Acrylonitrile - Vinyl Chloride Latex

[shvet]

Good day, forum

I'm a petrochemical process engineer and have no knowledge in latex. Our client has a facility ~10kt/y that was shut down and preserved for storing. This facility produced a fiber from acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride through latex stage. Now client asks us to use latex stage for latex production.

Is there a latexman (sorry for play of words)? Does anybody know is ACN-VC latex still competitive? Can it find any customers?

Latex description:
1. Copolymers:
- acrilonitrile (CAS 107-13-1) purity >99.5%
- vinyl chloride (CAS 75-01-4) purity >99.8%
- AMPS (CAS 15214-89-8)
2. Form - granuls / pills
3. Purity:
- H2O < 4% weight
- agents (emulsifier etc.) < 0.15% weight
- colour - transparent
- dissolves in acetone

Can anybody share any links with more information about latex. Which one form of latex I deal with? Is ACN-VC latex used only for fiber or it has wide application?
Sorry for indistinct question - I panic. I know nothing about latex and don't understand what I should start with.

 

[Latexman]

I know very little about ACN/VC copolymers and their application. Was too low a sales volume or price the problem? Where is this plant for sale? I think a detailed market analysis done by a knowledgeable team of people is the first step. Don't be too fixed on it making ACN/VC copolymers. Those tanks/pumps/lines can probably handle many, many different monomers. The tough job is finding the optimum choice of which monomers making which products in which form for the minimum capital cost to the assets. It's a tough job. This is impossible to cover in an internet forum. It is a 1-3 year effort for several people of different disciplines - marketing, sales, R&D, Engineering, logistics, operations, etc.

Good luck,
Latexman

To a ChE, the glass is always full - 1/2 air and 1/2 water.

 

[Compositepro]

A google search should answer your questions. I was not aware of ACN/VC copolymers even though I worked in a PVC plant long ago. I came across this:
PVC Modified NBR is adding PVC to the NBR backbone. This improves ozone resistance for application that are exposed to environment but need oil and fuel resistance.

 

[shvet]

Was too low a sales volume or price the problem?

The sum of problems:
- VC price
- VC procurement
- agents procurement (initiators, emulsifiers, pigments etc.)
- sales volume
My opinion is that client had not enough technical and management level. State administration has some birth defects.

I think a detailed market analysis done by a knowledgeable team of people is the first step.

There is no this team to my regret. A market decision is usually taken by a bureaucrat or an engineer at best.

Don't be too fixed on it making ACN/VC copolymers. Those tanks/pumps/lines can probably handle many, many different monomers. The tough job is finding the optimum choice of which monomers making which products in which form for the minimum capital cost to the assets. It's a tough job. This is impossible to cover in an internet forum. It is a 1-3 year effort for several people of different disciplines - marketing, sales, R&D, Engineering, logistics, operations, etc.

Thank you

As I understood I can answer my client that latex is an attractive product and client has options based on copolymers and agents are added. Client should not scrap the facility. Detailed market and engineering study should be done by a professional team. So a feasibility study (investment process) should be started. Am I right?
In my case expenses for market research and engineering study can reach 300'000 USD.