Hydrogen Cyanide  

*Millions of pounds per year of hydrogen cyanide (HCN) as primary product (P) and as a byproduct of acrylonitrile production (B). Most product is consumed captively, usually on the production site or adjacent to it.

The Aventis Animal Nutrition plant in Institute, W. Va., was formerly owned by Rhone-Poulenc. Aventis was formed in December 1999, by the merger of Rhone-Poulenc and Hoechst. In November 2001 Aventis S.A. signed an agreement with the private equity company CVC Capital Partners for the sale of its Animal Nutrition business. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2002.

The Novartis Crop Protection plant in St. Gabriel, La., was formerly owned by CIBA-Geigy. Novartis was formed in 1997, by the merger of CIBA-Geigy and Sandoz.

In July 2001 Sterling Chemical Holdings and certain of its US subsidiaries filed voluntary petitions for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Entities included in the filing included the company's manufacturing facilities in Texas City, Tex., Pace Fla., and Valdosta, Ga.

Canada has no production of HCN, and Mexico's HCN production totals about 55 million pounds annually as byproduct from acrylonitrile plants operated by Pemex.

Profile last published 11/23/98; this revision, 11/12/01.

DEMAND
1999: 1,605 million pounds; 2000: 1,615 million pounds; 2004: 1,838 million pounds, projected. There is no apparent foreign trade in HCN.

GROWTH
Historical (1995 - 2000): 1.7 percent per year; future: 2.7 percent per year through 2004.

PRICE
Historical (1995 - 2000): High, $0.60, 99.5 percent, tanks, works; low, $0.60, same basis. Current: $0.60, same basis. HCN is usually consumed at its point of production or sold as an "over the fence transfer." A list price of $0.60 has been in effect since 1990.

USES
Adiponitrile (for nylon 6/6), 47 percent; acetone cyanohydrin (for methyl methacrylate), 27 percent; sodium cyanide, 8 percent; methionine, 6 percent; chelating agents, 2 percent; cyanuric chloride, 2 percent; miscellaneous, including nitrilotriacetic acid and salts, 8 percent.

STRENGTH
HCN’s largest consumer is adiponitrile, used to manufacture nylon, and demand has remained strong and is growing at 2.9 percent annually. This is because demand for nylon is steady and its market is tight. Noteworthy is nylon’s penetration into new applications; particularly in the automobile industry. Here, nylon is replacing metal components beneath the hood. The second largest application sector is methyl methacrylate, used primarily for the manufacture of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) resins. This too is remaining relatively strong in the weakening economy. Annual growth for HCN here is forecast at 2.5 percent.

WEAKNESS
The declining price of gold has led to a decline in sodium cyanide demand in the mining industry in the western US; the chemical's primary driver. Offsetting this mining demand in the US somewhat, is trade. The US has been a strong net exporter of sodium cyanide since 1986. In 1999, 51 percent of production was exported. Overall, however, HCN’s consumption in sodium cyanide is declining, about 1 percent annually.

OUTLOOK
Overall demand for HCN continues to grow at above the GDP rate; about 2.7 percent. This chiefly due to the relatively strong performance of nylon 6/6 and methyl methacrylate going into consumer end products. Strong exports of adiponitrile and sodium cyanide continue to be key growth factors for HCN. Use of HCN in the production of cyanuric chloride is not expected to grow as triazine herbicides, cyanuric chloride's largest outlet, remain under EPA scrutiny and cyanazine is scheduled to be phased out.