Lime, sulfur, phosphorus recover and regroup: Big-volume mineral-based inorganics regain lost ground as pollution control laws make and break markets and production processes

Changes come slowly to large-volume, mineral-based chemicals. So slowly that, to many people, three of the key chemicals in this group—lime, sulfur, and phosphorus—seem dull compared to many faster growing petrochemicals and organic intermediates. In the business cycle's ups and downs, for example, these three chemicals show distinct waves. However, their recovery to date has been slow compared to the notable bounce in product areas such as thermoplastics. But a closer look at these mineral-based chemicals reveals that basic changes are happening, even if at a slow pace. The potential looms for many further significant changes in production and consumption of these chemicals. In particular, each of them faces basic shifts in markets and production related to the pervasive drive for pollution control. Pollution control would almost have to affect these three chemicals because of their sheer size and diverse pattern of uses. Lime, for example, ranks second only to sulfuric acid in U.S. chemical ...