Propene (Propylene) – Uses, Prices, and Production

This blog is the twenty-ninth 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 propene.  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 propene include: 

• As a feed stock for producing the polymer polypropylene (60 to 70% of total);
• As a feed stock for producing several chemicals; and
• As a fuel. 

Prices.  Propane prices in 2019 were in the $775 per metric ton (mt) range. 

Production.  From the internet, estimated 2019 global production of propene is in the 110 to 130 million mt range.  

Using 110 and 130 million mt produced and an average propene price of $775 (see Prices above) gives 2019 global sales revenues generated by propene in the $85 to $101 billion range (110 million mt times $775 per mt and 130 million mt times $775 per mt).