| US oxo-alcohols market quiet |
The US oxo-alcohols market was quiet this week as industry participants took a break for the Thanksgiving holiday, sources said during the week that ended on 23 November.
At least three oxo-alcohols producers, Eastman Chemical, Oxea and Sasol, last week announced 3 cent/lb ($66/tonne, €51/tonne) increases for n-butanol and isobutanol to take effect on 1 December. Eastman has also posted a 3 cent/lb increase for 2-ethylhexanol (2-EH).
The proposed price increases are attributed by producers to higher costs for raw materials and energy.
Demand, meanwhile, continues to grow steadily, bolstered by recovery in the home construction and automotive industries. In the US, new home starts during October were reported by the Department of Commerce this week to be 840,000 units. While that is a long way from the average of 1.5m monthly starts before the arrival of the recession in 2008, it is 42% greater than the number of starts reported in October 2011.
Dioctyl phthalate (DOP) prices were assessed by traders as steady amid very limited activity. DOP prices in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America continue to be heard in the range of 105-115 cents/lb FOB US port.
US di-isononyl phthalate (DINP) is trading in a range of 107-111 cents/lb, steady from recent levels, sources said.
Dioctyl terephthalate (DOTP) was said to be trading in a range of 107-112 cents/lb for November material, a source said.
Prices for di-propyl heptyl phthalate (DPHP) were heard in the range of 117-119 cents/lb, steady from a week earlier.
The non-phthalate plasticizers dioctyl adipate (DOA) and trioctyl trimellitate (TOTM) were heard talked in the range of 130-140 cents/lb.
The non-phthalate plasticizer 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid di-isononyl ester (DINCH) is said to be priced at 134-136 cents/lb.
Feedstock
US refinery-grade propylene (RGP) traded flat from a week earlier at 50.50 cents/lb, while polymer-grade propylene (PGP) inched up slightly. Trade was thin because of the Thanksgiving holiday.
($1 = €0.78)
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