Benzoic acid, a crystalline white solid, is produced commercially by air oxidation of toluene.
Most material is consumed captively in the production of a variety of industrial chemicals.
Much of Kalama Chemical's benzoic acid is used captively in its toluene oxidation process for phenol. In phase two of an ongoing expansion program, Kalama will raise benzoic acid capacity to about 210 million pounds in the spring of 1997. Phase one involved expansion of benzaldehyde and benzyl alcohol facilities. Velsicol has formed a joint venture with RasKiviter, the Estonian government chemical company, to operate a benzoic acid facility at Kohtla Jarve, Estonia. Cultor, Ltd., which acquired Pfizer Inc.'s food science group in January 1996, supplies sodium and potassium benzoates produced through a tolling agreement.