Introduction:

Bulk chemicals are there in your kitchen, and in your household products such as ammonia in your cleaning supplies, the fertilizers used in your garden, and sulphuric acid used in your batteries. The plastic items you use every day. These are manufactured in large quantities and thus you can call bulk chemicals, building blocks for creating a wide range of products. They are manufactured in bulk quantities as they are needed in large amounts and utilized across several industries. Since they are cheaper to make or their cost of production is low, it enables you to buy things like plastics, and cleaning products at affordable prices. Since now you have understood the importance of bulk chemicals, we have tried to explore them in other aspects as well. In this article, we have brought you the latest trends followed, the fluctuations, economic impacts, and the overall outlook of the industry. Let’s begin.

Most predominant bulk chemicals:

Ethylene:

Ethylene serves as a fundamental building block for various industrial applications and they are utilized in the production of polyethylene production, specifically the low-density polyethylene which is used in the production of plastic bags, films, containers, and other packaging materials. Then they are also used in high-density polyethylene which includes sturdy plastic bottles, pipes, household goods, and industrial containers.

Some of the key applications of ethylene include:

Ethylene glycol: Ethylene glycol is intensively used as an antifreeze in automobile engines as it has a lower freezing point and is appropriate to keep the radiator of the vehicles cool throughout the winter. Increasing advancements in the automobile industry are paving the way for the demand for ethylene glycol. Similarly, several end-user industries use ethylene glycol as their feedstock. They are widely used in the production of PET and polyester fibres, textile and apparel industries garment manufacturing, home furnishings, carpets and rugs. However, the regulations imposed on the food industry forbid the usage of ethylene glycol in PET due to its toxicity. However there are no substitutes for the production of PET containers and bottles, therefore the demand for ethylene glycol is expected to increase in the future.

Butyl Glycol:

Butyl Glycol is known for its opportunities and its characteristic as a low-volatility solvent helps it serve various commercial and industrial uses. The majority of the chemicals are utilized in the paint and coatings industry as it helps to improve the flow of the paints and coatings.

Then they are utilized in the printing ink industry where they are utilized as a solvent in textile dyes and printing inks, they are also used as a key component of hydraulic fluids.

Meanwhile, its contribution to the cutting and drilling functions of the oil extraction processes is huge and it is recognized as the most appropriate compound as an oil spill dispersant product.

The contribution and role of 4- Butyl glycol in the chemical industry has been further explored and several applications and innovations are emerging as well.

Butyl glycol is renowned in the production of inks and the related industry, as it helps in achieving the desired viscosity and drying time. These factors ensure the inks adhere well to various substrates, especially in the high-speed printing processes where quick drying and consistencies are crucial.

Recent studies have demonstrated that they could play a significant role in pharmaceutical formulations, especially as a solvent for Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API). Its compatibility with varied compounds and low toxicity profile have made it a promising compound for drug delivery systems. Meanwhile, they are also expected to play a crucial role in the personal care industry as solvents, and stabilizers for specific formulations such as lotions, creams, and perfumes.

Recent revenue analysis stated that the sales of butyl glycol is expected to surpass USD 4 billion by 2030 and the market players and manufacturers are making required attempts to adopt several market strategies, such as mergers, collaborations and partnerships. Leading companies across the globe are making vigorous efforts such as acquisitions, mergers and collaborations to widen their production capacities and raise to meet the demand.

Some of the key instances are:

In July, BASF SE, a multinational company that belongs to Germany declared their plan to expand its tert-butylamine capacity. This has created an opportunity for them to increase their production capacity by up to 30%.

In August 2021, Sinopec and BASF decided to collaborate which has also created space to increase the production capacities and numerous chemical manufacturing units that boosted the product scope in the market.

Bulk chemicals industry outlook:

The key factor in the chemical industry or any sector is sustainability. Talking about sustainability in the chemical production processes filters down to the feedstock since it contributes about 70-80% of the production costs. The bulk chemical production processes define their feedstock requirements into three basic factors:
 

Consider some of the common feedstocks and their associated challenges. Glucose is considered the most appropriate feedstock for several bulk-chemical products, however, refined glucose is limited in stock even though they are renewable and relatively cheap.

Vegetable oils of different types may look attractive, but they are available in small quantities.
Presently, the industry is expecting changes that include using cheaper reagents or supplying the reagents from an alternative platform, the biological improvements using metabolic engineering or protein engineering.

For the production of bulk chemicals, the manufacturers invest in the development of industrial enzymes, as they help target specific reactions without producing unwanted by-products. These specific reactions eliminate the requirement of purification steps and increase the overall yield of the desired product. Meanwhile, the enzymes are capable of operating under mild temperatures cutting down the cost of energy consumption and reducing the need for harsh chemicals, thereby making the production processes more environmentally friendly and cost-effective.

