The US market for potassium carbonate continues to diminish as CRT makers move their operations to countries with lower manufacturering costs. The prospects for producers have strengthened because of …
The US market for potassium carbonate continues to diminish as CRT makers move their operations to countries with lower manufacturering costs. The prospects for producers have strengthened because of the withdrawal of two of the four main potassium carbonate producers. The main players are: Armand products Co (joint venture of Occidental Chemical Corp and Church & Dwight, 108,000 tonnes/year), Ashta Chemicals Inc (plant currently idled), Vicksburg Chemical Co (division of Cedar Chemical Corp, ceased production in 2002), and Vulcan Chemicals. Thompson Multi Media plans to close its glass plant at Circleville, Ohio, cutting potassium carbonate demand by 6000 to 8000 tonnes/year. In 2003, Corning Asahi Video Products Co (partnership of Corning Inc and Asahi Glass America) ceased operations and sold part of the assets to a company in China.