid than its solid counterpart. Therefore, the
and its ionic type (nonionic, anionic, cationic or solid state in different forms, the most choice of the right form should be made
and Mannich). About 37% of global PAM common being powder, microbeads, solu- based on the shipping distance to its loca-
output is used in waste and wastewater treat- tion and emulsion. tion of use.
ment, 27% in petroleum applications, and
Supply/demand Health and safety
Global capacity for PAM stood at 910 000 Liquid PAM is usually white, its odour
■ M A J O R G L O B A L P A M C A P A C I T Y,
’000 TONNE/ YEAR tonne/year in 2004, 25% of which is in varying from ammonia to sulphur dioxide
western Europe, according to US-based or hydrocarbon. Solid PAM is white and
Company Location Capacity consultancy TranTech. Asia Pacific, exclud- odourless.
Western Europe ing Japan, is the largest PAM producer, Although both forms irritate the eyes
Ciba Bradford, UK 60 with 230 000 tonne/year produced in 2004, and skin, PAM is a non-toxic material.
closely followed by western Europe with This makes PAM suitable for food applica-
Cytec Bradford, UK 25
210 000 tonne/year. The Asia Pacific region tions, if the concentration of the residual
Frankfurt, is also the biggest PAM consumer, followed acrylamide is very low, since it is a known
Nalco 10
Germany
by western Europe and the US. carcinogenic material.
Andrézieux,
SNF
France
64 In the US, up to 500 ppm acrylamide in
Pricing PAM preparations is acceptable for use in
Stockhausen Krefeld, Germany 26
The price of PAM depends on its ionic type agriculture or water treatment. In the UK,
Three F Italy 29 and content, as well as its physical form. In a batch of PAM should not contain more
US general, the higher the anionic content of than 0.025% of free acrylamide monomer,
Ciba Suffolk, Virginia 54 PAM, the more expensive it is. based on the active ingredient content.
Based on 100% active ingredient, the
Cytec Mobile, Alabama 22 prices of the powder grade of anionic and Outlook
Garyville, nonionic PAM in 2004 were negotiated be- After a weak 2001, demand for PAM has
Nalco 20
Louisiana
tween €2.5/kg and €2.8/kg, with low cationic been rising since 2002. Global demand
SNF/Floerger Riceboro, Georgia 70 powder grades between €3.1/kg and €3.5/kg. growth is forecast at 5.4%/year to 2010,
Japan World prices have increased in 2004 by the highest growth rates being expected
Arakawa Chemical Osaka, Japan 7 15%, mainly due to the increased raw mate- in Latin America (6%/year), Asia and the
rial costs. Middle East (6.3%/year) and Asia-Pacific
Dia-Nitrix Nigata, Japan 12
(9.1%/year).
Harima Chemicals Japan 11 Technology New projects are mainly being brought
Asia-Pacific There are two main routes leading to PAM. online by SNF, the main player in the
CNPC Daqing, China 30 The first one goes through a solution poly- PAM market. SNF’s new PAM plants
merisation of acrylamide, followed by belt or are scheduled to start this year in
Hengju, China 30
drum drying. The second route involves an Australia, Indonesia, Canada, India,
Sinopec Shengli, China 32 emulsion or an inverse emulsion polymerisa- Russia, Sweden and the US. Its largest new
SNF Taixing, China 30 tion, also called dispersion polymerisation. plant is being built in India with a capac-
SOURCE: TRANTECH
The resulting PAM can be used as emulsion ity of 20 000 tonne/year. Degussa is also
or dissolved to form a solution. planning to start up a new PAM plant in
Indonesia in 2005.
■ W O R L D P A M C A P A C I T Y, ‘ 0 0 0 T O N N E / Y E A R However, in spite of the new capacity
being brought online this year, a shortage
Emulsion/dispersion Microbeads Powder Solution of PAM may be expected within the next
Nonionic 16 31.4 five years if no additional new plants are
Anionic 140 21 229 12 built by then.
Cationic 122 35 186.3 8
Profile provided by TranTech. Tel: +1 610 687
Mannich 67 2870 or contact amirnazmi@chemplan.com
60% of PAM produced is captive in acrylamide
Next profile: Adiponitrile will
SOURCE: TRANTECH appear 7 March

14 21-27 February 2005 ■ European Chemical News

ecn21feb14 14 16/2/05, 1:17:29 pm