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This section provides an overview for cumene as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 26 cumene manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked cumene companies as of December, 2024: 1.KANTO CHEMICAL CO.,INC., 2.Cayman Chemical Company, 3.Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp..
Table of Contents
Cumene, or isopropylbenzene, is an aromatic organic compound in which one hydrogen atom in the benzene ring is replaced by an isopropyl group. Known also as 1-methylethylbenzene and 2-phenylpropane, its chemical formula is C9H12, and it has a CAS number of 98-82-8.
Initially prepared on a mass scale as a raw material for aircraft fuel during World War II, cumene was oxidized to produce cumene hydroperoxide, subsequently decomposed to yield acetone and phenol. This process, known as the cumene process, became an industrial method for manufacturing acetone and phenol.
The cumene process, an industrial reaction, synthesizes phenol and acetone from benzene and propene. This involves the alkylation of benzene with propene to form cumene, followed by its oxidation to cumene hydroperoxide. Acidic decomposition of cumene hydroperoxide produces acetone and phenol. The cumene method, utilizing oxidation at ambient pressure, is preferred for the mass production of acetone and phenol, crucial solvents and plastic precursors.
The majority of cumene's demand is for the production of phenol. Phenolic resins, synthesized from cumene-derived phenol, include bisphenol A, a key component in manufacturing polycarbonate and epoxy resins, from phenolic resins.
Cumene is used in high-octane aviation fuels to enhance energy output during combustion.
In the paint industry, cumene is added to solvents for paints, lacquers, and thinners to improve their properties.
Cumene hydroperoxide, derived from cumene oxidation, is a potent oxidizer used in polymer synthesis as a radical initiator due to its ability to generate radicals upon decomposition.
Beyond its industrial uses, cumene serves as a precursor in pharmaceutical and fragrance production.
A colorless liquid with a distinctive odor, cumene has a melting point of -140.8 °F (-96 °C), a boiling point of 305.6 °F (152 °C), and a specific gravity of 0.86. It is soluble in ethanol, ethyl ether, acetone, benzene, petroleum ether, and carbon tetrachloride but almost insoluble in water.
Regulated as a hazardous and flammable substance, cumene is recognized under various laws for its health and safety risks, including potential carcinogenic properties and explosion risk at high temperatures or under pressure.
Cumene is synthesized using the Friedel-Crafts reaction, where propylene and benzene react in the presence of aluminum chloride as a catalyst. This process produces a propylene cation that reacts with benzene to form cumene, which is then extracted through hydrolysis. The industrial application of the Friedel-Crafts reaction is a common method for cumene production.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Cayman Chemical Company is a manufacturer of life science research products founded in 1979 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. They offer a diverse array of analytical standards, reagents, and other products for research in cancer, oxidative injury, epigenetics, neuroscience, inflammation, as well as metabolism, and other areas. The company supplies small molecules, biochemicals, assay kits, antibodies, and proteins to research scientists across academic, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical institutions. Cayman Chemical Company holds dual accreditations to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 and ISO 17034:2016 by ANAB Accreditation Services.
Spectrum Chemical MFG Corp. was founded in 1971, is headquartered in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and has facilities in Gardena, California. Spectrum is a fine chemical manufacturing company with an emphasis on USP, NF, FCC, BP, EP, JP, and ACS grade products, and is ISO 9001:2015 certified. Spectrum primarily serves the analytical, biopharmaceutical, food & beverage, personal care, and pharmaceutical chemicals industries. Spectrum has 4 product segments which are chemicals, equipment, supplies, and safety.
ExxonMobil is a Texas-based multinational oil and gas corporation that operates as a producer, manufacturer, supplier and distributor across 200 countries and territories around the world. Formed in 1999 with the merger of companies Exxon and Mobil, the corporation's primary commodities include oil products such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, as well as chemicals like propylene, polyethylene, polypropylene. Other commodities include crude oil and natural gas extracted — as well as refined — via ExxonMobil's subsidiaries and partners like Exxon Neftegas, ExxonMobil Australia, and ExxonMobil Nigeria.
