What is Acrylic Acid
Analysts Sentiment
Bullish
28.4%
Neutral
48.9%
Bearish
22.7%
What's driving sentiment this week:
Past Week (2026-06-01 to 2026-06-07) — Sentiment: Mixed
US crude inventories fell sharply by 8.0 million barrels for the week ending May 29, supporting steady naphtha and ethylene feedstock availability for acrylic acid producers, reinforcing supply stability as of June 3.
Chinese acrylic acid prices remained elevated but with signs of soft downstream industrial demand continuing into early June, reflecting cautious consumption trends as of June 5.
No direct geopolitical or macro disruptions were reported last week that affected acrylic acid feedstocks or demand.
This Week (2026-06-08 to 2026-06-14) — Outlook: Neutral
The market is expected to consolidate with no clear supply-demand shocks impacting acrylic acid prices or feedstock availability immediately.
The key catalyst is the EIA Weekly Petroleum Status Reports on June 9 and June 10, which will provide fresh data on refinery operations and feedstock inventories critical for acrylic acid production (expected).
A sudden update on Middle East supply disruptions or refinery outages that tighten naphtha and ethylene availability would shift the outlook bearish.
Key Market Impact
Current market dynamics are driven by balanced feedstock supply from stable US refinery run rates combined with muted Chinese demand signals.
Traders and producers are likely maintaining steady positions awaiting feedstock data, while buyers remain cautious due to soft industrial end-use demand in China.
How About the Price?
Price Trajectory 2020–2026 (Brief Recap)
Phase 1 — Demand Slump and Year-Long Slide (2020): With no offsetting events recorded in the influence log, the series shows twelve consecutive monthly declines, falling from $1,205/ton in January 2020 to a trough of $970/ton in December 2020 (-19.5% over the year, with the steepest drops of -3.0% to -3.2% concentrated in May–July 2020).
Phase 2 — Step-Change Rebound (2021): The series records its single largest move of the dataset, a +$310 (+31.96%) jump from $970/ton in December 2020 to $1,280/ton in January 2021, followed by orderly monthly gains that peaked at $1,500/ton in November 2021 before a modest pullback to $1,480/ton in December 2021.
Phase 3 — Continued Tight-Market Climb (2022): Prices resumed their rise from $1,520/ton in January 2022 to $1,760/ton in December 2022 (+15.8% YoY), with consistent monthly gains in the $15–40/ton range and no recorded influence entries to interrupt the trend.
Phase 4 — Steady Grind (2023–2024): The series settles into a uniform +$20/ton monthly cadence, advancing from $1,780/ton in January 2023 to $2,240/ton in December 2024, while the change_rate compresses from ~1.14% to ~0.90% as the base rises.
Phase 5 — Forecast Extension (2025–2026): The same +$20/ton monthly rhythm carries prices from $2,260/ton in January 2025 through $2,480/ton by December 2025 and on to $2,600/ton at the June 2026 ICIS weekly assessment, with change_rate easing toward ~0.78%.
Supply-side factors
- Sustained 2020 supply-demand imbalance visible as twelve straight monthly declines (Jan 2020 $1,205/ton to Dec 2020 $970/ton, -$235 cumulative).
- Sharp restart-phase tightness at the 2020/2021 turn, captured by a single-month +$310 (+31.96%) reset from $970/ton to $1,280/ton.
- Persistent cost-side pass-through across 2022 (twelve consecutive monthly gains lifting the price from $1,520/ton to $1,760/ton).
- Stable producer behaviour from 2023 onward, expressed as a uniform $20/ton monthly increment with no recorded outage events in the influence log.
- Forecast supply path assumes continuation of the same $20/ton cadence into the ICIS-assessed June 2026 print of $2,600/ton.
Demand-side factors
- Pronounced downstream demand weakness through 2020 (peak monthly drawdown of -$35/ton in May, June and July 2020).
- Snap-back in end-use offtake at the start of 2021, evidenced by the +31.96% one-month change from December 2020 to January 2021, the largest in the series.
- Resilient pull from acrylates/SAP/coatings end-markets through 2021–2022, supporting a climb from $1,280/ton (Jan 2021) to $1,760/ton (Dec 2022), a +37.5% cumulative move.
- Moderating but consistently positive demand growth in 2023–2024, reflected in monthly change_rates trending down from ~1.14% to ~0.90% even as absolute prices rose by $460/ton.
