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Cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone are primarily captively consumed, either isolated or as a mixture, in the production of nylon intermediates (adipic acid and caprolactam); less than 10% is consumed in markets other than nylon. About 80% of production is based on cyclohexane raw material; the remainder is based on phenol (and 2% on toluene). The following pie chart shows consumption of cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone by region:
World production of cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone in 2004 was 5.7 million metric tons; capacity utilization was 85%. Since most cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone are captively consumed on site for the production of adipic acid and caprolactam, only minor amounts enter the world’s trade markets (cyclohexane, a precursor, is more widely traded).
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