Polyolefin global demand

The production of polyolefins such as polyethylene (PE) or polypropylene (PP) and their copolymers increases continuously due to their outstanding product properties and their environmental compatibility. They are commonly applied as packing material. foils, fibers, as well as components for the automotive and electrical industry. In 1996 the worldwide production of PE and PP counted 40 million and 20 million tons, respectively. On the basis of the global demand. the growth rate of PP production is predicted to rise up to 7% per year until 2002/ 2003. 

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]. 

Antioxidants are expensive, so although their sales are small in volume terms they are much larger by value, about six times those of antimicrobials for plastics. The demand depends considerably on polyolefins, sales of which have been growing faster than those of most other resin types. In 2000, global sales of antioxidants in polymers were valued at US 1.35 billion. Phenolics accounted for the majority ( 670 M), phosphites for 470M, and thioesters and various other types for 200 M, according to BRG Townsend. 

Only about 360,000 tonnes of mineral filler of any sort are used in polyolefins. Most of it is either calcium carbonate or talc. Globally, talc has 7% of the fillers-for-plastics market, and China is the world s largest producer. Consumption of talc in plastics is mainly in PP, but there is also considerable demand from the coatings, paper, pharmaceuticals, agricidtmal and water treatment chemicals sectors, as well as for ceramics and refractories. Estimates of consumption depend considerably on which minerals are counted some estimates have put global production at 2.4 M toimes in 2002, for all purposes. 

Global polyolefin demand grew over 5% per year between 1990 and 2010 to a volume of 120 000 000 metric tons. The high-pressure free-radical-polymerized LDPE grew just 1.25% per year. On the other hand, LLDPE, HOPE, and PP grew at 7.6%, 5.3%, and 6.8%, respectively (Figure 18). 

Figure 18 Global polyolefin demand, thousand metric tons. Source CMAi giobai.

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