What is Adiponitrile
Analysts Sentiment
Bullish
22.7%
Neutral
24.9%
Bearish
52.4%
What's driving sentiment this week:
Past Week (2026-06-01 to 2026-06-08) — Sentiment: Bearish
Crude oil and naphtha prices spiked 3-4% intraday on June 8, pushing feedstock costs for ethylene cracking and butadiene higher and pressuring adiponitrile production margins.
European nylon 6,6 contract negotiations in early June signal steady downstream demand but no clear upside that would offset higher raw material costs.
OPEC and IEA production adjustments confirmed on June 7 limited further supply shocks but maintained near-term feedstock tightness, keeping geopolitical risk elevated but contained.
This Week (2026-06-08 to 2026-06-14) — Outlook: Bearish
Adiponitrile prices and margins will continue to be squeezed through this week by sustained crude and naphtha cost pressures.
The key catalyst remains the evolving Middle East supply risks impacting crude oil on June 8 and forward, with potential for further disruptions.
A significant easing of geopolitical tensions or crude price retracement would flip the bearish outlook sharply toward stabilization or gains.
Key Market Impact
Rising crude and naphtha prices are dominating cost inflation and margin compression in adiponitrile supply chains as of June 8.
Producers and buyers are likely to exercise caution, delaying incremental capacity expansions and attempting to pass higher costs downstream where possible.
How About the Price?
Price Trajectory 2020–2026 (Brief Recap)
Phase 1 — Early expansion and supply increase (2020): Capacity additions from BUTACHIMIE restarted French ADN production in January 2020, expanding supply amid recovering demand; prices started at $120.5/ton in January 2020 and declined gradually through the year.
Phase 2 — Temporary supply disruptions and production outages (2021 Q1-Q2): Force majeure events at Invista (US) in March and BASF (France) in April 2021 caused reduced ADN supply, contributing to price stabilization around $86/ton in April 2021 after steady declines.
Phase 3 — Prolonged steady price decline with limited supply events (2021 mid-2022): Absence of major supply disruptions saw a continuous monthly price decline from $84/ton in May 2021 down to $50/ton by October 2022, reflecting steady market conditions without notable supply support.
Phase 4 — Ongoing price erosion to near zero and then negative territory (late 2022–2024): Prices fell sharply from $48/ton in November 2022 to $0/ton in November 2024, driven by absence of reported supply constraints and weakening demand factors.
Phase 5 — Negative pricing and geopolitical disruptions emerging (2025–2026): Prices moved below zero starting December 2024 and continued downward to -$38/ton by June 2026; geopolitical issues in early 2026 at Invista Yinglong plant in China caused force majeure due to Middle East conflict, impacting raw material supply.
Supply-side factors
- Capacity increase: BUTACHIMIE French ADN production restarted with added capacity in January 2020 expanding European supply.
- Force majeure: Invista US plant unexpected maintenance outage in March 2021 reducing merchant ADN supply.
- Force majeure: BASF PA 6,6 line short ADN outage in Chalampé, France in April 2021 disrupting downstream production.
- Geopolitical disruption: Invista Nylon Chemicals (China) Yinglong plant force majeure starting March 2026 due to Middle East conflict impairing butadiene raw material supply.
Demand-side factors
- Recovery of automotive and industrial demand in early 2020 supporting initial ADN supply expansion.
- Downstream nylon 6,6 polymer production sensitive to ADN supply disruptions in 2021 outages.
- Market weakening in 2023-2024 correlated with continuous price declines and lack of supply disruptions.
- Potential demand pressure reflected in price entering negative territory from late 2024 onward.
