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Acetonitrile is a colorless liquid with a boiling point of 82°C, used
primarily as a solvent. Acetonitrile is a coproduct in the manufacture of acrylonitrile
by ammoxidation of propylene at a rate of about 2% of acrylonitrile production.
Global consumption of acetonitrile is forecast to continue to grow at a rate
of about 5% per year over the next five years. The major growth is expected
for China and India, because of the increasing production of engineered drugs,
generic pharmaceuticals and pesticides taking place in these countries. In
Europe (including Switzerland) the annual growth rate will be slower, whereas
in the United States the market for acetonitrile is expected to remain more
or less flat.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of acetonitrile:
The major use for acetonitrile is
in the pharmaceutical industry in a
variety of applications as an extraction
and processing solvent. It is used
extensively in the isolation of antibiotics,
insulin and vitamins. Pharmaceutical
industry applications have grown rapidly
in recent years and currently represent
more than 70% of global acetonitrile
consumption. In particular, improved
living standards in the industrialized
countries have boosted the use of acetonitrile
in pharmaceutical products for lifestyle
diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease,
atherosclerosis, cancer, hypertension,
Type 2 diabetes).
At present, global acetonitrile capacity
seems to be adequate. However, if the
market continues to grow at the current
pace it might become tight sometime
around 2011. Asahi Kasei of Japan plans
to build up commercial production of
acetonitrile in Thailand. The acetonitrile
would be recovered as a by-product
of a 200 thousand metric ton-per-year
acrylonitrile plant. However, at present
there is no scheduled start-up date,
as the project has not yet been approved.
All producers of acrylonitrile by ammoxidation
of propylene also produce acetonitrile
as a by-product. However, only a few
of them (most notably Ineos and Asahi
Kasei) effectively isolate and refine
acetonitrile at their own facility.
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