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Foamed plastics: a $16 billion market in the USA
Additives.for
November 1997
Polymers
urethanes generally will lead the advances Growing competition from other expandec materials, such as thermoplastic olefins, wil challenge further growth of polyurethanes. however. Freedonia estimates that the polyurethane market in the USA amounted to more than 1.50 million tonnes in 1996.
MARKETING Foamed plastics: a $16 billion market in the USA Demand for foamed plastics in the USA is forecast to rise at 3% a year, to reach a total of 3.35 million tonnes by 2001, valued at over $16 billion. In a new report by Freedonia, it is predicted that the best growth prospects will be offered by reaction injection while foamed moulded polyurethanes, US market
for foamed
Contest: Freedonia Group Inc, 3570 Warrensville Center Road, Suite 201, Cleveland, (IH 44122-5226, USA; tel: +l-216 921 6800; fax: +I-216 921 5459
plastics,
1987-2001
1987 Polyurethanes Expanded
polystyrene
Other
types
Total
demand
Estimated
for foamed
value
of market
plastics ($ million)
(‘000 tonnes)
1996
2001
Annual 96187
growth (%) 01196
1072
1508
1773
3.90
3.30
597
760
862
2.70
2.50
400
600
730
4.70
3.60
2069
2868
3365
3.70
3.20
6850
12 100
16 200
6.50
6.00
Sburce: Freedonia Inc
acceptance in virtually all the major industry operations requiring fluorocarbons, including blowing agents for energy-efficient insulation foams. Contact: European Fluorocarbon Technical Committee - EFCTC, c/o CEFIC, Av E van Nieuwenhuyse 4, hte I, B-1160 Brussels, Belgium; fel: +32-2 676 7211; fax: i-32-2 676 7301
NEW TECHNOLOGY Fluoropolymers can also improve pelletizing output Following long use in improving the production of plastics films, fluoropolymer additives are being developed to improve the output of pelletizing extruders, reported Donald E. Priester of DuPont Dow Elastomers, at ANTEC ‘97, the Annual Technical Conference of the Society of Plastics Engineers in the USA. He reported polyethylene
8
field trials at a high density a special plant, where
fluoropolymer additive - which he described as an ‘alloy’ of fluoroelastomers and ethylene-based copolymers - was added at a level of 500 ppm into the pelletizing exnuder, together with standard additives. In the first 24 hours, output rose by nearly 15%, with a reduction of 6% in die pressure and power consumption. In contrast to the “prohibitive” cost of using conventional fluoropolymer additives to improve pelletizing, the system costs around $0.01 per kg of HDPE processed, he estimated. Contact: DuPont Dow Elastomers, CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland; tel: +4I-22 7175lll;~fax: +41-22 717 5109
Replacement of HCFCs: the effect on properties Considerable reformulation is needed to optimize polyurethane foam systems with blowing agents replacing HCFCs. This is the conclusion of a US study by Bayer, which sheds some much-needed light on the subject.
0 1997
Elsevier Science
November 1997
Polymers
urethanes generally will lead the advances Growing competition from other expandec materials, such as thermoplastic olefins, wil challenge further growth of polyurethanes. however. Freedonia estimates that the polyurethane market in the USA amounted to more than 1.50 million tonnes in 1996.
MARKETING Foamed plastics: a $16 billion market in the USA Demand for foamed plastics in the USA is forecast to rise at 3% a year, to reach a total of 3.35 million tonnes by 2001, valued at over $16 billion. In a new report by Freedonia, it is predicted that the best growth prospects will be offered by reaction injection while foamed moulded polyurethanes, US market
for foamed
Contest: Freedonia Group Inc, 3570 Warrensville Center Road, Suite 201, Cleveland, (IH 44122-5226, USA; tel: +l-216 921 6800; fax: +I-216 921 5459
plastics,
1987-2001
1987 Polyurethanes Expanded
polystyrene
Other
types
Total
demand
Estimated
for foamed
value
of market
plastics ($ million)
(‘000 tonnes)
1996
2001
Annual 96187
growth (%) 01196
1072
1508
1773
3.90
3.30
597
760
862
2.70
2.50
400
600
730
4.70
3.60
2069
2868
3365
3.70
3.20
6850
12 100
16 200
6.50
6.00
Sburce: Freedonia Inc
acceptance in virtually all the major industry operations requiring fluorocarbons, including blowing agents for energy-efficient insulation foams. Contact: European Fluorocarbon Technical Committee - EFCTC, c/o CEFIC, Av E van Nieuwenhuyse 4, hte I, B-1160 Brussels, Belgium; fel: +32-2 676 7211; fax: i-32-2 676 7301
NEW TECHNOLOGY Fluoropolymers can also improve pelletizing output Following long use in improving the production of plastics films, fluoropolymer additives are being developed to improve the output of pelletizing extruders, reported Donald E. Priester of DuPont Dow Elastomers, at ANTEC ‘97, the Annual Technical Conference of the Society of Plastics Engineers in the USA. He reported polyethylene
8
field trials at a high density a special plant, where
fluoropolymer additive - which he described as an ‘alloy’ of fluoroelastomers and ethylene-based copolymers - was added at a level of 500 ppm into the pelletizing exnuder, together with standard additives. In the first 24 hours, output rose by nearly 15%, with a reduction of 6% in die pressure and power consumption. In contrast to the “prohibitive” cost of using conventional fluoropolymer additives to improve pelletizing, the system costs around $0.01 per kg of HDPE processed, he estimated. Contact: DuPont Dow Elastomers, CH-1218 Le Grand-Saconnex, Switzerland; tel: +4I-22 7175lll;~fax: +41-22 717 5109
Replacement of HCFCs: the effect on properties Considerable reformulation is needed to optimize polyurethane foam systems with blowing agents replacing HCFCs. This is the conclusion of a US study by Bayer, which sheds some much-needed light on the subject.
0 1997
Elsevier Science