Report No. 41 A Supplement NYLON6 by GRANT E. RUSSELL July 1976 A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM I STANFORD RESEARCH INSTITUTE MENLO I PARK, CALIFORNIA
For detailed marketing data and information, the reader is referred to one of the SRI programs specializing in marketing research. The CHEMICAL ECONOMICS HANDBOOK Program covers most major chemicals and chemical products produced in the United States and the WORLD HYDROCARBONS Program covers major hydrocarbons and their derivatives on a worldwide basis. In addition, the SRI DIRECTORY OF CHEMICAL PRODUCERS services provide detailed lists of chemical producers by company, product, and plant for the United States and Western Europe. ii
CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION.......................... 1 2 SUMMARY... 3 Polymer Technology... 3 Polymer Costs... 4 Spinning... 5 Fiber Costs... 6 3 INDUSTRY STATUS... 9 Nylon Fibers in the United States... 10 Carpets... 11 Apparel... 12 Tire Cord 12 Plastics and RESINS IN THE UNITED STATES... 12 Capacities, Worldwide... 15 4 CHEMISTRY OF NYLON 6 PRODUCTION... 25 Water-Catalyzed Polymerization... 25 Kinetics... 31 Reequilibration 37 Anionic Polymerieatik'... 37 Kinetics... 40 Cationic Polymerization... 41 5 REVIEW OF PROCESSES... 43 Polymerization--General... 44 Water-Catalyzed Processed... 44 Chip Handling and Treatment... 55 Nylon 6 Waste Recovery... 59 Anionic Processes... Anionic Polymerizakk' ii33 Anionic Polymerization --Promoters and Cocatalysts... 67 Plastics and Resins... 80 Additives... 86 Additives ;o'il;lp;o;e'm;c;ra;li~a; ini &i&l PiO~eitiei 87 Additives to Improve Heat or Light Stability... 87 Additives to Improve Dyeability 110 Additives to Improve Antistatic Prip;r;ik.... 110 Fiber Production... 110 vii
CONTENTS CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR NYLON 6 CHIP... Process Description... Process Discussion... Cost Estimates... Capital InvestmZ... Production Costs... Chip for Plastics... POLYMER MELT FOR DIRECT SPINNING... Process Description... Process Discussion'... Coat Estimates... Capital Invest&n;... Production Costs... TEXTILE YARN PRODUCTION PROM NYLON 6 CHIP... Process Description--Spindrawing. Process Description- Partially Oriekld*Yki ini d~<e;t;r&. Cost Estimates... Capital InvestmHn;... Production Costs... TEXTILE YARN PRODUCTION BY DIRECT SPINNING... Cost Estimates... Capital InvestmZ... Production Costs... APPENDIX A DESIGN AND COST BASIS... APPENDIX B PHYSICAL DATA... APPENDIX C SAFETY AND HANDLING... APPENDIX D ACKNOWLEDGMENTS... SUPPLEMENTARY REFERENCES... CITED REFERENCES... PATENT REFERENCES BY COMPANY... 129 130 138 144 144 145 150 151 152 157 159 159 159 165 166 167 167 167 169 175 175 175. 176 181 185 191 193 194 197 241 viii
ILLUSTRATIONS 6.1 Continuous Production of Nylon 6 Chip Flow Diagram......................... 259 6.2 Production of Nylon 6 Chip Effect of Plant Capacity on Total Fixed Capital....... 147 6.3 Nylon Chip Process Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost....................... 149 7.1 Continuous Production of Nylon 6 Polymer Melt for Direct Spinning Flow Diagram......................... 263 7.2 Nylon 6 Polymer Melt for Direct Spinning Effect of Plant Capacity on Total Fixed Capital....... 161 7.3 Nylon 6 Polymer for Direct Spinning Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Production Cost....................... 163 8.1 Yarn Production from Chip Flow Diagram......................... 168 8.2 Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Cost of Yarn Spun from Chip..................... 173 9.1 Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Cost of Yarn by Direct Spinning................... 180 B.1 Vapor Pressure Caprolactam.................. 187 B.2 Specific Gravity, Caprolactam................ 188 ix