- Forecast demand profile remains constructive but decelerating through 2025–2026, with change_rate easing to ~0.78% by the June 2026 $2,600/ton ICIS assessment.
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute / Alternative | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Methacrylic Acid (MAA) | Can replace acrylic acid in certain polymer and coating formulations where slightly higher hydrophobicity and improved UV resistance are acceptable. Used as a partial or full substitute in adhesives, dispersants, and copolymers; requires reformulation of monomer ratios and adjustment of polymerization conditions due to lower reactivity of MAA. |
| Maleic Anhydride / Maleic Acid | Substitutes for acrylic acid in scale-inhibitor and dispersant polymer applications (e.g., water treatment polymers). Polymaleic acid and maleic-acrylic copolymers can replace polyacrylic acid in some detergent builder and antiscalant uses; typically a partial replacement requiring copolymer reformulation. |
| Itaconic Acid | Bio-based alternative to acrylic acid in superabsorbent polymers, coatings, and adhesives. Can partially replace acrylic acid in SAP formulations and latex binders; currently limited by higher cost and lower production volume, but used in specialty and bio-preferred applications where sustainability is prioritized. |
| Butyl Acrylate / Ethyl Acrylate (downstream esters) | In coating and adhesive formulations, formulators sometimes shift directly to acrylic ester monomers rather than using acrylic acid as an intermediate, bypassing the acid entirely. This is a process-level substitution where the ester is purchased directly rather than produced in-house from acrylic acid. |
| Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) / Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) | In thickener, binder, and adhesive applications, PVA and CMC can substitute for polyacrylic acid-based thickeners. These are drop-in or near-drop-in replacements in water-based adhesives, paper coatings, and textile sizing, though performance in high-ionic-strength environments is generally inferior to polyacrylates. |
| Sodium Polyacrylate alternatives (starch-based SAP) | In superabsorbent polymer applications (diapers, hygiene), modified starch-based or cellulose-based superabsorbents can partially substitute for acrylic acid-derived SAP. Absorption capacity is lower (typically 30–50% of SAP performance), so higher loadings are required; used mainly in cost-sensitive or bio-based product lines. |
| Fumaric Acid | Can substitute for acrylic acid as a reactive monomer in unsaturated polyester resins and certain copolymer systems. It is a solid, easier to handle, and used where the vinyl-acid functionality of acrylic acid is needed but liquid handling is undesirable; requires adjustment of resin formulation and cure conditions. |
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | Registration under Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 (REACH) | European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) | 2007 (active registration) | Full registration dossier required for >1 t/y manufacture/import | ECHA CHEM dossier view (chem.echa.europa.eu) |
| EU | Annex XVII Restriction on acrylic acid (stabilized) | European Commission (via ECHA) | 2017 (restriction code 3(a) and 3(b) in force) | Restricted as liquid substance meeting CLP hazardous classes; specific limits on concentration/use in mixtures | REACH Annex XVII via MSDS (lobachemie.com); ECHA compliance data |
| US | Designation as Hazardous Air Pollutant (HAP) under Clean Air Act | US EPA | 1990 (initial list); unmodified since 1990 | Acrylic acid (CAS 79-10-7) listed as HAP | US EPA Initial List of Hazardous Air Pollutants with Modifications (epa.gov, updated 18 Dec 2025) |
| US | Testing Consent Order under TSCA Section 4 | US EPA | 1992 (Federal Register); consent order in force as of Jan 2026 | Manufacturers (BASF, Dow, etc.) must perform specified health effects testing | US EPA Testing Consent Order page (epa.gov, updated 6 Jan 2026) |
| US | Exposure Limit (OSHA PEL) | US OSHA | N/A (current as of 2026) | Ceiling limit 10 ppm; STEL 20 ppm (skin notation applies) | OSHA Chemical Data (osha.gov/chemicaldata/688) |
| US | Exposure Limit (NIOSH REL) | US NIOSH | N/A (current as of 2026) | TWA 2 ppm (6 mg/m³); skin notation | NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (cdc.gov) |
| Global (IMDG/ADR) | UN Number 2218 and GHS classification (H226, H314, H315, etc.) | UN (IMDG Code) / UNECE GHS Rev 10 | 1990s (UN 2218); GHS 2002 (EU CLP equivalent 2008) | Class 3 (flammable liquid) + Class 8 (corrosive); Packing Group II; EHSM | IMDG Code via SDS data (basf.com, fishersci.pt); GHS via EU CLP Regulation |
Key Influence Events
