Where once massive rivets and screws were needed, a couple of droplets of adhesives are often enough today. "Adhesives are an evenly, calculable and durable bond for different materials," says Oliver Kutsch, CEO of the market research institute Ceresana. "Every year more than 13 million tonnes of adhesives are consumed worldwide." The demand will rise, with no end in sight. According to the latest study of Ceresana, adhesives revenues will rise by 3.1% per year until 2022. The Asia-Pacific ... Read more
Polyurethanes are durable, dimensionally stable and exceptionally versatile; they can be soft and elastic but also hard and brittle. Therefore, PUR plastics are used in a wide range of applications: for car seats and mattresses, skis and shoe soles, sponges and carpet coatings, elastomeres, paints and coatings, but also for adhesives and sealants. Correspondingly high is the demand: In 2014, a worldwide turnover of US$ 50 billion was achieved with PUR. A new study of the market research ... Read more
Ultrathin-walled plastic bags, carrier bags with enhanced carrying handle, valve bags, FIBC, stand-up pouches, disposable sachets: The list of innovative types of bags grows bigger and bigger. The new study of the market research institute Ceresana expects that the worldwide demand for bags and sacks made of polyethylene foil, of other plastic foil, of woven plastic strips, as well as of paper, altogether will grow until 2022 to about 37.9 million tons. Polyethylene, especially LLDPE, is the ... Read more
Making cuts into the bark of rubber trees would not get us far anymore: By now, traffic runs above all on synthetic rubber. The automotive industry is by far the main customer for elastically deformable plastics. This is one conclusion of the new report of the market research company Ceresana which analyzes the global market for synthetic rubbers for the second time now. "Every year, more than 12.6 million tonnes of these materials are consumed all over the world", announces Oliver Kutsch, ... Read more
Paints and varnishes are not only pretty: They protect against rust and contribute to heat insulation; additionally, they can be, for example, self-cleaning and antibacterial. According to the new study of the market research institute Ceresana, worldwide demand for paints and varnishes accounted for almost 40 million tonnes in 2014. The report gives a prognosis up to the year 2022.
Development in Asia
Half of all paints and varnishes are consumed by the ... Read more
For the fourth time now, the market research company Ceresana analyzes the world market for pigments: Sales amount to 9.7 million tonnes per year. The most important sales market for pigments is the production of paints and varnishes which accounts for 45% of total demand. Processing of pigments in plastics ranks second at a considerable distance, followed by the application areas construction material, printing inks, and paper.
Energy saving has become a political trend topic around the globe. A new study of the market research institute Ceresana forecasts that revenues generated with construction insulation materials will amount to a volume of USD 47.7 billion until 2022. The International Energy Agency (IEA) assumes that until 2030, about USD 13.5 trillion have to be invested in climate-friendly technologies to accomplish all aims established by the climate conference in Paris in December 2015. Since heating and ... Read more
Printing is declared dead. Yet, ink on dead trees is still a good business. According to a new market study by Ceresana, the global market for printing inks, which includes toners for electrophotography, will increase its volume to about USD 25.7 billion until 2023. In 2011, it had been at a level of less than USD 20 billion. However, not all manufacturers can benefit from this growth. The printing industry is undergoing some radical changes: While traditional businesses decline, online ... Read more
Flame retardants inhibit or prevent from spread of fires, yet, they can also be dangerous for health and environment. In any case, they are sold in ever larger amounts: Worldwide, about 2.15 million tonnes of flame retardants are used per year for plastic products, electronic devices, construction material, and textiles. For the fourth time now, the market research company Ceresana extensively analyzed the global market for these lifesaving yet not unproblematic products. These include ... Read more
When thinking about improving the energy efficiency of buildings, the first things that come to one's mind are insulation materials for house walls and roofs. However, even the best insulation is useless when thermal bridges such as windows are not taken into consideration. Plastic windows are already able to save a lot of energy. And its development is not over yet: Performance can be improved further by integrating special core insulation material directly into the window profile. Thus, ... Read more
Demand for engineering plastics with special physical and chemical characteristics has been increasing more strongly than the sales of common standard plastics such as polypropylene for several years already. Considering the rising demand for increasingly more efficient and lighter material, this trend is likely to even strengthen further. The market research company Ceresana analyzed the world market for engineering plastics already for the second time: Almost 20.3 million tonnes of ABS, PC ... Read more
Periods of extreme drought and old pipelines in bad conditions are not only a problem for Brazil's cities: Water is becoming increasingly scarce. This is a problem for thirsty consumers and desperate farmers. Yet, it is also a hope for new business opportunities for pipe manufacturers, because modern, efficient pipelines can at least mitigate the problem. In the upcoming years, increasing investments in pipe networks are to be expected, not only for the potable water supply. The market ... Read more
Titanium dioxide, the most important white pigment with the highest refractive index, is the top-selling pigment type for paints, varnishes, paper, and plastics. It is used, for example, for the production of glass, ceramics, and catalysts. Titanium dioxide is used in food and medicine as well as in sunscreen. The market research company Ceresana extensively analyzed the global market for titanium dioxide along the complete value-added chain already for the second time: from the feedstock ... Read more
Ceresana has comprehensively analyzed the market for automotive plastics as a whole and the demand for individual types of plastics.
