Market trends
Over 56% of global TPE produced in Asia
작성자 : Aeyoung Park
2018-10-04 |
조회 : 1173
In 2017, about 4.7 million tonnes of thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) were used worldwide, according to a study by Ceresana.
Production of TPE is dominated by manufacturers in Asia. More than 56% of global production takes place in this region. Second largest producer is North America, followed by Western Europe.
Demand for TPE is strongly focused on the largest economic powers. Currently, processors in China, the USA, Japan, and Germany combined account for about two thirds of global demand.
Given their versatility and easy processing, TPEs are predominantly used in the automotive industry. About 36% of all TPE products are used in the manufacturing of vehicles. The applications cover segments such as fabric coating, sealing components, and bumpers. Therefore, the development of the automotive and transport industries, as well as their suppliers are important indicators for forecasts of future TPE demand.
TPE are also increasingly utilized in the construction and other industries, e.g. mechanical engineering, medical engineering, electric engineering, and electronic engineering. By now, TPE can be found in numerous everyday products such as cables, shoes, sports goods, toys, and household appliances.
The by far most commonly used type of TPE on the global market is the group of styrene block copolymers (SBC). Their applications reach from admixtures in adhesives to asphalt modification in road construction.
The second largest TPE market is comprised by thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO), which are mainly used in the automotive industry. Another important type of TPE is thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) that can, for example, be used for dashboards and housing shells.