Substitutes & Alternatives
| Substitute | Replacement Scenario / How It Substitutes |
|---|---|
| Caprolactam | Caprolactam is the monomer for Nylon-6, which competes directly with Nylon-6,6 (made from ADN-derived HMDA and adipic acid) in fibers, engineering plastics, and films. In many textile and carpet applications, Nylon-6 can substitute for Nylon-6,6 with reformulation of spinning and processing conditions. The substitution is not a drop-in at the monomer level but occurs at the polymer/end-product level where performance differences (melting point ~220°C vs ~265°C, moisture absorption) are acceptable. |
| Hexamethylenediamine (HMDA) — direct purchase | For producers who use ADN solely as an intermediate to manufacture HMDA in-house, purchasing HMDA directly from merchant market suppliers eliminates the need for ADN and the hydrogenation step. This is a process-level substitution relevant to smaller Nylon-6,6 salt producers who lack hydrogenation capacity. |
| Dodecanedioic acid / Nylon-6,12 system | In engineering plastics and specialty monofilaments requiring lower moisture absorption and better chemical resistance than Nylon-6,6, Nylon-6,12 (from HMDA + dodecanedioic acid) or Nylon-12 can substitute. This replaces the ADN-based Nylon-6,6 chain in specific technical applications through a full polymer reformulation. |
| Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) | In electrochemical and battery electrolyte applications where ADN is used as a high-voltage solvent or co-solvent (e.g., in lithium-ion battery electrolytes), DMSO and other polar aprotic solvents such as acetonitrile or glutaronitrile can partially substitute, depending on the electrochemical stability window and compatibility requirements of the specific cell chemistry. |
| Glutaronitrile | Glutaronitrile (pentanedinitrile) can substitute for ADN in certain solvent and electrolyte applications and as a chemical intermediate for specialty diamines. It is not a drop-in replacement for ADN in Nylon-6,6 production but serves overlapping niche markets in electrochemistry and fine chemical synthesis. |
| Bio-based polyamide intermediates (e.g., sebacic acid / Nylon-6,10) | In sustainability-driven reformulations, bio-based Nylon-6,10 (from HMDA + sebacic acid derived from castor oil) or Nylon-10,10 can replace Nylon-6,6 in engineering plastics and specialty fibers, effectively displacing demand for ADN. This requires full polymer and part redesign and is driven by lifecycle carbon footprint requirements rather than cost. |
Regulatory Status
| Region | Regulation / Policy Name | Issuing Authority | Year (enacted or latest revision) | Key Requirement / Threshold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EU | REACH Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 | European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) | 2006 (pre-registration 2008; full registration by 2018) | Registration of substances manufactured or imported at 1 tonne or more per year | ECHA Substance Information |
| EU | Inland Transport of Dangerous Goods Directive (ADR/ADN) | European Union | 2008 | UN 2205, Class 6.1, Packing Group III | ECHA Registration dossier |
| US | Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Inventory | US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) | 1976 (updated 2024) | Listed on TSCA Inventory (Active) | EPA Safety Data Sheet |
| China | Measures for the Environmental Management Registration of New Chemical Substances (Order No. 12) | Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE) | 2020 (effective 1 January 2021) | Notification or registration for substances not listed in IECSC (existing chemicals) | MEE Official Gazette |
Key Influence Events
Adiponitrile (ADN), also known as hexanedinitrile or 1,4-dicyanobutane, is an organic compound with the molecular formula NC-(CH2)4-CN. It is a colorless to pale yellow, oily liquid with a faint odor, miscible with most common organic solvents but only slightly soluble in water. Adiponitrile is one of the most commercially important dinitriles and serves primarily as the key intermediate in the production of hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), which together with adipic acid forms Nylon-6,6 (polyamide 66). It is also used as a solvent in certain electrochemical applications and as a chemical intermediate for specialty compounds. Global production is dominated by a small number of large integrated Nylon-6,6 producers, with annual output in the range of several million metric tons.
Top Countries Production Capacity
Production Process of Adiponitrile
Adiponitrile (ADN), also known as hexanedinitrile or 1,4-dicyanobutane, is an organic compound with the molecular formula NC-(CH2)4-CN. It is a colorless to pale yellow, oily liquid with a faint odor, miscible with most common organic solvents but only slightly soluble in water. Adiponitrile is one of the most commercially important dinitriles and serves primarily as the key intermediate in the production of hexamethylenediamine (HMDA), which together with adipic acid forms Nylon-6,6 (polyamide 66). It is also used as a solvent in certain electrochemical applications and as a chemical intermediate for specialty compounds. Global production is dominated by a small number of large integrated Nylon-6,6 producers, with annual output in the range of several million metric tons.
Specs & Grades
| Property | Typical Value / Range | Unit | Grade / Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purity (GC) | ≥ 99.5 | wt% | Commercial / Polymer grade |
| Color (APHA) | ≤ 10 | APHA | Commercial grade |
| Water content | ≤ 0.05 | wt% | Commercial grade |
| Acidity (as acetic acid) | ≤ 0.005 | wt% | Commercial grade |
| 2-Pentenenitrile (impurity) | ≤ 0.1 | wt% | Polymer grade |
| Bis(cyanoethyl)amine (impurity) | ≤ 0.05 | wt% | Polymer grade |
| Density at 20°C | 0.965 – 0.967 | g/cm³ | All grades |
| Boiling point (1 atm) | 295 | °C | Physical constant |
| Flash point (closed cup) | 163 | °C | Physical constant |
| Refractive index (nD20) | 1.437 – 1.439 | — | All grades |
| Viscosity at 25°C | ~6.0 | mPa·s | Physical constant |
| Iron content | ≤ 0.5 | ppm | Polymer grade |
Who are the Top Players?
| Company | Headquarters | Key Facilities |
|---|---|---|
| Invista | Wichita, Kansas, USA | Victoria, Texas, Orange, Texas, Jinshan, Shanghai, China |
| Ascend Performance Materials | Alpharetta, Georgia, USA | Decatur, Alabama |
| Butachimie | Ottmarsheim, France | Chalampé, France |
| Asahi Kasei | Tokyo, Japan | |
| Tianchen Qixiang | Zibo, Shandong, China | Zibo, Shandong, China |
| Huafon Group | Chongqing, China | Chongqing, China |
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