Polymer business worldwide

The polyolefins business accounts for approximately 63% of the global polymer production. Worldwide production volume of polyethylene is about 76 MMT (million metric tons), polypropylene is about 56 MMT. Diagram 2.1 represents polymer business worldwide. 

Economic Importance of Heterophase Polymerizations. Polymer dispersions are an important part of the worldwide polymer business, not only because of their outstanding role in the historic development of polymer chemistry but mainly because of their versatility with respect to both properties and applications. Figure 1 illustrates both the position of polymer dispersions in the hierarchy of science and shows the variety of applications in which they are found. These examples illustrate on the one hand the different branches of industry, that take advantage of polymer dispersions and on the other hand how the daily life is influenced. Heterophase polymerizations are important technologies that can... 

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. 

Italian company Novamont has since emerged as the leading supplier of starch-based polymers. Novamont started its research activities in 1989 as part of the Montedison group and its Mater-Bi polymers were commercialised in 1990 with the opening of a 4,000 tonnes per annum plant at Terni in Italy. Novamont further consolidated its leading position in starch-based polymers in 1997 with the acquisition of worldwide patents belonging to Warner-Lambert and has continued to grow the business very successfully since then. 

Ballard Power Systems of Canada (see web site) is the Titan, the co-ordinating major force in the international proton exchange fuel cell or polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC) business. Ballard claims over 500 patents Also, a worldwide complex of allies serves its international interests. 

Membrane research and development started in Du Pont in 1962 and culminated in the introduction of the first B-9 Permasep permeator for desalination of brackish water by reverse osmosis (RO) in 1969. The membrane in this B-9 Permasep module consisted of aramid hollow fibers. In 1969, proponents of RO technology had ambitious dreams and hopes. Today, RO is a major desalination process used worldwide to provide potable water from brackish and seawater feeds. Du Font s membrane modules for RO are sold under the trademark Permasep permeators. The RO business is a virtually autonomous profit center that resides in the Polymer Products Department. The growth and success of the Permasep products business is a direct result of Du Font s sustained research and development commitment to polyamides, a commitment that dates back to the 1930 s and the classic polymer researches of Wallace H. Carothers. Since 1969, improved and new Permasep permeators have been introduced six times, as shown in Table I. 

During the 1970s Jersey Standard s chemical product portfolio had been reduced to resemble that in 1960. Its primary chemical business remained the production of ethylene, basic polymers (including LDPE, linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE) using the Unipol process, licensed from Union Carbide, PP, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), plasticizers (particularly for vinyl production), elastomers, and synthetic rubbers. Profits returned. The 1974 balance sheet listed earnings of 456 million on revenue of 3.3 billion, making Exxon Chemical one of the five most profitable chemical companies worldwide. 

The styrene plastics industry has emerged over the past 30 years to become a major worldwide business. The industry has grown because the excellent balance of mechanical properties and processability of styrene plastics allow it to fill diverse market needs. The advent of workable industrial processes for both monomer and polymer and the fact that styrene plastics were made from once inexpensive raw materials have likewise contributed to the growth of the industry. In spite of the relative maturity of the science and the industry, styrene plastics remain a fruitful area for research. For example, the development of new materials having unique properties, such as fire and heat resistance, and the development of efficient energy and material-saving fabrication processes are expected to be the subject of extensive study in the future. 

Polyolefins are a multibillion dollar a year industry with worldwide production in excess of 160 billion pounds and polyethylene alone in excess of 100 billion pounds. Despite this size and the commodity nature of the business, polyolefins are the fastest-growing segment of the polymer industry. Although it has been almost half a century since polyethylene s commercialization. polyolefins remain highly technology-driven. " ... 

The science and technology of polymer blends has now acquired an important position in the area of development of new polymeric materials. Moreover, the application of polymer blends has increased significantly and is expected to continue to grow. Of the total consumption of engineering polymers, more than 20 % is currently thought to be composed of blends with important and various applications in the automotive, electrical, and electronic industry, in computer and business equipment housings, in medical components, etc. Annually about 4,900 patents related to polymer blends are published worldwide. 

The ideal combination of size and fechnology has evidently not yet been found for polypropylene—Volker Traufz, former Chairman and CEO of Basell, told the author that the boom-bust business cycles over the years in this polymer have "effectively desfroyed all investments made in the product since the begirming (the late 1950s)." This would seem to be more a problem of persisfenf overcapacify fhan finding an ideal plant size, however. Industry-wide overcapacity is ever a risk in commodity polymers, particularly as globalization has sharpened competition worldwide. 

BASF has worldwide capacity of 71,000 tpa of the acetal polymer. In 1999, BASF bought Degussa-Hiils 50% share of the two Ultraform polyacetals joint venture businesses. Ultraform GmbH (Ludwigshafen) has capacity to produce 38,000 tpa of POM. Ultraform Company at Theodore, Alabama, has capacity totalling 33,000 tpa. However, over-capacity in the USA and negative economies forced BASF to shut the Theodore plant in 2002, and to source material for US customers under a toll agreement with Ticona. 

While It has been estimated that only 8% of the waste generated in the U.S. is from synthetic polymers, its durability and visibility magnifies It in the eyes of the public. Attitudes toward plastic products are becoming more negative worldwide. This problem must be addressed for continued growth and health of the polymer related businesses. New technologies to minimize waste and to recycle it, the most desirable solutions to the waste problem, must be developed. 

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