A Quick Review of the Applicability of Hydrogen Cyanide and its Market Growth Drivers

It is a well-known fact that hydrogen cyanide (HCN) is one of the deadliest toxins and when consumed or inhaled in larger quantities can kill a human being within minutes. However, this doesn’t mean that hydrogen cyanide has no applicability. Prussic acid, the other name of hydrogen cyanide, is regularly used as a precursor or raw material for manufacturing different types of chemicals.

Diverse uses and applications of hydrogen cyanide

Hydrogen cyanide, a colorless or pale blue liquid/gas, is one of the extremely popular industrial chemical agents.  It is regularly used as a raw material for manufacturing paints and plastics. Moreover, it is an important constituent for manufacturing synthetic fibers like nylon. Apart from these end-products, prussic acid is a precursor for different types of chemicals and compounds like potassium cyanide and sodium cyanide. Both these chemicals are extensively used in mining activities, especially in gold and silver extraction. Thus, indirectly, prussic acid has applicability in the mining sector also.

In the last few years, on account of the rising environmental concerns with respect to traditional pesticides and fumigants, a search for a sustainable alternative has been going on. In the course of this search, many chemicals were tried as fumigants, one of which was hydrogen cyanide. HCN has shown some remarkable properties- with minimal usage, it has been hugely effective in reducing the infestation of pests and insects. Moreover, the environmental impact of the chemical is much lesser as compared to other chemicals.

Growth drivers of the market

The hydrogen cyanide market is predicted to surge ahead in the next few years on account of various factors. One obvious growth driver of the market is the increasing demand for prussic acid from various chemical industries for manufacturing of different compounds, synthetic fibers, and paints. Moreover, the growth in demand for prussic acid from the pharmaceutical industry has also increased in the past few years. This is mainly on account of increasing use of HCN for production of different sedatives, analgesics, and anesthetics.

Apart from these two factors, the growing shift towards sustainable farming practices across the world has led to a rise in demand for products which have minimal ecological impact. As a result, the demand for prussic acid as a sustainable fumigant has increased which is predicted to help the market create numerous growth opportunities in the future.

Strategic alliances among market players

The hydrogen cyanide market has become quite competitive in nature in the past few decades. The major companies operating in the market are engaged in forging partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions to give themselves a lead over their peers in the market. For instance, Draslovka Holding a.s., a cyanide-based chemical company headquartered in the Czech Republic, announced that it had signed an agreement to acquire The Chemours Company, a leading chemicals manufacturing company for a whooping sum of $520 million. This acquisition will help Draslovka to expand its operations in the US market and gain an advantage over other companies.

In summary, the hydrogen cyanide market has exciting growth prospects in the coming period owing to its wide applicability, growing shift towards sustainable agriculture, and acquisitions by major players of the industry.

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