This report reviews the ortho-xylene and naphthalene routes to phthalic anhydride (PAN) production as well as details the separation of ortho-xylene from mixed xylenes and the naphthalene distillation from coal tar.  The PAN cost of production via those two routes for plants located in the United States, Western Europe, South Korea, and China has been estimated for the first quarter of 2016.  Nexant also commented on the motivations behind the recent capacity additions and closures and provided a high-level analysis of the business and strategic considerations, as well as the technology availability from the perspective of a company entering or expanding into the PAN market.  This analysis is underpinned by a review of end-use sector consumption as well as regional market dynamics. 

The report provides an analysis of the commercial acetylene-based and ethylene-based technologies for the production of vinyl acetate monomer (VAM), including a review of proprietary processes developed by major VAM producers. Cost of production estimates are included to illustrate the cost competitiveness of different routes in selected regions. A market review including regional capacities and supply/demand figures is also presented.

This report provides a technical and economic review of formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin production technologies.  Comparative cost of production estimates in the USGC, China and Western Europe are presented for formaldehyde processes using metal oxide and silver catalysts, as well as for batch processes to produce PF, UF and MF resins.  A brief regional market overview is also included.

This report provides a deep technical review of commercial and developing technologies for reformate, benzene and toluene production.  New developments, process descriptions and economics are included.  Cost of production estimates for several conventional and non-conventional reformate and benzene production processes are developed to illustrate the cost competitiveness in selected regions: USGC, Western Europe, Middle East, Southeast Asia, South Korea, and China.  A summary of the current business environment and strategic considerations is also provided along with market projections for supply, demand, and trade.