Flexible and Elastic: Ceresana Analyzes the Market for Plasticizers

04-May-2011 - Germany

plastics, paints and varnishes, rubber, and adhesives are often mixed with colorless liquids to make them soft, flexible, and usable. “plasticizers are among the best-selling chemicals,” explains Oliver Kutsch, CEO of Ceresana Research. “Worldwide demand for plasticizers will jump to more than 7.6 million tonnes per year until 2018.” The market research institute is currently publishing a new market study on these indispensable additives.

Growth in Emerging Countries

While Ceresana expects that demand for plasticizers in North America and Western Europe will only see below-average growth in future, demand in countries such as India, Russia, or Brazil will increase by more than 4% per year. The Asia-Pacific region is already the largest market for plasticizers, with China holding the top position with a share of about two thirds.

PVC Does Not Have To Be Brittle

The most important application areas of plasticizers include floorings, profiles, cables, and films made of plastics. They account for more than half of all demand because some PVC grades contain up to 40% of plasticizers. However, demand in the adhesive, paint, and rubber industries is increasing even faster than in the plastics sector.

Environmentally Friendly Alternatives

In 2010, the market was still dominated by phthalate plasticizers. With a roughly 54% share, di-(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) was the most important plasticizer. However, DEHP will be increasingly replaced by other plasticizers over the next years. Due to legal provisions and growing environmental awareness, producers are increasingly forced to use non-phthalate plasticizers, e.g. based on vegetable oils. In North America, for example, alternative plasticizers had a 30% share as soon as in 2010.

Extensive Market Analysis

The practice-oriented study of Ceresana Research gives a concise overview of the different types of plasticizers. The plasticizer market is analyzed in detail: demand divided into types of plasticizers, revenues, and prices. This study focuses on the 18 countries with the largest demand. In addition, the most important application areas are analyzed one by one. The useful list of producers in Volume II offers 213 profiles of the most important plasticizer manufacturers worldwide.

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