Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – May 2020

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is May 2020.

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the April 2020 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the April alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.  Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in short supply status are not listed.

Section I.

None

Section II.   Shortages Reported in May not found on the Previous Month’s List

Pharmaceutical-grade ethanol:  Canada; supply not keeping up with demand

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as: 

1.  Mining not keeping up with demand: none

2.  Production not keeping up with demand: none

3.  Government regulations: none

4.  Sources no longer available: none

5.  Insufficient imports:  none

6.  Supply not keeping up with demand: pharmaceutical-grade ethanol

Phosphoric Acid – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the eleventh in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on phosphoric acid.  The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.

Uses.  Uses of phosphoric acid include:

Ø  As a source of phosphate salts used as fertilizers (80 to 90% of use);

Ø  As a supplement in animal feeds (~6%);

Ø  In water treatment for removing various metal ions and in pH control;

Ø  As flavoring in food products;

Ø  In tooth pastes for pH control;

Ø  In surface treatment of metals to prevent corrosion, to clean surfaces;

Ø  As a dental cement; and

Ø  Others.

Prices.  An average 2019 global phosphoric acid price range is estimated to be $600 to $800 per metric ton (mt).   

Production.  Most phosphoric acid is made by treating phosphate-containing minerals with sulfuric acid.   Much of the difficulty in this process involves removing impurities.   For higher purity phosphoric acid, phosphorus is oxidized by heat and then added to water.

From the internet, estimated 2019 global sales of phosphoric acid is in the $35 billion range.  Using $35 billion of sales and an average per mt price of $700 (see Prices above) gives 50 million mt of phosphoric acid sold globally in 2019 ($35 billion divided by $700 per mt).

Nitric Acid – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the tenth in a series of blogs I plan to write providing use, price, and production data on high-use inorganic and organic chemicals.  Click here to see the first blog in this series and a list of chemicals to be featured.  This blog provides data on nitric acid.  The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.

Uses.  Uses of nitric acid include:

Ø  In the preparation of several chemical products such as: fertilizers (especially ammonium nitrate); explosives; adipic acid (used to make nylon); toluene diisocyanate (used to make polyurethane); and nitrobenzene (used to make dyes);

Ø  In metallurgy, e.g., in extracting metals to corresponding oxides and nitrates; and

Ø  In uranium processing.

About 75 to 80% of nitric acid use is for making fertilizers.  Nitric acid strong oxidizing property accounts for its usefulness.  Most nitric acid is used internally, i.e., by the company for making other chemicals.   About 10% is estimated to be sold externally.

Prices.  An average 2019 global nitric acid price range is estimated to be $350 to $400 per metric ton (mt).           

Production.  Nitric acid is primarily made from the catalytic oxidation of ammonia to nitrogen oxide, which is then oxidized to nitrogen dioxide.  The nitrogen dioxide is dissolved in water to make nitric acid.

From the internet, estimated 2019 global sales of nitric acid is in the $22 billion range.  Using $22 billion of sales and an average per mt price of $375 (see Prices above) gives 59 million mt of nitric acid sold globally in 2019 ($22 billion divided by $375 per mt).

Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert – April 2020

The purpose of this blog is to identify chemical and metal shortages reported on the Internet.  The sources of the information reported here are primarily news releases issued on the Internet.  The issue period of the news releases is April 2020.

Section I below lists those chemicals and metals that were on the previous month’s Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list and continue to have news releases indicating they are in short supply. Click here to read the March 2020 Chemical and Metal Shortage Alert list.

Section II lists the new chemicals and metals (not on the March alert).  Also provided is some explanation for the shortage and geographical information.  This blog attempts to list only actual shortage situations – those shortages that are being experienced during the period covered by the news releases.  Chemicals and metals identified in news releases as only being in danger of being in short supply status are not listed.

Section I.

None

Section II.   Shortages Reported in April not found on the Previous Month’s List

Carbomer (poly acrylic acid): global; supply not keeping up with demand

Carbon dioxide (for carbonization): United States; supply not keeping up with demand

Ethanol (for use in disinfectants): Switzerland; sources no longer available

Melt blown filtering fibers: global; supply not keeping up with demand

Quaternary ammonium compounds (quats): global; supply not keeping up with demand

Reagents used in coronavirus test kits: global; supply not keeping up with demand

Reasons for Section II shortages can be broadly categorized as: 

1.  Mining not keeping up with demand: none

2.  Production not keeping up with demand: none

3.  Government regulations: none

4.  Sources no longer available: ethanol

5.  Insufficient imports:  none

6.  Supply not keeping up with demand: carbomer; carbon dioxide; melt blown filtering fibers; quaternary ammonium compounds (quats); reagents used in coronavirus test kits