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., founded in 1956 and headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts, is a manufacturer and supplier of life science solutions, analytical instruments, specialty diagnostics, laboratory products, and biopharma services. Through its brand names, including Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific, Patheon, Applied Biosystems, and Gibco, among others, the company provides a wide range of products, which include chromatography systems, thermal cyclers, automated cell counters, fermenters, and DNA polymerases. The company’s annual revenue is over 40 billion USD, and it serves several fields, including customers working in clinical diagnostic labs, research institutions, hospitals, government agencies, and pharmaceutical/biotech companies.
Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., established in 1991 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is an American manufacturer and supplier specializing in biological products for medical research. Initially providing antibodies to the research community, they expanded their offerings to include gene silencers like siRNA and shRNA (plasmid and lentiviral), targeting all known mouse and human genes. Over time, Santa Cruz Biotechnology provides over 175,000 research biochemicals under the brand ChemCruz, including protein-interacting inhibitors, substrates, and activators, tailored for studying protein functions. The company offers monoclonal primary antibodies, designed for various mammalian and non-mammalian protein targets, along with corresponding binding secondary antibodies.
Univar Solutions is a distributor and supplier of chemicals and ingredients since 1924 and are headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois. The company provides a wide range of chemicals to customers and extends its value-added services to suppliers. The services include data sharing, digital marketing, lab and formulation capabilities, and more. As providers of chemicals their inventory is limitless with stocks of acids, enzymes, oxides, silicates, additives, and other ingredients and they offer packaging, product development, and custom blending besides the supplies. Overall industries like Food, Agriculture, Mining, Home and Industrial Cleaning, Pharmaceuticals, and lots more benefit from Univar Solutions.
Founded in 1907, Lummus Technology holds a distinguished position as a global player in process technology development with the manufacturor's facility in Everett, Massachusetts. The company specializes in providing proprietary technologies for petrochemical, refining, gasification, and gas processing. As a frontrunner in the field, Lummus also serves as both a licensor of these technologies and a supplier of related engineering services, catalysts, and proprietary equipment to clients worldwide. The company has demonstrated its prowess as an technology pioneer, contributing to advancements in various sectors.
Toronto Research Chemicals Inc., founded in 1982 and based in Toronto, Canada, is a manufacturer of biochemicals and is a subsidiary of LGC Standards. The ISO 9001-certified company has an extensive catalog of over 350,000 products, including metabolites, impurities, and natural products APIs, which are used in several applications like environmental analysis, forensic science, and medicinal R&D. The company supports the scientific community across more than 120 countries and has 19 production laboratories. In 2019, it was bought by LGC, which provides components to customers in the pharmaceutical, clinical diagnostics, and food markets, among others.
Kanto Chemical Co. Inc., founded in 1944 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a reagent manufacturer with overseas affiliates in other countries, including China, France, USA, Taiwan, and Malaysia. Its product portfolio includes analytical reagents, ionic liquids, Iodine compounds, ultra-pure chemicals, and water analysis kits. The company is also developing regenerative medicine and genetics reagents and has over 50,000 products. It has several certifications, including ISO 9001, acquired in 1994, making it the first Japanese company in the reagent industry. Other certifications are ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO/IEC 17025.
Junsei Chemical Co. Ltd., established in 1948 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, is a manufacturer of chemical reagents and chemical products, including commissioned synthesis of chemical products. Some of the products it makes include Sodium chloride solution, concentrated glycerin, calcium chloride, ascorbic acid, and nitric acid. The chemical products have a wide range of applications and can be used in pathological examination, as food additives, for analysis, and in the pharmaceutical industry. All its plants, including its research institute, are ISO4001 and ISO9001 certified, while its Saitama and Ibaraki plants are equipped with buildings that comply with GMP.
Kishida Chemical Co. Ltd., established in 1924 and headquartered in Osaka, Japan, is a manufacturer of reagents and high-purity chemicals and also does drug discovery support activities. Its product portfolio includes fine chemicals, research chemicals, ionic liquid, organic micro-analytical reagents, and chemical reagents for analysis. The products support several industries, including reagent business, battery material, drug discovery, and life science. The company is ISO 14001 certified and supplies several companies worldwide, including Meterion Advanced Chemicals Inc., Acros Organics, ChemBridge Corporation, Decon Laboratories, and InerBioScreen Ltd.
