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OAR Box 1872 

Prepped by Keeia Richards 

Document Number: 

138) 11-1-191 

Docket Number: 

A-90-19 

Printed 11/26/2008 8:52:04 AM Sheet 138 of 204 
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;"•<".:-•<.': >*.*V' ..*; •,•?•?'* •+'*-•:**—J.""- *'"*->*' ^ 

CHEMICAL PROFILE 

METHYL CHLORIDE March 9.1992 

SUPPLY * . «,,.;... ^ „ ,. . * » *.V^- ' • J 

PRODUCER : ~ '- £ r *•-«- . CAPACITY* 

Dow, Freeport, Tex : ; .""M*.v....7...55 

Dow, Plaquemine, La .' r ..- . 175 

Dow Corning, Carrorton.Ky ..i........40 0 

Dow Coming, Midland, Mich ; .L...50 

GE Plastics, Waterford, NY :..:..." 90 

Occidental, Belle, W.Va *. V : i". 96 

Vulcan, Geismar, La ; i.., .*• 54 

Vulcan, Wichita, Kan. *...: ...T. :....4 8 

i6iTotai ^........C.^:....%.....£............96 6 

'Millions of pounds annually. Capacities are flexible as other chtoromethanes can be. 

produced in the same facility. LCP Chemicals permanently closed its 25 million 

pound plant "at Mouhdsville, W.Va., in August 1991 * Vista's 115 million pound plant at 

Lake Charles, La., was closed in late 1991. Vulcan began producing methyl chloride 

early in 1991 after modifying its plants at Geismar, La., and Wichita, Kan. Dow 

Corning recently doubled its capaeity.ln addition, over 200 million pounds of capacity is used captively by Dow, Occidental and Vulcan to make other chloromethanes. 

GE Plastics and Dow Coming consume all of their methyl chloride output captively In 

silicone production. Profile last published 3/20/89; this revision 3/9/92. >, 

! ^ . -v , ,*•-; • DEMAND . '.r,« -"-..i - r . <.y 

1991:785 million pounds; 1992:795 million pounds; 1996:845 million pounds 

(Includes exports of about 15 million pounds in 1991, which accounted for 2 

percent of US production, imports are negligible).

 r" " *"•<.,*•/ •--*.-

:-VK v i ; GROWTH — ifr 

Historical (1982-1991): 8.9 percent per year, future: 1 to 2 percent'per year 

through 1996. - -. ' ' „, .*."'''-" , r*> <•"•"•-.;;., 

PRICE - \, * /;- ; .«., . . -„. ,*-,/-% : *'. 

Historical (1952-1992): High, 28c. per pound, ind., bulk, tanks, works; low, 

6.5c. per pound, same basis. Current 26c. to 28c. per pound, same basis/ -* ;'-

r

r • trt -V' -s t i 4r USES - ^-: \ 

; Silicones, 79 percent; methyl ceflulose, 7 percent; agricultural chemicals, 5 

percent, quatemary amines, 5 percent, butyl rubber, 2 percent, miscellaneous, 2 

percent. ,•>__-•-* ' •>•».«•!£•"£••' 

STRENGTH '-; * ' • V" >....-*i;.U.^ ,#iV-:tfyt j 

Use in Reproduction of methyl chtorosilaihes — .interrnedlatesin the production of silicone fluids, easterners and resins -— has been expanding about 2 to 3 

percent per year. Demand for methyl chloride-derived ceflulose ethers is growing 

at a similar rate...": V.,..; ^v •« * J^'-v: >-»C*r .-v rt,-~V-f?.-:r~ -t??$'$t'^*"A* 

WEAKNESS -- : -:* ;:^#S^ 3 ^"^^^-^^^^^XBi^l 

^ Herbicide prodiiction and other agriwltural appTications are considered rr»-

ture, while butyl rubber production is only growing about 1 percent per year.if ~' 

OUTLOOK •* r*^r •- #: v . t% ;.^~^ .-.^ $7»t#»j>Afe 

.: Many existing sfficone markets are mature, but producers are devekxsng new 

high-performance products for aerospace and military applications. Longer 

term, sBicone-based materials may also penetrate the engineering plastics:rno*» 

ket. Slightly greater tiian GNP-type growth InchtorbformproductkDn srrould 

continue to be a bright spot for captive methyl chloride demand.';. 

A-90-19 

11-1-191 

By DON I 

ABS PROJECT: An announcement ma 

Industrial Corp., that the Taiwanese co 

million pound-a-year acrylonitrile-but. 

port Industrial Complex at Route 146 i 

indicated earlier (CMR, 12/30/91, pg.. 

stream in 1994. 

Chi Mei, which has 1.1 billion pound* 

adding 330 million pounds there by 19! 

resins producer. It's thought the firm • 

exporting a portion of US output with; 

confidentiality agreements, speculatit 

this sort in Houston. 

PILLAR OF SMOKE: At 9:15 a.m. Fe 

ing in an employees' parking lot at th< 

Chemical, nicked a ten-inch NGL pipe 

Within seconds an explosion ensued. 1 

burning ethane and propane could be: 

The blast knocked out electricity tc 

Because of the electrical failure, som 

stack. Nine firefighters and a gate gu 

released. The fire took most of the dc 

valvedshut. 

Despite the magnitude of the spect 

which, according to Texaco plant spo 

down in an orderly manner." She sta 

the shift had just completed a course 

previous, so were well-prepared. "Th 

The fire was about 400 yards from 

pipeline did not supply the complex, 

stages last week and product was bei 

inspection of another nearby gas pip 

BIG THREE EXPANSION: Big Thr 

Air Liquide, will build a $66-million. 

facility at Port Neches. The air sepa 

oxygen and nitrogen, mostly for a ne 

tion by Texaco Chemical nearby. 

The balance ol the output will feet 

pipeline network. The gas turbine-p 

megawatts of electricity for the air: 

steam for the Texaco Chemical fad! 

NISSAN-MONSANTO: Director R.. 

has welcomed Nissan Chemical Indi 

joint venture with Monsanto Chemit 

and spa chemicals in St. Charles Pa: 

the materials at its Luling, La., plar. 

LYONDELL STARTS STILL: The f 

of it Houston refinery back on strea 

92, pg. 42.) Crude runs are now abo 

A fluid cat cracker is due on in midruns to 265,000 b/d. 

WFI 
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