Nevertheless, the development of industrial enzymes has always been a costly affair and with time it has grown overly costly. Likewise, the average development time for the industrial enzyme comes close to seven years which involves screening, yield improvement, safety testing, stabilization, cloning and immobilization development. Therefore it would be fair to draft a thumb rule that an enzyme should be able to yield an annual turnover of a minimum of 5 million USD to pay back the development cost of the enzymes. Similarly, the enzyme costs fall between 0.5 and 5% of the total production costs of the given production for a specific product. On the other hand, enzymes can be sensitive to changes in temperature, pH, and other environmental conditions. Additionally, the enzyme specificity acts as an advantage and limitations as well. They require multiple industrial processes to act on a variety of substrates or require under diverse conditions necessitating extensive engineering and optimization.

Case studies:

Case study 1: Novozymes and DuPont-developed cellulases and amylases :

To produce a renewable energy source, bioethanol from biomass such as corn stover, sugarcane bagasse and other agricultural residues the manufacturers utilize avid hydrolysis to break down the biomass into fermentable sugars, which are then fermented by yeast to produce ethanol.

This method requires a large amount of energy and generates harmful by-products. Therefore Novozymes and DuPont developed a suite of cellulases and amylases that convert cellulose and starch into fermentable sugars.

The benefits include an increased yield of fermentable sugars from biomass that leads to higher ethanol production and operating at lower temperatures and pressures that significantly reduce the energy requirements. Correspondingly the utilization of renewable biomass feedstocks has impacted the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that aligns with the sustainability goals, thereby providing a greener alternative to fossil fuels.

Case study 2: Novozymes produced acrylamide using nitrile hydratase:

Polymers production is majorly dependent on the important chemical called acrylamide, and they have applications in water treatment, paper manufacturing, and other industries. The conventional production process of acrylamide involves hydration of acrylonitrile using sulfuric acid which is considered a hazardous procedure and environmentally damaging as well.

Thus, Novozymes developed Nitrile Hydratase, an enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of acrylonitrile to acrylamide under milder conditions and avoids sulfuric acid.

This enzyme production has paved the way for some benefits that include: higher specificity which leads to increasing process efficiency with minimal by-products. Similarly, mild conditions are required for the reaction to occur thus making the process highly cost efficient and safer. This process has also eliminated the environmental impact, where it reduced the risk of chemical spills, which contributed to a cleaner production process.

Case study 3: Procter and Gamble come up with the idea of combining proteases, lipases, amylases and cellulases into their laundry detergents.

Procter and Gamble have incorporated the combination of proteases, lipases, amylases and cellulases into the laundry detergents. These enzymes have a richer capacity to target types of stains, and dirt and break them down effectively at lower temperatures. The enzymes are added to the detergent formulation and during the washing, the proteases break down the protein-based stains and lipases focus on fats and oils. The amylases target the carbohydrate stains and cellulases focus on removing the microfibrils and enhancing the fabric smoothness.

Therefore the overall end product gives the result of enhanced cleaning and the enzymes blend effectively and remove a wide range of stains which improves the overall cleaning performance of laundry.

Bulk chemicals market trends:

The key market players are bringing in advancements that focus on product quality, and energy usage. The advanced technologies accentuate optimization when the processes are carried out in batches and continuous operations.

Aspen Plus®: Process Simulation for Chemicals – Aspentech:

One of the leading software industries which has expanded itself in 60 locations across the globe has developed Aspen Plus®. Aspen Plus is an advanced process simulation technology that is highly beneficial for bulk chemicals, specialty chemicals and the pharmaceutical industry. The powerful modelling technology streamlines engineering and improves the overall performance of the plant by drafting an accurate representation of the design and operations.
The technology creates a solution to model the processes of the plant thereby developing insights to improve their designs and further optimize the performance.

The software helps the chemical manufacturers to reach their ambitious production goals and net zero targets while reducing the operation costs, and maximizing the performance, safety, sustainability and overall plant efficiency.

Takeaway:

The advancements in biotechnology and genetic engineering impart greater influence in the bulk chemical industry thereby making the outlook for the bulk chemicals industry more promising. The continued development and application of industrial enzymes are expected to drive innovation and growth. These are all backed up by the push and increasing prioritizing of sustainability and efficiency in the chemical production processes. Like the case studies presented examples right from bioethanol to laundry enzymes, they highlight the transformative impact of enzyme technology across diverse sectors, especially in the bulk chemicals industry.