Acetonitrile price shoots up in Indian markets on low imports – 29 Apr 2014

Irregular arrival of import shipments of Acetonitrile have caused shortage of the chemical in Indian markets, resulting in price of the chemical going up remarkably. Prices of the chemical escalated to around Rs 250-260 per kg from the rates of around Rs 190 a kg, prevailed during the last 2-3 months.

As a matter of fact, India is hither to devoid of any Acetonitrile manufacturing plant, so the entire demand for the chemical has to be catered through imports. The bulk of the imports come into the country from Taiwan, and Imperial Chemical Corporation and Formosa Plastics Group are the major exporters of the chemical to India.
 

Several traders in the country told Indianpetrochem that the price is likely to reach the Rs 300 per kg mark, if adequate import consignments do not reach the country's shores, as demand is quite strong to push up the price.
 

Acetonitrile is used in  synthesis of pharmaceutical products and  intermediates to produce pesticide. Industrially, it is also used as a solvent in the purification of Butadiene and in the manufacturing of photographic film. In fat and oil processing, fatty acids can be extracted from animal and vegetable oil with Acetonitrile, besides being used as a coloring material in the textile industry.