LAB: Uses of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB)

Textile Industry - 

Around 95% of LAB being consumed in manufacturing of Synthetic detergents.

Distemper - 

Remaining 5% is used for other products like Liquid detergents, Pesticides and paints.

Q - Is there any other use also, if Yes is the answer - then kindly update us with your esteemed Knowledge.

PLANTS : Linear Alkyl Benzene in INDIA

INDIA ONE OF THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER OF LAB IN THE WORLD

In the Indian LAB market, there are four major producers of LAB in India, namely Reliance group, Indian Oil Corporation, Tamil Nadu Petro Products and Nirma.

India is reeling under over supply of LAB, as the domestic demand is comparatively lower than the domestic capacity and production. The total domestic demand is estimated at around 300000 TPA, while the capacity is close to 500000 TPA. The players are exporting their surplus to ensure higher capacity utilization.

Reliance Industries is the largest player in the Indian LAB sector with dominant share of the capacity amounting to 185000 tonne per annum. RIL is also the 5^th largest producer of LAB in world.

IOC has established world's largest single-train LAB plant in Baroda with an installed capacity of 120000 TPA in August 2004.

Tamil Nadu Petroproducts has LAB capacity of 120000 TPA. 

Nirma follows it with installed capacity of 75000 tonne. Of these, Nirma uses substantial portion of its production for captive use in production of detergents.

During the month of September 2012, India imported approx. 23500 MT of Linear Alkyl Benzene which is  a very huge quantity in-spite-of having the excess production of the LAB in the country.

Can anyone know the reason behind the imports??

News: Iran exempts select polymers, aromatics from export ban

07 November 2012 Source: ICIS

SINGAPORE (ICIS) - Iran has announced on Wednesday the exemption of certain petrochemicals like polyethylene (PE) from its proposed export ban, a source from state-owned Petrochemical Commercial Co (PCC) said.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), styrene monomer (SM), benzene, caustic soda, melamine and linear alkyl benzene (LAB) will also be taken out of the list of commodities on which the ban will apply, the source said, citing an official announcement from the Iran government on 7 November.

“It doesn’t make sense that PE exports are banned. We are a major seller to Asia. Our market share will be severely affected if the ban continues,” the PCC source said.

A UAE-based polymer trader said: “We have just received the news as well. So, now it is a matter of time when the [Iranian] customs will resume the clearance of the exports again.”

Author: Ong Sheau Ling

News: Benzene worth Rs 33 crore seized by DRI

Press Trust of India - November 20, 2012

Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has seized Linear Alkyl Benzene worth Rs 33 crore at Mundra port after a city-based trader allegedly misdeclared its country of origin, officials said.

"A consignment of 3,233 metric tonnes of LAB has been seized at Mundra port. A local trader, who imported it, had misdeclared the country of origin," a DRI official said.

As per the bills, the chemical which is used in the detergent industry, was declared to have been imported from Dubai. However, upon verification, it was found to have been brought from Iran, the official said.

The chemical was meant to be supplied to the industry in Gujarat as well as in other states.

Further investigations are underway.

Welcome: Hello Everyone

Hi Everyone,

Welcome to my Blog!!!

I am Manu Mittal an MBA from University of Petroleum and Energy Studies(Energy Trading) working as a Business Analyst in Advance Group India.

Advance Group is the Largest Sulphonator in the country with the installed capacity of 1,68,000 TPA.

As a Sulphonator we need LAB as a raw material  for our plants so as a BA i need to find out lots and lots of information on this chemical so I start my research work I found lots of useful information available on the sites.

But I am still wondering how it's possible that there is not even a single blog made by anybody on the most amazing chemic in the world yeah the most amazing chemic and that is LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE (LAB) the SPECIALTY CHEMICAL.

LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE is a family of organic compounds which is used for making detergents sometimes called LAB's.

I welcome you all to my blog on LINEAR ALKYL BENZENE 

I try my best to make this blog as useful and informative as possible.

If any of you are in urgent need of any kind of information related to LAB kindly mail me on  manumittal19@gmail.com i will try my best to solve your query as soon as possible.