Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - Executive Summary Aluminum Sulfate Direct Use Chemical AI2{S04)3 (liquid or solid) Inputs to Manufacturing Process: Aluminum Hydroxide Sulfuric Acid % of Total Domestic Consumption Attributed to Water Sector: Approximately 45% ^ Derivative Water Treatment Chemicals: Understanding Chemical Supply Chains None Map of Suppliers & Manufacturers ~ Product Family: "• Aluminum CAS No.: 10043-01-3 Shelf Life: 36 Months — RISK OF SUPPLY DISRUPTION (Assessed in 2022) RISK RATING: Low I Alll _ RISK DRIVERS Production of aluminum sulfate depends on supply of aluminum hydroxide and bauxite. The U.S. is entirely dependent on import of bauxite to produce alumi- num hydroxide, which has experienced historic price volatility. RISK PARAMETERS Criticality: High. Essential and widely used for coagulation. Likelihood: Low. No history of supply disruptions between 2000 and 2022. Vulnerability: Moderate-High, Strong domestic manufacturing provides some resilience, however, the U.S. is dependent on imports of bauxite for production of aluminum hydroxide. MANUFACTURING PROCESS Water T reatment Applications Coagulation Other Applications Paper manufacturing Fabric dyeing Soil amendment Firefighting foam DOMESTIC PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION, AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE Domestic Manufacturing Locations (2015): 62, distributed throughout the U.S. International Trade (2019) Primary Trading Partner (Imports): Canada Primary Trading Partner (Exports): Canada Domestic Consumption (2019): 799 Million kg ¦ Domestic Production (796 M kg) ¦ Imports for Consumption (14 M kg) ¦ Export of Domestic Production (11 K kg) &EPA ------- Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - Full Profile Product Description Aluminum sulfate (AI2(S04)3), a water soluble aluminum salt, is one of the most widely used aluminum-based coagulants in water and wastewater treatment due to its low cost and widespread availability. Water treatment applications are the most common uses of aluminum sulfate in the U.S. Use in Water Treatment Aluminum sulfate (alum) is utilized directly as a liquid solution or solid in primary coagulation in drinking water treatment, municipal wastewater treatment, and industrial wastewater treatment. Aluminum sulfate is also used in source water clarification and nutrient removal (AWWA, 2016). Use as a Precursor to Other Water Treatment Chemicals Aluminum sulfate is not used to manufacture other water treatment chemicals. Other Applications Aluminum sulfate has a wide range of applications. The predominant use is in water treatment including drinking water, wastewater, and water resource management. Other uses include production of paper, textiles, soil amendment, firefighting foam, food, cosmetics, dyes, leather, and as a vaccine adjuvant (ATSDR, 2008; NCBI, 2021). Primary Industrial Consumers The primary use of aluminum sulfate is water and wastewater treatment. Past estimates have approximated the consumption of aluminum sulfate for water and wastewater treatment at 45% of total domestic consumption. Other common uses are paper manufacturing, and fabric dyeing. Additional uses include soil amendment, firefighting foam, vaccine adjuvant, chemical catalyst production (EPA, 2020; NCBI, 2021). Manufacturing, Transport, & Storage Manufacturing Process Aluminum sulfate is primarily produced through a reaction of aluminum hydroxide and sulfuric acid. The process may begin with ground bauxite in place of aluminum hydroxide. The overall equation for the most common aluminum sulfate manufacturing process is outlined in Figure 1. In this process, aluminum hydroxide is mixed with sulfuric acid at a controlled temperature and pressure to yield aluminum sulfate. Liquid aluminum sulfate, the more commonly sold form, is prepared by diluting the prepared solution. The aluminum sulfate solution can be evaporated and allowed to crystallize to produce a dry powder. Sulfuric Acid + Aluminum Hydroxide — Aluminum Sulfate + Water 3H2S04 + 2AI(OH)3 -s AI2(S04)3 + 6H20 Figure 1. Chemical Equation for the Reaction to Manufacture Aluminum Sulfate Product Transport Aluminum sulfate, primarily supplied as a solution but also available as a solid or powder, is widely transported in container and bulk by truck, rail, barge, and ship (USALCO, 2019). Storage and Shelf Life Aluminum sulfate, commonly sold as a solution, should be stored in a tightly closed container and kept indoors EPA 817-F-22-011 | December 2022 SEPA ------- Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - Full