In the chemicals supply world, certain chemicals go in and out of high demand. As anyone involved in the chemicals industry will know, certain chemicals may see a spike in demand - whether that’s due to recent government approvals, a recent FDA approval or simply an increase in research. In recent months, chemical supply companies like Norkem have experienced a high demand for iodine and iodine derivative products, from a variety of industry sectors. This demand can mean that, for some, iodine is proving difficult to source.
Here at Norkem, however, we are pleased to report a steady stock of iodine products despite the recent scarcity and are able to continue supplying our clients with our iodine products. Learn more here:
Why is Iodine in Demand?
As stated, the last few months have seen an uptake in demand for iodine products. There are a number of reasons why iodine, and its related products are in high demand. Global demand for iodine and iodine salts is increasing year on year from a variety of industry sectors including LCD, pharma, X-ray contrast media, plastics and animal feed. Iodine - and its derivatives - have a huge range of uses across these sectors.
In the LCD sector, iodine is used in conjunction with LCD sector polarizing sheets, which are made by adsorbing iodine onto a stretched polyvinyl alcohol surface. When the liquid crystals are activated by an electric current, they either block or allow polarized light to pass through, which is part of the process of creating LCD screens.
In the pharmaceutical and medical industries, iodine is used to treat and prevent iodine deficiency as well as being used as an antiseptic. For iodine deficiency, for instance, iodine can be taken by mouth or by or injection into a muscle, while as an antiseptic it may be used on wounds or to disinfect the skin before surgery.
Iodine is used in X-Ray Contrast media to improve the visibility of certain pathologies and diseases like cancer. This is because iodinated contrast is a form of intravenous radiocontrast agent (radiographic dye) which involves iodine, which enhances the visibility of vascular structures and organs during radiographic procedures.
In animal feed, iodine is an essential component to promote healthy growth and development of young animals, much as it is in humans. Young animals that are iodine deficient develop less vigorously, because of reduced bone development and many other illnesses, which is why iodine is added to animal and cattle feed as a supplement.
There are also additional factors which can impact the demand for iodine. For instance, there is growing iodine deficiency in people’s diets in various parts of the world, which can be addressed through supplementary measures. Another medical factor contributing to the increased demand for iodine is the increased demand for use in disinfectants (also accelerated due to Covid-19). Simply put, increased demand for various other iodine derivatives in new applications is also driving up iodine consumption.
Norkem’s Iodine & Iodine Derivatives
The availability of iodine remains tight due to the ongoing disruption in global logistic chains due to Covid 19 from all parts of the world. These delays are causing shortages not just in the EU market but on a global scale and supply issues coupled with increased demand look set to increase prices further during the second half of 2021. At Norkem, we are pleased to report that our stock range is high, on a huge range of iodine and iodine-related products.
Our product range includes Potassium Iodide, Sodium Iodide, Povidone iodine, Potassium Iodate, Calcium Iodate, Cesium Iodide, Methyl Iodide, and Sodium Metaperiodate; but our expert teams welcome enquiries for any iodine compounds. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our experienced staff at Norkem if you have any enquiries about our iodine range or range of iodine derivatives.