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The largest end-use market for calcium carbide is in the production of acetylene. This end use accounted for over 94% of the total consumption in the United States, Europe, China, Japan and India in 2007, primarily as a result of large demand in China.
Over the past several years, China has grown into the dominant player in the global calcium carbide market, representing nearly 95% of total production and consumption. Europe, including the 27 countries of the European Union, is the second-largest region, but accounts for only 3% of total production and consumption in the major world regions.
The following pie chart shows consumption of calcium carbide by major region:
China’s sizable share of the global calcium carbide market is linked to the country’s strong economic growth. Acetylene demand for PVC via calcium carbide, considered an antiquated process in developed parts of the world, represents 97% of China’s total demand. As a result, China is projected to experience 8.3% demand growth per year to 2012. Other expanding markets include India, Africa and the CIS. Despite growth or declines in other regions and because of its sheer market volume, China will remain the driving force globally for the foreseeable future.
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