Press Release / Industry / Global Trends and Growth Markets: Ceresana Publishes the 3rd Edition of its Market Study Plasticizers

Global Trends and Growth Markets: Ceresana Publishes the 3rd Edition of its Market Study Plasticizers

In order to render brittle materials soft, flexible or ductile, millions of tonnes of plasticizers are processed every year. Ceresana forecasts global market value of plasticizers to increase to more than US$19.5 billion in 2020. Major growth markets will be Asia-Pacific and Eastern Europe.

Consumption in Plastics Dominates Demand

The by far most important application area for plasticizers are plastics, products made from PVC in particular. "In 2012, about 87% of global plasticizers consumption was processed in plastic products, the majority being films and cables", explains Oliver Kutsch, CEO of Ceresana. Demand for plasticizers in the production of rubber products, paints and varnishes as well as adhesives is considerably lower.

Differing Growth Prospects

The highest growth rates Ceresana continues to expect for the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China), but the USA are also likely to increase demand for plasticizers during the next eight years after losses had been incurred in the past. Demand in Western Europe is anticipated to hardly exceed stagnation; however, an increasing demand for phthalate-free plasticizers will stimulate the market.

Growth Market Phthalate-free Plasticizers

Health concerns of consumers and possible further bans on the use of phthalates lead to an increased demand for phthalate-free and biobased plasticizers. The leading market research institute Ceresana expects phthalate plasticizers, especially DEHP, to lose even higher market shares at the favor of phthalate-free products than they did in the past. Where new production capacities are created in Western Europe, these are almost exclusively dedicated to the production of phthalate-free plasticizers; even China is exhibiting excess capacities for DEHP by now. So far, DEHP had accounted for about 60% of the Asian-Pacific market.

The Study in Brief:

Chapter 1 provides a presentation and analysis of the global plasticizers market – including forecasts up to 2020: Demand of and revenues generated with plasticizers as well as demand split by different types of plasticizers (DEHP, DINP/DIDP, other phthalates, non-phthalates) are given for the world and each region.

Chapter 2 offers demand and revenue data for 45 countries in total. Additionally, demand is split by the applications Profiles, Films, Cables, Floorings, Other Plastics, Elastomers, Paints / Varnishes, and Elastomers for the 18 most important sales markets.

Chapter 3 provides a substantiated analysis of individual applications of plasticizers: Data on demand development, split by the seven world regions Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa are given.

Chapter 4 provides profiles of the largest manufacturers of plasticizers, clearly arranged according to contact details, turnover, profit, product range, production sites, profile summary, products, and applications. Extensive profiles of 83 producers are included, for example: Adeka Corporation, Aekyung Petrochemical Co. Ltd., Arkema S.A., BASF SE, Blue Sail Group, Clariant International Ltd., Daelim Industrial Co. Ltd., Dow Chemical Company, Eastman Chemical Company, Evonik Industries AG, ExxonMobil Corporation, Formosa Plastics Group (Nan Ya), Grupa Azoty S.A., LG Chem Ltd., Orica Ltd., Sasol Ltd., and UPC Technology Corporation.

www.ceresana.com/en/Market-Studies/Additives/Plasticizers