Carbon Disulfide

*Millions of pounds of carbon disulfide per year. Commercial production is from preheated natural gas, which is mixed with vaporized sulfur, then passed over a silica gel or alumina catalyst.

ATOFINA Chemicals was formerly Elf Atochem North America. Following the merger of TotalFina and Elf Aquitaine, the chemical operation of the combined company was renamed ATOFINA in June 2000.

Profile last published 11/20/00; this revision 8/05/02.

DEMAND
2000: 149 million pounds; 2001: 157 million pounds; 2005: 157 million pounds, projected. Demand equals production plus imports (2000: 1 million pounds; 2001: 2 million pounds) less exports (2000: 9 million pounds; 2001: 15 million pounds).

GROWTH
Historical (1996 - 2001): -2.0 (negative) percent per year; future: 0 percent per year through 2005.

PRICE
Historical (1996 - 2001): High, $485 per ton, t.c., f.o.b. works; low, $465 per ton, same basis. Current: $485 per ton, same basis.

USES
Rayon, 44 percent; agricultural and other chemicals, 35 percent; rubber chemicals, 18 percent; cellophane and other regenerated cellulosics, 3 percent.

STRENGTH
Carbon disulfide is used in the manufacture of rubber vulcanization accelerators such as sulfenamides, mercaptobenzothiazoles, dithiocarbamates and thiurams. Production of carbon disulfide–derived accelerators required 28 million pounds of carbon disulfide in 2001. Demand has increased modestly in the past decade and will likely continue to grow at perhaps 2 percent, and in-line with the rubber products industry. Demand in the agricultural chemicals segment is increasing slightly as the use of metam-sodium N-methyl dithiocarbamate increases. Metam sodium consumption is expected to grow by 2 percent per year as its use in potatoes, peanuts and vegetables continue to grow and from replacement of methyl bromide in some uses (e.g., tomatoes), which is scheduled to be phased out by 2005.

WEAKNESS
Carbon disulfide has been in long decline (from nearly 800 million pounds in 1970, through 360 million pounds in the mid 1980s) but seems have bottomed-out with demand fluctuating about 160 million pounds for the past five years. Its largest market, rayon fibers, represents only 4% of U.S. synthetic fiber production but is remaining stable after loosing share to Asian rayon production and alternative synthetic fibers. Likewise, that portion of carbon disulfide’s decline attributable to the decline in cellophane consumption has also stabilized. Cellophane lost share to competing synthetic films, particularly polypropylene at half the cost. Cellophane still remains strong for specialty applications like hard candy and cigar wrappings.

OUTLOOK
The long decline in carbon disulfide demand appears to be coming to an end, stabilizing near 160 million pounds. New applications for carbon disulfide are not evident. In the future, there will be modest gains in rubber and agricultural chemicals, but these will be offset by equivalent consumption decreases in rayon and cellophane, resulting in zero demand growth through 2005.