TCI America (TCI) was founded in 1946 and is a worldwide manufacturer of specialty organic chemicals. The company produces organic laboratory chemicals as well as pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and functional materials. TCI’s product segments include Chemistry, Life Science, Materials Science, Analytical Chemistry, and Custom & Bulk. For materials science, the company manufactures battery materials, nanocarbon materials, and magnetic materials. For life sciences, the company produces antibodies, reagents, and chemicals for cancer research. The company produces HLC, NMR, various chemicals, and resins and media for analytical chemistry.
Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation was founded in 1933 and has a head office in Tokyo, Japan. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation provides products including chemicals, industrial gases, and health care products to customers globally. Mitsubishi Chemical Group’s performance products division manufactures and distributes. functional food materials, electronic and electrical components, specialty chemicals, and other products. Mitsubishi Chemical health care products include pharmaceuticals, drug discovery solutions, diagnostic reagents, and instruments for medical use. Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation also provides other services such as engineering, information systems, logistics, and consulting.
Prasol Chemicals Limited., founded in 1992 and headquartered in Mumbai, India, is a manufacturer of acetone & phosphorous based speciality chemicals. The company initially began manufacturing phosphorous-based chemicals and later diversified into acetone-based chemistry, creating an integrated value chain across its product line. The majority of its products consist of acetone and phosphorous derivatives, which find their end uses in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and the home and personal care segments. The company has a government of India certified export House and a global distribution network across Asia, North America and the European Union.
Millipore Sigma, formerly known as Sigma-Aldrich, was created in 175 through the merger of Sigma Chemical Company and Aldrich Chemical company and today is a subsidiary of Merck. Millipore Sigma is a life science and biotechnology company serving the industry with several products and services. Some of their product categories include peptide synthesis materials, biochemicals, building blocks, catalysts, chemical biology, chemical synthesis, flavors & fragrances, formulation, lab chemicals, lab safety, APIs, and stable isotopes. Services include characterization, contract manufacturing, custom products, software, support, testing, and mRNA development & manufacturing.
Merck, started in 1668 and based in Darmstadt, Germany, is a supplier of solutions and services for research, development, and manufacture of pharmaceutical and biotechnological drug therapies. The company serves the life science industry and has a broad portfolio of 300,000 products, including biopharmaceutical manufacturing, industrial microbiology, reagent, life science research, and water purification products. It is available in 66 countries, brings together six brands, and has several ISO certifications, including ISO 13485, ISO 14001, ISO 13485, and ISO 50001.
Dräger, established in 1889, and headquartered in Lübeck, Germany, is a manufacturer and supplier of advanced safety and medical technology products. They offer a range of solutions, including gas detection systems, respiratory protection equipment, patient monitoring systems, ventilators, and anesthesia machines, which are designed for industries such as oil and gas, chemical, firefighting, healthcare, and mining. Dräger is certified with ISO 9001 for quality management and ISO 13485 for medical devices.
Cepsa, founded in 1929 in Spain, is an energy conglomerate global petroleum and petrochemical manufacturer and supplier. With customers in Europe and Africa, it specializes in the production and distribution of various petroleum products, including fuels, lubricants, and chemicals. The company is the second largest producer of phenol and acetone in the world. Its products find applications in diverse industries such as automotive, aviation, home care, IT, cosmetics and other industrial manufacturing with sustainable practices and investments in renewable energy and environmentally responsible production processes.
SI Group, Inc. is a Texas manufacturer of chemical solutions originally established in 1906. The company specializes in process solutions, chemical intermediates, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), and performance additives for clients in the oil and gas, plastics, pharmaceuticals, and tire industries. The company’s product lineup includes corrosion inhibitors for oilfield production and refining, chain extenders for plastics recycling, rubber modifiers for increasing the performance of industrial goods, and light stabilizers to reduce degradation from UV radiation. With office operations in three continents, SI Group runs facilities in nine countries and provides services to client companies around the world.
