The Production of Iodine and Iodides in the CIS

     The world iodine reserves are presently estimated at 14.7bn tonnes, which will be enough to meet the demand of iodine manufacturing at its current level for hundreds of years.
     The world production output of iodine was assessed at 28,000 tonnes in 2007, the key manufacturing countries being Chile (55%), Japan (25%), and the USA (5%).In 2008, the global iodine production capacities made up approximately 35,000 tpy, and were about 80% loaded.
     Nowadays the main application spheres of iodine-based products are directly or intermediately connected with medicine and health care.
     In the former USSR iodine production reached its historical peak in 1985, which was 1,107 tonnes. Iodine plants were based in Turkmenistan (Chelenken and Nebit-Dag), Azerbaijan (Baku and Novaya Neftchala), and Russia (Troick and Perm).
     However, only two former CIS republics, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, have managed to renew iodine production. Their iodine companies announced ambitious plans for the modernisation and expansion of manufacturing facilities that would allow them to obtain the fourth or fifth position in the world ranking of iodine producers and exporters. The article analyses the present state and outlook for iodine production in these two countries and in other CIS territories.

© Eurasian chemical market, 2005-2012