Global ethylene market will turn a corner

Industry insiders predict a significant surge in global ethylene demand by 2010, with new demand expected to reach 30 million tons annually. China, currently consuming 20 million tons per year, is projected to see its demand rise by 50%. However, the Middle East plans to increase its production capacity by 16 to 21 million tons per year, while China will add 12 million tons annually. This rapid expansion of supply is expected to outpace demand growth, causing global ethylene plant utilization rates to fall from 95% to below 90% by 2010. This oversupply will put pressure on manufacturers' profitability and lead to a more competitive and saturated market. By 2010, global ethylene production capacity is expected to reach 155 million tons, with 39.5 million tons of new capacity added. A staggering 83% of this new capacity will be located in the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions. The Middle East’s ethylene output is projected to hit 27 million tons, up from 11 million tons in 2005, making it the third-largest petrochemical hub globally, surpassing Western Europe. Currently, the region faces overcapacity in products like ethylene glycol, polyethylene, and polypropylene, leading to heavy exports. Although the Middle East will remain the fastest-growing region for ethylene, Latin America is emerging as a key player. Industry experts suggest that Latin America could become a new hub for petrochemical production. Nexant predicts that the ethylene industry will face its lowest point in terms of overcapacity between 2011 and 2012, with additional capacity coming online in both the Middle East, China, and Latin America. In recent years, political stability and population growth have driven rising demand for petrochemicals in the region, prompting companies to plan large-scale projects, especially in Brazil. Brazil is home to four major petrochemical companies: Petrobras, Braskem, Suzano, and UNIPAR. Their operations are mainly concentrated in Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Rio Grande do Sul. Between 2007 and 2010, Brazil’s petrochemical investment is expected to jump by 220% compared to the period from 2003 to 2006, with most funds directed toward the Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Industrial Park. To address raw material shortages, Petrobras plans to invest $8.5 billion in an ultra-large ethylene project in the area. Brazil's current ethylene capacity stands at 3.4 million tons annually, but it is expected to grow by 45% by 2010. In another development, Venezuela is planning a 1.2-million-ton-per-year ethylene plant in Jose, while Trinidad and Tobago is set to build an ethylene facility using natural gas as feedstock. More natural gas-based projects, such as methanol and synthetic ammonia, are shifting from the U.S. to Trinidad and Tobago, which benefits from low-cost resources. This trend highlights the growing importance of the region in the global petrochemical landscape.

Citric Acid

Citric acid is the largest organic acid produced by biochemical methods in the world. Citric acid and salts are one of the pillar products of the fermentation industry. They are mainly used in the food industry, such as acid, solvent, buffer, antioxidant, deodorant, flavor enhancer, gelling agent, and toner. [9]

In terms of food additives, it is mainly used for carbonated drinks, fruit juice drinks, lactic acid drinks and other cool drinks and pickled products, and its demand is subject to seasonal climate changes. Citric acid accounts for about 2/3 of the total consumption of acid flavor agent. Adding citric acid to canned fruit can maintain or improve the flavor of fruit, increase the acidity of some fruits with low acidity (lower pH value), weaken the heat resistance of microorganisms and inhibit their growth, and prevent the bacterial can-breaking and damage that often occur in canned fruit with low acidity. Adding citric acid into candy as an acid is easy to coordinate with fruit taste. The use of citric acid in gel food, jam and jelly can effectively reduce the negative charge of pectin, so that the hydrogen bond between pectin molecules can bind to gel. When processing canned vegetables, some vegetables show alkaline reaction. Using citric acid as pH regulator can not only play a role in seasoning, but also maintain its quality. Citric acid has the characteristics of chelation and pH regulation, which can increase the performance of antioxidants, inhibit enzyme activity, and extend the shelf life of foods in the processing of quick-frozen foods.

Metal cleaning

Citric acid is an organic acid produced by microbial fermentation. It is widely used in Detergent production. Its specificity and chelation play a positive role. Citric acid has good performance in the actual use process, mainly in terms of safety. The raw materials for preparation of citric acid are from grain, which is a safe food-grade microorganism. The use of citric acid will not affect the environment. It is easy to degrade under the action of microorganisms and heat. Its own chelating ability is also relatively strong. The main reason is that citrate has relatively strong chelating ability for manganese ion and iron ion, and the use effect is also prominent. The corrosion inhibition of citric acid in detergents is also prominent. As an important part of chemical cleaning, acid pickling is relatively weak compared with inorganic acid. Therefore, the corrosivity of citric acid to equipment is relatively small. The safety and reliability of citric acid cleaning is relatively strong, and the waste liquid is relatively easy to be treated, which will not cause harm to human body.

Fine chemical industry

Citric acid is a kind of fruit acid, which is mainly used to accelerate the renewal of cutin, and is commonly used in lotion, cream, shampoos, whitening products, anti-aging products, acne products, etc. Citric acid can be used as chemical analysis reagent in chemical technology, as experimental reagent, chromatographic analysis reagent and biochemical reagent; Used as complexing agent and masking agent; To prepare buffer solution. The use of citric acid or citrate as a detergent aid can improve the performance of washing products, rapidly precipitate metal ions, prevent pollutants from re-attaching to the fabric, and maintain the necessary alkalinity for washing; Disperse and suspend dirt and ash; It is an excellent chelating agent to improve the performance of surfactant; It can be used as a reagent to test the acid resistance of architectural ceramic tiles. Citric acid-sodium citrate buffer is used for flue gas desulfurization. China is rich in coal resources, which constitute the main part of energy. However, there has been a lack of effective flue gas desulfurization technology, resulting in serious atmospheric SO2 pollution. Because of its low vapor pressure, non-toxic, stable chemical properties and high SO2 absorption rate, citric acid-sodium citrate buffer solution is a desulfurization absorbent with great development value.

Sterilization and coagulation process

The combined action of citric acid and 80 ℃ temperature has a good effect on killing bacterial spores, and can effectively kill the contaminated bacterial spores in the pipeline of hemodialysis machine. Calcium ion must be involved in the formation of prothrombin activator and subsequent coagulation process. Citrate ion and calcium ion can form a soluble complex that is difficult to dissociate, thus reducing the concentration of calcium ion in blood and preventing blood coagulation.

Animal breeding

Citric acid is formed by the carboxylation of acetyl coenzyme A and oxaloacetic acid in the body's tricarboxylic acid cycle, and participates in the metabolism of sugar, fat and protein in the body. Natural citric acid exists in the fruits of plants (such as lemon, orange, pineapple, etc.) and in the bones, muscles and blood of animals. Artificial synthesis is made by fermentation of sugar-containing substances such as sugar, molasses, starch, grapes, etc. Adding citric acid to the formula feed can disinfect, prevent mildew and prevent Salmonella from infecting animal feed. Animal intake of citric acid can reduce the proliferation of pathogens, inhibit the production of toxic metabolites, and improve animal stress.

Agriculture

In November 2022, Chinese scientists found that the selection of organic acids (flavors) such as citric acid was completed in the process of watermelon improvement

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