A new report claims that MTA is beginning to replace PTA as a feedstock for PET

The price of PET resins for fibres and bottles may fall in future, if an alternative feedstock to PTA becomes more widely available. According to a report from Nexant, Squeezing profitability from the PTA/PET value chain, the growth of available MTA (medium quality terephthalic acid) is starting to threaten PTA’s prominence as the precursor of bottle grade PET.

“At a discount of US$20-30/tonne below PTA, MTA may take market share from PTA and also alter the price and margin structure of the polyester products it produces,” said the report.

Two producers of MTA, Eastman and Mitsubishi Chemical, are now offering their MTA production processes for licence. Both producers already use their own versions of MTA to make bottle-grade PET.