Growth-plastics

The bulk of such research expenditure is done by the materials producers themselves and the rest by the additive and equipment industries who do more than the processors and fabricators whose share is very small. Important to plastic growth have been government projects in basic research and new applications, particularly the military. Their work in turn expands into the industrial industry. 

Worldwide plastic growth is estimated between 4% and 5.5% per annum for the next few years, leading to a worldwide consumption estimated from 210 up to 260 million tonnes by 2010. 

Packaging is not the main market for foams and statistics distinguish this sector only for EPS, where it accounts for roughly 30% of all EPS applications for a typical industrialized country. The annual growth rate varies according to the country but is, more or less, in line with the average for plastics growth. 

The engineering thermoplastics should reach 2,000 million lb in sales by 1988 and will provide an important part of the economic growth of the plastic industry because they are able to compete with metals better than the commodity plastics. Growth and profitability for engineering plastics will continue to be above that of the commodity plastics despite increasing entries. 

Plastics Growth aggl. Hot mixer, shear milling... 

Figure 10.15 Reinforced plastic growth related to tree growth...

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