The automotive industry is a dynamically growing market for plastics: In addition to the global stock of already more than 1.2 billion vehicles, more than 90 million units are added every year. There are many examples of applications for plastics in the automotive industry: door trim, headlights, switches and handles, seating ... Read more
Expansion of wind energy, electric mobility or modernization of aircraft fleets: the future needs lightweight yet high-performing materials. The market research institute Ceresana analyzed the world market for carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) and glass fiber reinforced plastics (GFRP). These composite materials provide an excellent ratio of weight and carrying capacity; they ensure the reduction of weight of components - and thus also the saving of energy. „The global market for CFRP ... Read more
Extrusion is one of the most important processes of the plastics industry; for example films, cups, pipes, hoses, electric cables, complete window profiles or doors can be produced with this method. Both flexible as well as rigid products are extruded, compact or cellular. The market research company Ceresana analyzes in a new study the world market for extrusion plastics.
PVC Is Mainly Used
In 2015, more than 114 million tonnes of plastics worldwide were ... Read more
Silicones are indispensable in many industries. These plastics are used for various products, from pacifiers to computer keyboards. Based on quartz sand via the production of silicon metal, chemical processes yield a great number of different silicone compounds. The most important ones are silicone elastomers, silicone oils and silicone resins. Application areas are construction, automotive, electrical and electronics, medical technology, cosmetics, textiles, and paper. The market research ... Read more
Despite controversial plasticizers, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the best-selling types of plastic. Production of PVC continues to rise, unimpressed by health and environmental discussions: In 2016, over 42 million tonnes of PVC were consumed, corresponding to over 16% of total plastics demand. The market research institute Ceresana already publishes the fourth study on the world market for PVC. The latest report expects global PVC demand to rise by, on average, 2.3% per year until ... Read more
Polypropylene (PP) is the second most important standard plastic after polyethylene, compatible with many processing technologies, and used for the most diverse applications ranging from packaging to household appliances, clothes, and vehicles. Ceresana analyzed the global market for polypropylene already for the fourth time. The latest report of the market research company expects the demand for this type of plastics to grow by, on average, 3% per year until 2024.
Large amounts of plasticizers are processed to make brittle plastics, elastomers, paints and varnishes, as well as adhesives smooth, flexible or even useful in the first place. The latest, already fourth, plasticizer report by the market research company Ceresana forecasts the demand for this controversial but so far indispensable material to increase to about 9.75 billion tonnes worldwide until 2024.
Sewage systems have been around for about 5000 years. However, not everywhere: In France, for instance, more than 5 million households are not connected to the public sewage network. In rural areas in particular, the sewage infrastructure in Europe still has to be expanded. In the cities, it is less about new construction than about replacing old piping systems. For sewage, potable water, cable protection, gas piping, and other applications, pipes made of plastic are becoming more and more ... Read more
Solvents play a major role in industrial production: They can dissolve, dilute, and, in a very fine distribution, absorb other substances without changing them chemically. Solvents (sometimes also called dissolvents) are mainly used in the paints and varnishes, print inks, and adhesives industry but also, for example, as an ingredient of pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and detergents. Substances that cause unpleasant odors, explosive vapors, as well as health and environmental damages are ... Read more
Carbon black is utilized as a filler in tires and numerous other products made of rubber. In plastics, printing inks, paints, and coatings, carbon black is used as a black pigment. Ceresana examined the global carbon black market already for the third time. “We expect a positive development of demand until 2025”, says Oliver Kutsch, CEO of the market research company: “Then, total consumption is likely to amount to over 15 million tonnes of carbon black.”
Booming megacities and digitization, but also climate change and environmental concerns are changing the world. Especially IT companies are hyped in the media. However, it is less known that manufacturers of plastic pipes, for example, also benefit from the change. Whether it is the protection of newly laid communications infrastructure, reliable and hygienic waste water disposal and potable water supply or more efficient irrigation for agriculture: PE pipes can meet the rising requirements ... Read more