Editing Acetonitrile (section)

==Production==
Acetonitrile is a byproduct from the manufacture of [[acrylonitrile]] by catalytic [[ammoxidation]] of [[propylene]]. Most is combusted to support the intended process but an estimated several thousand tons are retained for the above-mentioned applications.<ref name=Ullmann>{{Ullmann| last1 = Pollak | first1 = Peter | last2 = Romeder | first2 = Gérard | last3 = Hagedorn | first3 = Ferdinand | last4 = Gelbke | first4 = Heinz-Peter | title = Nitriles | doi = 10.1002/14356007.a17_363 }}</ref> Production trends for acetonitrile thus generally follow those of [[acrylonitrile]]. Acetonitrile can also be produced by many other methods, but these are of no commercial importance as of 2002. Illustrative routes are by dehydration of [[acetamide]] or by [[hydrogenation]] of mixtures of [[carbon monoxide]] and [[ammonia]].<ref>{{Cite patent
 |country= US
 |number= 4179462
 |status=
 |title=Process for preparing acetonitrile
 |pubdate=1979-12-18
 |gdate=
 |fdate=1978-01-16
 |pridate=
 |invent1=Olive, G.
 |invent2=Olive, S.
 |assign1=[[Monsanto Company]]
}}</ref> In {{as of|1992|alt=1992}}, {{convert|14700|t|ST}} of acetonitrile were produced in the US.

===Acetonitrile shortage in 2008–2009 ===
Starting in October 2008, the worldwide supply of acetonitrile was low because Chinese production was shut down for the [[2008 Olympics|Olympics]].  Furthermore, a U.S. factory was damaged in Texas during [[Hurricane Ike]].<ref>{{Cite web | first = Derek | last = Lowe | author-link = Derek Lowe (chemist) | title = The Great Acetonitrile Shortage | year = 2009 | publisher = [[Science Translational Medicine]] | url = https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/great-acetonitrile-shortage}}</ref>  Due to the  global economic slowdown, the production of acrylonitrile used in acrylic fibers and [[acrylonitrile butadiene styrene]] (ABS) resins decreased.  Acetonitrile is a byproduct in the production of [[acrylonitrile]] and its production also decreased, further compounding the acetonitrile shortage.<ref>{{cite journal | author = A. Tullo | title = A Solvent Dries Up | journal = Chemical & Engineering News | volume = 86 | issue = 47 | pages = 27 | doi = 10.1021/cen-v086n047.p027| year = 2008 }}</ref> The global shortage of acetonitrile continued through early 2009.{{update inline|date=February 2018}}