300 Hoechst Celanese, Clear Lake, Tex.
Industrial production is by gas-phase catalytic oxidation of propylene.
Roughly three-quarters of production is converted directly into acrylate esters and the rest is purified into glacial acrylic acid. The latter project would come on line in the 1999-2001 timeframe. Exports of acrylic acid and salts averaged 40 million pounds annually during the 1993-1995 period, but imports were up sharply from 64 million pounds in 1993 to 105 million pounds the following year and 165 million pounds during 1995. All prices, tankcars, frt. SAP demand has pretty well leveled out in developed countries, but producers anticipate another growth surge from nations with emerging economies.