Polymer demand, global

These polyolefin polymers, since their commercialization around 80 years ago, are now (2013) the major fraction (62 %) of the plastic materials which have transformed modem life [1]. In 1960, they comprised only 20 % of global polymer demand, but already by 1995, this had reached 60 % [2]. 

True recycling on a global basis demands that some part of the total polymer market input stream be replaced by reclaimed material. This, in turn, requires a purification of contaminated waste polymer to a state that allows it to replace material in the same application or, at least, to replace the polymer in another existing application currently using virgin material. 

Polymerization processes have adopted a character of continuous multiproduct plants, in response to the current demand for polymers. Precisely, the variability observed in the polymer market demand, in terms of product quality specifications, calls upon frequent grade transition policies on the polymerization plants, with legitimate consequences on process economics, due to the regular necessary disturbances from steady-state operating conditions. Therefore, the issue of how to operate such process as continuous multiproduct plants, in a global polymer industry environment with intense competitive pressures, emerges nastily. 

Polymer demand has been driven by high levels of investment particularly in packaging, appliances, consumer electronics, and automotive [8]. However, in the modem global market, quality is a key issue to remain competitive in business. (Quality can no longer be simply the result of an inspection... 

A Maack Scheidl Partnership CH-8804 Au/near Zurich, Switzerland Tel +41-1-781 3040 Fax +41-1-781 1569 http //www.MBSpolymer.com Plastics technology and marketing business service, which organizes global conferences, and edits a range of reports and studies, which focus on important worldwide aspects of polymer research, development, production, and end uses. Provides updates on plastic costs, pricing, forecast, supply/demand, and analysis. Identified early in the cycle are trends in production, products and market segments. 

Table 10.4 shows the main trends affecting the overall polymer business. However, differentiation according to polymer type is necessary (Table 10.5). The plastics industry still has a highly fragmented structure, and consolidation will continue in order to meet the demands of global competition, until there are no further incremental efficiencies to be gained. At the present time, the plastics industry is plagued by low profit margins and surplus capacity.

Because of the processes carried out in the plant, the expected compounds in wastewater are formaldehyde, urea, and polymers of these compounds. The global effluent of this kind of factory is characterized by a high chemical oxygen demand (COD) (due mainly to formaldehyde), relatively high values of nitrogen (arising from urea and copolymers) and a low content of phosphorus and inorganic carbon. The main characteristics of the effluent of a resin factory are showed in Table 19.1. 

In this section, we describe the mechanical properties of a class of materials that continues to grow in terms of use in structural applications. As issues related to energy consumption and global warming continue to increase demands for lightweight, recyclable materials, the development of new polymers and the characterization of recycled polymers will continue to dominate research and development efforts in this area. 

PBDEs have been called one of the emerging pollutants . They are extensively used as flame retardants (FRs) in various polymers and especially in electronic equipment such as computers and television sets. Similar to PCBs, there are 209 congeners of PBDEs, and the nomenclature system is also based on the same IUPAC scheme used for PCBs. But unlike PCBs, for which large-scale production has been banned for many years, PBDEs are still widely used and their transport and transformation in the environment are still poorly understood. The global demand for PBDEs has increased rapidly since the 1970s. In 1992, the global production of PBDEs was 40,0001, but in 1999 this had increased to approximately 70,0001 (Renner, 2000). 

The recognized lack of biodegradability of most commercial polymers, in particular those used for food packaging, focused public attention on the potential global environmental problem associated with plastic waste build-up in the countryside and on the seashore. Therefore, there is a growing demand for sea-biodegradable polymers. 

Today, acetone and butanol are used as solvents and chemical building blocks for a diverse range of applications from paints, adhesives, and inks to food ingredients, cosmetic and personal care applications, to pharmaceuticals, plastics, and polymers. According to ICIS market data, the annual global markets for butanol is 3.4 million tonnes (worth over 5 billion) and for acetone it is 6 million tonnes (worth 6 billion). Today, the solvent markets are supplied petroleum-derived acetone and butanol. There is increasing demand for renewable chemicals derived from sustainable feedstocks as replacements for chemicals derived from oil. At present, renewable chemicals comprise about 10% of the chemical market and this is forecast to grow at 18% per year to 98.5 billion by 2020 [176]. 

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