Acrylic acid (systematic name: prop-2-enoic acid; CAS 79-10-7) is a colorless, corrosive, water-miscible organic acid with the molecular formula CH2=CHCOOH and a pungent, acrid odor. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, containing both a vinyl group and a carboxylic acid group, which makes it highly reactive toward polymerization and esterification. Commercially, it is produced almost exclusively by the two-stage catalytic vapor-phase oxidation of propylene. Acrylic acid is a critical industrial monomer used to manufacture superabsorbent polymers (SAP) for diapers and hygiene products, polyacrylic acid dispersants and thickeners, acrylic esters (butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate) for coatings, adhesives, and sealants, and various specialty polymers. It is typically stabilized with a polymerization inhibitor such as monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) during storage and transport.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Acrylic Acid
Acrylic acid (systematic name: prop-2-enoic acid; CAS 79-10-7) is a colorless, corrosive, water-miscible organic acid with the molecular formula CH2=CHCOOH and a pungent, acrid odor. It is the simplest unsaturated carboxylic acid, containing both a vinyl group and a carboxylic acid group, which makes it highly reactive toward polymerization and esterification. Commercially, it is produced almost exclusively by the two-stage catalytic vapor-phase oxidation of propylene. Acrylic acid is a critical industrial monomer used to manufacture superabsorbent polymers (SAP) for diapers and hygiene products, polyacrylic acid dispersants and thickeners, acrylic esters (butyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate) for coatings, adhesives, and sealants, and various specialty polymers. It is typically stabilized with a polymerization inhibitor such as monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) during storage and transport.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity (Acrylic Acid content) | ≥99.5 | wt% | Glacial / Technical Grade |
| Purity (Acrylic Acid content) | 94–96 | wt% | Crude / Ester Grade |
| Water content | ≤0.15 | wt% | Glacial Grade |
| Water content | ≤0.5 | wt% | Technical Grade |
| Acetic acid content | ≤0.10 | wt% | Glacial Grade |
| Propionic acid content | ≤0.05 | wt% | Glacial Grade |
| Furfural content | ≤0.001 | wt% | Glacial Grade |
| Maleic acid content | ≤0.05 | wt% | Glacial Grade |
| Inhibitor (MEHQ) | 150–250 | ppm | Standard stabilized |
| Color (APHA) | ≤10 | APHA | Glacial Grade |
| Boiling point | 141 | °C at 1 atm | All grades |
| Freezing point | 13–14 | °C | All grades |
| Density (20°C) | 1.051 | g/cm³ | All grades |
| Flash point (closed cup) | 54 | °C | All grades |
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| BASF | Ludwigshafen, Germany | Ludwigshafen, Germany, Freeport TX, USA, Antwerp, Belgium, Camaçari, Brazil, Nanjing, China, Zhanjiang, China, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
| Dow | Midland, Michigan, USA | Deer Park TX, USA, Freeport TX, USA, Bohlen, Germany |
| Nippon Shokubai | Tokyo, Japan | Himeji, Japan |
| Arkema | Colombes, France | Carling, France |
| Formosa Plastics | Taipei, Taiwan | |
| LG Chem | Seoul, South Korea | Yeosu, South Korea |
| Sasol | Johannesburg, South Africa | Secunda, South Africa |
| Evonik | Essen, Germany | Marl, Germany |
| Wanhua Chemical | Yantai, China | Yantai, China |
Our Analysis are Happy
"Global volatility doesn't have to be a risk for your business. We monitor feedstock shifts and geopolitical trends daily to help you anticipate price movements before they hit the market."
Theo James
"Data is only as good as its source. We go beyond the numbers to ensure that the product grade you select matches your specific application, reducing waste and optimizing your operational efficiency."
Emilia Munro
"Timing is everything in petrochemical procurement. Our goal is to align your purchasing cycles with market troughs, effectively lowering your cost basis and maximizing your margins."
Branden Griffiths
we’re here to all your questions
Everything you need to know about our market analysis, product quality, and procurement process.
How much for a custom market analysis?
Costs vary based on the scope. Please contact our sales team for a custom quote.
Do you offer trade credit or bulk pricing?
Yes, we offer flexible payment terms and volume-based pricing for corporate accounts.
Do you provide product quality documentation?
Yes, every delivery includes a Certificate of Analysis (COA) and safety documentation (MSDS).
Can you help me select the right product specification?
Certainly. Our technical experts are available to guide you to the ideal grade for your specific application.