US fatty alcohol prices eased into early June as sellers faced the continuation of May's soft tone. Market supply remained comfortable amid subdued buying from detergents, home care, and personal care manufacturers, while industrial surfactants stayed cautious. Improved import flows from Southeast Asia and ample domestic output reduced Gulf Coast tightness, increasing competitive pressure among regional suppliers. Downstream demand remained soft through May, pressuring finished-product premiums for the C12-15 grade used in cleaners and detergents. Buyers maintained lean replenishment cycles as inventories were sufficient, contributing to a shift toward hand-to-mouth purchasing. The result is persistent downside pressure on prices, with weekly assessments signaling continued declines into early June. The near-term outlook points to stable to slightly lower values, barring a material shift in feedstock costs or a move from hand-to-mouth buying to forward cover. Participants should watch export interest and any logistics disruptions that could tighten regional availability, while pricing is expected to remain capped in the near term.
Selenis has effectively manufactured recycled PET chips using terephthalic acid sourced from Circ®, a textile-to-textile recycler based in Virginia. The chip production took place through a series of batches at Selenis' pilot plant in San-Giorgio, Italy. By utilizing inputs recovered from polycotton textile waste, Selenis has created high-quality PET chip, which has been further processed into DTY yarn. This yarn will play a crucial role in product development as Circ prepares for additional capsule launches. Selenis is leveraging the success of this initial collaboration phase and is committed to advancing towards an offtake partnership to support Circ's inaugural industrial facility.
Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis, remarked that the monomer synthesis showed a performance comparable to virgin terephthalic acid. He expressed optimism about the consistent quality of Circ's monomer output and anticipated future commercial success. Santos pointed out that the Circ partnership complements Selenis's existing mission and goals for a more sustainable textile industry. He further stated their anticipation of expanding upon this collaboration and providing support for Circ's forthcoming commercial production trials.