Nacalai Tesque Inc., founded in 1846 and headquartered in Kyoto, Japan, is a manufacturer of research chemicals, fine chemicals, diagnostics, and the related instruments. Some of its products include cytokines, nucleic acid electrophoresis, cell dissociation reagents, and sialic acid-related products, and it also offers custom and bulk service for bulk reagents and cell culture media. The company has more than 50 domestic distributors and several worldwide, including Asia, the Middle East, Oceania, Europe, and Africa. It is ISO 9001 and ISO 9002 certified, while the Kyoto South brand and Tesque factory are ISO 14001 certified.
Kaseihin Shoji Co. Ltd., established in 1947, is a manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in raw chemical products. The company's featured products, available as individual components and fully formulated mixtures, include cumene, organic fluorescent pigment, and purified acetophenone. It also produces pre-mixed materials, additives, and custom chemical blends for specific needs. These products are used in various industries, such as cosmetics, resins, and textiles. To support global customers, the company established Thai Kaseihin Co. Ltd. in Thailand and Chiao Fu Kasei Trading Co. Ltd. in China, among others, to sell cosmetic and fibrous raw materials.
Domo Chemicals is a chemicals and materials manufacturer and distributor that was founded in 1991 and is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium. The company manufactures and distributes an extensive range of chemical and material solutions that include Polyamide 6/6.6 chemical intermediates, Polyamide 6/6.6 base polymers, engineered materials, performance fibers, fertilizers, and petrochemical products. Domo Chemicals caters to industries such as automotive, agriculture, and electronics. Its products include PA6 (Polyamide 6) (381), PA66 (Polyamide 66) (207) and (PA66 + PA6) blend (5). The company also provides specialized services like custom formulation and technical support.
OÜ Liprafarm, founded in 2007, and based in Tallinn, Estonia, operates as a supplier and a distributor of chemical products tailored for experimental purposes. Its specialization is in the development and sale of different Natural Science kits for practical experiments. Its product catalog encompasses a range of chemicals, including Potassium Iodate, Acetic Anhydride, Bromothymol Blue, as well as 2-Methoxyethanol, and Allyl Bromide, which find applications in chemical experiments and organic synthesis.
KOYO KAIUN Co., Ltd. was established in 1949 in Minato-Ku, Tokyo, Japan, as a transporter of all types of chemicals. The company's services encompass handling various cargoes, including organic chemicals like aromatics, which contain benzene, toluene,and xylene; monomers containing Styren Monomer (SM), Vinyl Acetate Monomer (VAM), and Butyl Acrylate (BA); vegetable oils containing RBD Palm Oil and RBD Palm Stearin; and inorganic chemicals like sulphuric acid, phosphoric acid, and nitric acid. It uses specialized tankers equipped with N2 generators, cargo manifolds, and double-hull designs for safe and efficient cargo transportation. The company serves industries including marine, petroleum, chemical, energy, and power.
Ranking as of December 2024
Derivation Method| Rank | Company | Click Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | KANTO CHEMICAL CO.,INC. |
9.1%
|
| 2 | Dräger |
9.1%
|
| 3 | Cayman Chemical Company |
6.6%
|
| 4 | Spectrum Chemical Mfg. Corp. |
6.6%
|
| 5 | SEQENS |
6.2%
|
| 6 | Domo Chemicals |
4.9%
|
| 7 | Kishida Chemical Co.,Ltd. |
4.9%
|
| 8 | Tokyo Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. |
4.5%
|
| 9 | Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation |
4.5%
|
| 10 | Lummus Technology |
4.1%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the cumene page as of December 2024. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
*Including some distributors, etc.
*Including some distributors, etc.
| Country | Number of Companies | Share (%) |
|---|---|---|
|
Japan
|
8 | 44.4% |
|
United States of America
|
7 | 38.9% |
|
Canada
|
1 | 5.6% |
| Estonia | 1 | 5.6% |
Republic of Korea
|
1 | 5.6% |
