US chlor-alkali facilities operated at 81% capacity in April, Chlorine Institute data showed Tuesday.
The effective operational rates were unchanged from March, when they showed a 2 percentage-point drop from 83% in February. The March running rate was its lowest since the October 2013 level of 79%, the data showed.
US chlor-alkali producers made 767,433 st of liquid chlorine, 946,453 st of chlorine gas and 984,370 st of sodium hydroxide in April, the trade association said. The monthly production corresponds to daily rates of 25,581 st/d of liquid chlorine, 31,548 st/d of chlorine gas and 32,812 st/d of sodium hydroxide, it said.
In April 2013, operating rates were at 87%, while daily production rates were 25,997 st/d of liquid chlorine, 32,211 st/d of chlorine gas and 34,652 st/d of sodium hydroxide, the group's data shows.
Companies reporting monthly data to the Chlorine Institute account for 93% of US capacity.