TABLES 2.1 Comparison of Investment and Production (Transfer) Cost of Nylon 6 Chips with that of Vacuum Treated Nylon 6 Melt........................ 4 2.2 Production of 150 Denier Spindrawn Nylon 6 Yarn from Polymer Chips and Melt................ 7 2.3 Production of 150 Denier Drawtextured Nylon 6 Yarn from Polymer Chips and Melt................,.. 7 3.1 U.S. Nylon Fibers Consumption by End Use.......... 11 3.2 U.S. Nylon Resins Consumption by End Use......,... 13 3.3 Nylon 6 Plants North America....................... 16 3.4 Nylon 6 Plants South America....................... 18 3.5 Nylon 6 Plants Western Europe....................... 20 3.6 Nylon 6 Plants CoIllmllnist Countries.................... 22 3.7 Nylon 6 Plants Africa, Asia, and Oceania................. 23 4.1 Enthalpies and Entropies of Reaction............ 30 4.2 Reaction Rate Constants.................. 34 5.1 Nylon 6--Water-Catalyzed Polymerization Summary of Patents..................... 46 5.2 Nylon 6--Chip Handling and Treatment Sunsnary of Patents..................... 57 5.3 Nylon 6--Waste Recovery Summary of Patents..................... 60 xi
TABLES 5.4 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 6.1 Nylon 6--Anionic Polymerization Summary of Patents...................... 64 Nylon 6--Anionic Polymerizatiorr-Promoters and Cocatalysts Sunrnary of Patents...................... 68 Nylon 6--Plastics and Resins Summary of Patents..................... 81 Nylon 6--Additives to Improve Mechanical or Physical Properties Sumry of Patents...................... 88 Nylon 6--Additives to Improve Heat or Light Stability Summary of Patents...................... 102 Nylon 6--Additives to Improve Dyeability Summary of Patents...,.................. 111 Nylon 6--Additives to Improve Antistatic Properties Swnnary of Patents...................... 113 Nylon 6--Fiber Production Summary of Patents...................... 114 Nylon 6--Bicomponent Fibers Summary of Patents...................... 125 Continuous Production of Nylon 6 Chip Stream Flows e........................ 134 6.2 6.3 Continuous Production of Nylon 6 Chip Major Equipment and Utilities Summary............ Continuous Production of Nylon 6 Chip Total Capital Investment................... 136 146 6.4 7.1 Continuous Production of Nylon 6 Chip Production Costs....................... 148 Production of Nylon 6 Polymer Melt for Direct Spinning Stream Flows......................... :-. 156 xii
TABLES 7.2 Production of Nylon 6 Polymer Melt for Direct Spinning Major Equipment and Utilities Summary............ 155 7.3 Production of Nylon 6 Polymer Melt for Direct Spinning Total Capital Investment.................. 160 7.4 Nylon 6 Polymer Melt for Direct Spinning Production Costs...................... 162 8.1 Yarn Production (150 Denier) from Nylon 6 Chip Total Capital Investment.................. 170 8.2 Continuous Filament 150 Denier Yarn from Chip--Spindrawing Process Production Costs....................... 171 8.3 Continuous Filament 150 Denier Textured Yarn from Chip-- Partially Oriented Yarn, Drawtexturing Process Production Costs...................... 172 9.1 Yarn Production (150 Denier) by Direct Spinning Total Capital Investment.................. 177 9.2 Continuous Filament 150 Denier Yarn by Direct Spinning-- Spindrawing Process Production Costs...................... 178 9.3 Continuous Filament 150 Denier Textured Yarn by Direct Spinning--Partially Oriented Yarn, Drawtexturing Process Production Costs...................... 179 B.l Physical Properties of Caprolactam............. 186 B.2 Physical Properties of Nylon 6............... 189 B.3 Properties of Polyamide Fibers............... 190 xiii