Demand of Cyanoacetamide Increases Rapidly
By Yang Weilan

Stable demand increase

Cyanoacetamide is an important intermediate for organic
synthesis. Major cyanoacetamide manufacturers in China are
located in Jiangsu, Shandong and Hubei provinces, including
Changzhou Hengfeng Chemical Co., Ltd., Changzhou Jianhu
Dongfeng Chemical Co., Ltd., Nantong Zhennan Fine Chemical Co.,
Ltd. and Rudong Chanan Fine Chemical Plant. The capacity of
cyanoacetamide in China was 5 200 t/a in 2005, the output was
3 700 tons and the overall operating rate was 71%. The production
can basically meet the downstream demand.
   Cyanoacetamide in China is mainly used to produce water
treatment agent 2,2-dibromo-3-nitrilopropionamide (DBNPA),
flavors and pharmaceutical intermediates. The consumption of
cyanoacetamide in China was 2200 tons in 2005. The consumption
in the water treatment agent sector was 1 800 tons, accounting
for 81.8% of the total. The consumption in pharmaceutical and
other sectors was 400 tons, accounting for 18.2%. The production
can already meet the domestic demand. The import amount was very
small in 2005 and the export amount reached close to 1 500 tons.

    1. DBNPA
DBNPA is a broad-spectrum and high-effect industrial fungicide.
It can kill bacteria, fungi, saccharomycetes and algae to
prevent them from growth and reproduction in industrial
circulation cooling water, metal processing lubricants, paper
pulps, timbers, coatings and plywood boards. It can also be used
as slime control agent. DBNPA has extensive applications in
paper pulps of paper mills and circulation cooling water systems.
It can decompose rapidly in water and is therefore safe to the
environment. All DBNPA produced in China is exported to advanced
countries today. It is expected that the output of DBNPA in China
will increase at an annual rate of 8% in future. The consumption
of cyanoacetamide in this sector will reach 2 645 tons in 2010.

    2. Pharmaceutical and other sectors
Cyanoacetamide is also used to produce flavors and
pharmaceutical intermediates. It is expected that the
consumption of cyanoacetamide in these sectors will maintain at
the present level.

Stable market price

The quoted price of cyanoacetamide in China is RMB32 000-37 000
per ton in recent years. It was RMB34 000-37 000 per ton in 2004
and 2005 and has dropped to RMB33 000 per ton in 2006.