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Carbon disulfide (CS2) is also known as carbon bisulfide and sometimes dithiocarbonic
anhydride. It is a faintly yellow, highly flammable liquid with a strong disagreeable
odor. Carbon disulfide has been an important industrial chemical since the
late nineteenth century. It is used in a variety of applications, including
the production of regenerated cellulose (rayon and cellophane) and the manufacture
of organic sulfur compounds including agricultural, pharmaceutical and rubber
chemicals. Its properties as an organic solvent are useful in many industrial
applications, such as extraction and cleaning processes.
Asia, including Japan, accounted for two-thirds of world production and consumption
of carbon disulfide in 2007. China is the dominant global player in this industry,
followed by India. More than 51% of the total world consumption of carbon disulfide
is accounted for by these two countries. Both countries have expanding rayon
fiber industries, which account for the majority of the CS2 consumption. The
situation in Western Europe, which as a region accounted for 18% of world consumption
in 2007, is similar.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of carbon disulfide:
The production of regenerated
cellulose (in the form of rayon fibers
and cellophane) is the dominant industrial
application of carbon disulfide, accounting
for 69% of total demand. In the absence
of new applications, the health of
the overall carbon disulfide market
will depend on sustainable growth in
the fibers application, which on a
global scale is expected to be about
4.7% during 2007–2012. Other
important areas where CS2 is being
used include the production of rubber
chemicals (predominantly as vulcanization
accelerators) and agricultural chemicals
(as fumigants). With the increasing
prices of basic raw materials, the
use of carbon disulfide in the manufacture
of mining chemicals (used as flotation
agents) is gaining in importance and
has the highest forecast growth rate
among the different applications. There
are different consumption patterns
in the different regions of the world.
In North America, rayon fibers are
no longer produced, whereas in Southeast
Asia, more than 80% of overall consumption
is accounted for by this application.
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