What is the impact of vinyl chloride leakage on the market and prices?
The leakage of vinyl chloride originated from the derailment of a train carrying the toxic chemical vinyl chloride in the East Palestinian town of Ohio.
As a toxic, flammable and colorless gas, vinyl chloride can be transmitted through air and water, and is harmful to human respiratory system, eyes, skin, nervous system, reproductive system, etc.
In the list of carcinogens published by the International Agency for Cancer Research of the World Health Organization, vinyl chloride is listed as "Class 1" carcinogen, and long-term inhalation can cause brain cancer, lung cancer or blood cancer.
In industry, vinyl chloride is mainly used in the production of polyvinyl chloride resin (PVC), and part of it is used as dye and perfume extractant.
"PVC is the largest downstream product. The combustion of vinyl chloride can produce toxic gases such as phosgene and hydrogen chloride. Phosgene can cause vomiting and dyspnea, and may even cause death in the most acute contact.
In terms of industry, the reporter learned from many insiders that at present, the majority of domestic and foreign suppliers of vinyl chloride (VCM) are vinyl chloride, such as Shanghai chlor-alkali, Xinpu Chemical, etc., while the suppliers of calcium carbide method sell less VCM, and generally produce downstream PVC directly as an intermediate.
"At present, the domestic VCM/PVC industry chain has basically achieved self-sufficiency, and the future market development direction is to further expand overseas markets," Xu Linna told reporters.
When talking about the impact of the leakage of vinyl chloride in Ohio on the market and price of vinyl chloride, Xu Linna told reporters, "The total amount of vinyl chloride (VCM) loaded on derailed trains is not large, and the cargo volume may only account for 2% of the annual capacity of the local vinyl chloride (VCM) in the United States, which has limited impact on the supply side. The capacity of PVC resin (PVC) affected along the railway is also small, and the upstream and downstream supply chains are generally limited by the derailment incident. At present, the price is not affected by the incident."
Polyvinyl Chloride Resin SG-5
Tianjin Dagu Chemicals PVC Resin DG-1300