Profile or in a heated area. When stored properly, aluminum sulfate can have a shelf life of approximately 36 months, depending on storage conditions (USALCO, 2019). Domestic Production & Consumption Domestic Production Production data was collected from the EPA Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Chemical Data Reporting (CDR) while trade data was collected from the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) Dataweb, as characterized in Table 1. Both production and trade data are specific to aluminum sulfate. Table 1. Aluminum Sulfate Production and Trade Data Sources Production and Trade Data Category Data Source Identifier Description Domestic Production 2020 TSCA Chemical Data Reporting CAS No.: 10043-01-3 Aluminum Sulfate Imports and Exports U.S. International Trade Commission HS Code: 2833.22 Aluminum Sulfate Total U.S. domestic manufacturing of aluminum sulfate was approximately 796 million kilograms (M kg) in 2019 (EPA, 2020). The majority of reported domestic commercial manufacture of aluminum sulfate takes place at facilities located throughout the contiguous U.S. owned by a relatively small number of companies including Chemtrade, GEO Specialty Chemicals, Southern Ionics, PQ Corporation, Thatcher Chemical Company, and USALCO (EPA, 2020). The number of domestic manufacturing locations shown in Figure 2 represents operating facilities as of 2015. Supply of NSF/ANSI Standard 60 certified aluminum sulfate for use in drinking water treatment is also widely distributed throughout the U.S. (NSF International, 2021). For a more current listing of manufacturing locations and supplier locations, visit the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) Chemical Locator Tool (EPA. 2022a). 2 &EPA ------- o 0 Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - hull Profile O O ° - : o 0#» Q* °° O o ® »°J • H ?n • ¦& <& o O 4 -_ • • • A0! o •#spia % 5 • • • o «! Domestic Supply and Manufacturing of Aluminum Sulfate O 92 NSF/ANSI Standard 60 Certified Suppliers (NSF International 2021) 9 62 Domestic Manufacturing Locations (EPA Chemical Data Reporting, 2016) Figure 2. Domestic Supply and Manufacturing of Aluminum Sulfate Domestic Consumption U.S. consumption of aluminum sulfate in 2019 is estimated at 799 M kg. This includes production of 796 M kg, import of 14 M kg, minus export of 11 M kg (EPA, 2020; USITC, 2021), as shown in Figure 3. Domestic Consumption (2019): 799 Million kg Domestic Production (796 M kg) n Imports for Consumption (14 M kg) c Export of Domestic Production (11 K kg) Figure 3. Domestic Production and Consumption of Aluminum Sulfate in 2019 Trade & Tariffs Worldwide Trade Worldwide import and export data for aluminum sulfate are reported through the World Bank's World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS) software, as a category specific to aluminum sulfate. In 2021, U.S. ranked 16th 3 &EPA ------- Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - Full Profile worldwide in total exports and fourth in total imports of aluminum sulfate. In 2021, China ranked first worldwide in total exports while Austria ranked first in total imports (WITS, 2022), as shown in Table 2. Table 2. WITS Worldwide Export and Import of Aluminum Sulfate in 2021 2021 Worldwide Trade Aluminum Sulfate (HS Code 2833.22) Top 5 Worldwide Exporters Top 5 Worldwide Importers China 97 M kg Austria 32 M kg Turkey 74 M kg Netherlands 22 M kg Sweden 50 M kg Flong Kong 19 M kg Indonesia 29 M kg United States 17 M kg Netherlands 29 M kg Sweden 17 M kg Domestic Imports and Exports Domestic import and export data are reported by USITC in categories specific to aluminum sulfate. Figure 4 summarizes imports for consumption1 and domestic exports2 of aluminum sulfate between 2015 and 2020. During this period, the overall quantities of exports and imports fluctuated, with imports for consumption consistently exceeding domestic exports. Over this five-year period, Canada was the primary recipients of domestic exports and the primary source of imports for consumption (USITC, 2021). Domestic Trade of Aluminum Sulfate 25 HS Code 2833.22 20 ii I. L I. n ¦. «/)«/> CO CO CO CO > CO (/> lO CO CO oo oo oo oo oo oo Q.Q. Q.Q. Q.Q. Q.Q. Q.Q. Q.Q. EX C X C X C X C X C X 111 l qj c uj c uj tz uj ci uj 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 ¦ Imports from Canada ¦ Exports to Canada ¦ Imports from Mexico ¦ Exports to Palau ¦ Imports from Other Countries Exports to Other Countries Figure 4. USITC Domestic Import and Export of Aluminum Sulfate between 2015 and 2020 Tariffs There is no general duty for import of aluminum sulfate (USITC, 2022), however there is a 25% additional duty on imports from China, as summarized in Table 3. 