Chemical & Engineering News
June 29, 1998
Copyright © 1998 by the American Chemical Society

ORGANIC CHEMICALS: Results mixed, but output for most grew in 1997

	Production												% annual change
Millions of lb unless otherwise noted	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1996-97	1987-97
Acrylonitrile	2,182	2,452	2,609	2,676	2,647	2,829	2,489	3,026	3,207	3,373	3,291	-2%	4%
Aniline	829	1,029	1,016	989	961	1,009	991	1,263	1,391	1,079a	1,339a	24	5
Benzene, mgb,c	1,575	1,608	1,631	1,699	1,569	1,636	1,677	2,074	2,168	2,116	2,342	11	4
1,3-Butadiened	2,931	3,169	3,121	3,088	3,054	3,232	3,117	3,376	3,682	3,845	4,107	7	3
Cumene	4,105	4,455	4,426	4,311	4,168	4,666	4,393	5,217	5,625	5,879	6,119	4	4
Ethylbenzene	9,346	9,929	9,235	8,369	8,871	11,108	9,336	10,758	13,656	10,359a	12,691a	23	3
Ethylene	34,951	37,204	34,988	36,467	39,955	40,924	40,019	44,602	46,966	49,097	51,078	4	4
Ethylene dichloride	12,197	13,028	13,383	13,849	13,713	15,150	17,947	16,762	17,263	11,336a	26,294a	132	8
Ethylene oxide	4,785	5,953	5,031	5,355	5,248	5,829	5,330	7,238	7,621	7,239	8,241	14	6
2-Ethylhexanol	662	743	612	650	657	692	695	732	743	760a	768a	1	1
Isopropyl alcohol	1,371	1,389	1,474	1,456	1,342	1,463	1,272	1,451	1,424	1,384a	1,478a	7	1
Propylenee	19,019	21,224	20,571	21,846	21,549	23,421	21,470	23,943	25,691	25,111	27,533	10	4
Styrene	8,014	8,984	8,337	8,017	8,114	9,000	9,594	11,294	11,386	11,874	11,366	-4	4
Ureaf	14,866	15,828	16,008	16,432	16,266	17,532	16,572	15,904	16,240	17,056	15,530	-9	0
o-Xylene	940	971	983	943	767	918	831	915	1,014	887	1,091	23	2
p-Xylene	5,155	5,601	5,344	5,200	5,350	5,656	5,791	6,255	6,342	6,167	7,789	26	4
Note: As of Oct. 1, 1996, the International Trade Commission no longer collects or publishes annual synthetic organic chemicals data. a Reporting method changed in 1996; data may not be comparable with preceding years. b Tar distillers and coke-oven operators not included. c Specification grades. d Rubber grade. e All grades. f Data from 1995 on are from the Census Bureau. mg=millions of gallons. National Petroleum Refiners Association, Bureau of the Census