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European Commission to ban cadmium in plastics
LITERATURE/ENVIRONMENT
LITERATURE Study forecasts global pigment revenues to reach US$45 billion/year by 2018
C
ontinued growth is forecast for the global pigments market, with revenues expected to increase to more than US$45 billion by 2018, according to the latest study released by market research specialists Ceresana Research. Published in July, Market Study: Pigments is a newly updated, in-depth study on the global pigments market, the company says. In 2010, the Asia Pacific region was responsible for 45% of the global demand for pigments. The second-largest market was North America, followed by Western Europe. Ceresana anticipates that the Asia Pacific will continue to significantly influence market dynamics in the future. The rapidly developing emerging markets there have the greatest growth potential, particularly China and India. In addition, South America and the Middle East register above-average growth rates of 3.6–4.4%, the study finds. The plastics sector is cited among the important growth markets for pigments. Developments in demand for different types of pigments vary between regions, Ceresana notes. For example, iron oxides and organic pigments record the highest growth rates in North America and Western Europe. In emerging markets, the increasing demand for carbon black pigments for plastics and rubber applications is especially notable. The study forecasts that white titanium dioxide pigments will have a share of somewhat more than 60% of the global pigment market in 2018. Organic pigments as yet account for only a small share of the market in volume terms but register above-average demand growth from the plastics, textile and printing inks sectors. Available in English and German, the study provides comprehensive analysis of current market data and trends, with forecasts to 2018. It comprises more than 1000 pages and costs E1895.
September 2011
Contact: Ceresana Research, Konstanz, Germany. Tel: +49 7531 94293 0, Web: www.ceresana.com
ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES European Commission to ban cadmium in plastics
U
nder new rules laid out by the European Commission, all remaining applications of cadmium in plastics, jewellery products and brazing sticks marketed and used in the European Union will be banned from December 2011 because of health and environmental concerns. The ban will be adopted as an amendment under REACH. The use of cadmium, which is a known carcinogen, has been prohibited in a number of plastics articles in the EU since 1992 but was still allowed in stabilizers for some rigid PVC applications as alternatives were not available on the market at that time. Since satisfactory alternatives emerged, the European PVC industry has already been voluntarily phasing out the use of cadmium in plastic packaging under the Vinyl 2010 programme, with the only remaining application manufactured in the EU being some crates. According to the European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potoþnik, the ban on cadmium in plastics will not only protect consumers and help to reduce pollution but will also encourage more recovery and recycling of PVC waste, ‘which represents significant progress in the efforts to save resources’. As PVC is a valuable material that can be recovered a number of times, the new legislation will allow the re-use of recovered PVC containing low levels (up to 0.1% by weight or 1000 ppm) of cadmium in a limited number of construction products ‘without danger for the public or environment’, such as windows and roofing.
Additives for Polymers
11
LITERATURE Study forecasts global pigment revenues to reach US$45 billion/year by 2018
C
ontinued growth is forecast for the global pigments market, with revenues expected to increase to more than US$45 billion by 2018, according to the latest study released by market research specialists Ceresana Research. Published in July, Market Study: Pigments is a newly updated, in-depth study on the global pigments market, the company says. In 2010, the Asia Pacific region was responsible for 45% of the global demand for pigments. The second-largest market was North America, followed by Western Europe. Ceresana anticipates that the Asia Pacific will continue to significantly influence market dynamics in the future. The rapidly developing emerging markets there have the greatest growth potential, particularly China and India. In addition, South America and the Middle East register above-average growth rates of 3.6–4.4%, the study finds. The plastics sector is cited among the important growth markets for pigments. Developments in demand for different types of pigments vary between regions, Ceresana notes. For example, iron oxides and organic pigments record the highest growth rates in North America and Western Europe. In emerging markets, the increasing demand for carbon black pigments for plastics and rubber applications is especially notable. The study forecasts that white titanium dioxide pigments will have a share of somewhat more than 60% of the global pigment market in 2018. Organic pigments as yet account for only a small share of the market in volume terms but register above-average demand growth from the plastics, textile and printing inks sectors. Available in English and German, the study provides comprehensive analysis of current market data and trends, with forecasts to 2018. It comprises more than 1000 pages and costs E1895.
September 2011
Contact: Ceresana Research, Konstanz, Germany. Tel: +49 7531 94293 0, Web: www.ceresana.com
ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUES European Commission to ban cadmium in plastics
U
nder new rules laid out by the European Commission, all remaining applications of cadmium in plastics, jewellery products and brazing sticks marketed and used in the European Union will be banned from December 2011 because of health and environmental concerns. The ban will be adopted as an amendment under REACH. The use of cadmium, which is a known carcinogen, has been prohibited in a number of plastics articles in the EU since 1992 but was still allowed in stabilizers for some rigid PVC applications as alternatives were not available on the market at that time. Since satisfactory alternatives emerged, the European PVC industry has already been voluntarily phasing out the use of cadmium in plastic packaging under the Vinyl 2010 programme, with the only remaining application manufactured in the EU being some crates. According to the European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potoþnik, the ban on cadmium in plastics will not only protect consumers and help to reduce pollution but will also encourage more recovery and recycling of PVC waste, ‘which represents significant progress in the efforts to save resources’. As PVC is a valuable material that can be recovered a number of times, the new legislation will allow the re-use of recovered PVC containing low levels (up to 0.1% by weight or 1000 ppm) of cadmium in a limited number of construction products ‘without danger for the public or environment’, such as windows and roofing.
Additives for Polymers
11