1 Imports for consumption are a subset of general imports, representing the total amount cleared through customs and entering consumption channels, not anticipated to be reshipped to foreign points, but may include some reexports. 2 Domestic exports are a subset of total exports, representing export of domestic merchandise which are produced or manufactured in the U.S. and commodities of foreign origin which have been changed in the U.S. 4 &EPA ------- Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - Full Profile Table 3. Domestic Tariff Schedule for Aluminum Sulfate in 2022 HS Code General Duty Additional Duty - China (Section 301 Tariff List) Special Duty 2833.22 None 25% None Market History & Risk Evaluation History of Shortages There were no identified aluminum sulfate supply chain disruptions impacting the water sector between 2000 and 2022. Risk Evaluation The complete risk assessment methodology is described in Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions (EPA, 2022b). The risk rating is calculated as the product of the following three risk parameters: Risk = Criticality x Likelihood x Vulnerability Criticality Measure of the importance of a chemical to the water sector Likelihood Measure of the probability that the chemical will experience a supply disruption in the future, which is estimated based on past occurrence of supply disruptions Vulnerability Measure of the market dynamics that make a chemical market more or less resilient to supply disruptions The individual parameter rating is based on evaluation of one or more attributes of the chemical or its supply chain. The ratings and drivers for these three risk parameters are shown below in Table 4. Table 4. Supply Chain Risk Evaluation for Aluminum Sulfate Risk Parameter Ratings and Drivers i i i 1 1 Criticality High 1 Likelihood Low 1 [Vulnerability Moderate-High 1 Aluminum sulfate is essential to the water sector and has widespread application as a coagulant in drinking water and wastewater. The water sector did not experience aluminum sulfate supply chain disruptions between 2000 and 2022. Strong domestic manufacturing provides some resilience to supply disruptions. However, production of a key input, aluminum hydroxide, relies on import of raw material (bauxite). Risk Rating: Low 4 £ «? te-Low Moderaf Rar>ge '*>> /V\ % -P 0> OQ 5 &EPA ------- Aluminum Sulfate Supply Chain - Full Profile References Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry (ATSDR), 2008. Toxicological Profile for Aluminum, retrieved from https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp.asp?id=191&tid=34 American Water Works Association (AWWA), 2016. B403 Aluminum Sulfate - Liquid, Ground, or Lump. Denver, CO: American Water Works Association. EPA, 2016. 2016 TSCA Chemical Data Reporting, retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/chemical-data- reporting/access-cdr-data#2016 EPA, 2020. 2020 TSCA Chemical Data Reporting, retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/chemical-data- reporting/access-cdr-data#2020 EPA, 2022a. Chemical Suppliers and Manufacturers Locator Tool, retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/waterutilitvresponse/chemical-suppliers-and-manufacturers-locator-tool EPA, 2022b. Understanding Water Treatment Chemical Supply Chains and the Risk of Disruptions, retrieved from https://www.epa.gov/waterutilitvresponse/water-sector-supplv-chain-resilience NSF International, 2021. Search for NSF Certified Drinking Water Treatment Chemicals, retrieved from https://info.nsf.org/Certified/PwsChemicals/ National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), 2021. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 24850, Aluminum Sulfate, retrieved from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/aluminum-sulfate USALCO, 2019. Aluminum sulfate storage and handling, retrieved from https://www.usalco.com/wp- content/uploads/2021/08/06162-USALCO-Alum-USALCQ-Flver-Storage-Handling-02-2019-Updt.pdf U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2021. USITC DataWeb, retrieved from https://dataweb.usitc.gov/ U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC), 2022. Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) Search, retrieved from https://hts.usitc.gov/ World Integrated Trade Solutions (WITS), 2022. Trade Statistics by Product (HS 6-digit), retrieved from https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/countrv-bvhs6product.aspx?lang=en#void 6 &EPA ------- |