Xenon – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the thirty-first 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 xenon.  The primary purpose of these blogs is to present estimates of recent price, production, and sales revenues for the chemicals.  The last blog in this series will compare price, production, and sales revenues data for all the chemicals.  

Uses.  Uses of xenon include: 

• In lamps and other locations as a source of light, when subject to an electrical charge;
• As an anesthetic;
• In producing xenon difluoride used in semiconductor manufacturing;
• In lasers; and
• As a fuel in electrical propulsion systems. 

Prices.   Because xenon is mostly sold in small-quantity sizes, bulk (metric ton) xenon prices are not readily available.   

Using estimated 2019 global xenon sales revenues found in marketing report information on the internet, which are in the $190 million to $220 million range, and an estimated 2019 global xenon production in the 50,000 to 53,000 metric ton (mt) (17 million liters to 18 million liters)  range, provides an estimated global 2019 xenon price range of $3,585 per mt to $4,400 per mt ($190 million divided by 53,000 mt; $220 million divided by 50,000 mt). 

Production.  Xenon is produced by the fractional distillation of liquid air. 

From the internet, estimated 2019 global production of xenon is in the 50,000 to 53,000 mt range. 

Xenon 2019 global sales revenues are estimated to be in the $190 million to $220 million range.