World consumption polyurethanes

Homogeneous catalysis by lin compounds is also of great indusirial importance. The use of SnCU as a Friedel-Crafts catalyst for homogeneous acylation, alkylation and cyclizaiion reactions has been known for many decades. The most commonly used industrial homogeneous tin catalysis, however, are the Sn(ll) salts of organic acids (e.g. acetate, oxalate, oleale, stearate and ocToate) for the curing of silicone elasloniers and, more importantly, for the production of polyurethane foams. World consumption of tin catalysts for the.se Iasi applications alone is over 1000 tonnes pa. 

Figure 1.2 shows the world consumption of poly ether polyols and polyester polyols for polyurethanes in the period of time 2000-2004. 

Figure 1.2 World consumption of polyether and polyester polyols for polyurethanes...

The world consumption of polyurethanes (PUs) is about 7 million tons per year (2004). The furniture industry, automotive manufacture, building industry, and technical insulation are the major consumers of PUs. It has been established that approximately 10% of PUs convert into wastes during their processing. Therefore, the development of concept for the chemical recycling of PUs is of great importance. Recycling polymer waste materials and used polymers is one way to conserve natural resources and reduce environmental stress. 

Polyurethane contributes more than 5% of the total world consumption of polymers. Although the greatest consumption of urethane products is still in the foam sector, the trend in polyurethane applications is increasing in the areas of surface coatings, adhesives, electrical insulating lacquer, packaging, footwear, furniture assembly, the automotive industry, medical products, composites and microelectronics. 

Polyurethanes are a primary component of the global polymer market. They amount to about 6% of the total world plastic use. The world consumption of polyurethanes in 2000 was about 8 million tons, with a global growth averaging around 3-4% a year. The Western Hemisphere uses about 3 million metric tons per annum. Western Europe approximately 2.6 million metric tons per annum, the remainder being used in Asia and Africa. 

The impact of polyurethanes has been global but is mostly concentrated in the developed world. The availability of the raw materials and the equipment to manufacture and process the materials permits small operations to exist economically. High-quality foams and elastomers can be manufactured in small facilities without large capital expenditures. The worldwide consumption of polyurethanes has therefore increased steadily since the 1950s. Current consumption by region is shown in Figure 2.18. 

World rubber usage of around 25.8 million metric tons is split between natural rubber, which constitutes about 43% of global consumption, and synthetic rubber, of which styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) accounts for 21%. The balance of synthetic rubbers (36%) consists of polybutadiene rubber (BR) and a range of specialty polymers such as polyurethanes, halogenated polymers, silicones, and acrylates. Traditionally, the growth of synthetic and natural rubber consumption is virtually in line with the change in gross domestic product of, collectively. North America, Europe, Japan, China, and India. 

The world s consumption of polyurethanes has been growing continuously because as materials they offer so many different properties and unique ecological and economic advantages. In fact, its consumption rate is increasing by up to 5% a year, (source www.inntecsrl.eu/cms). And there seems to be no end to this trend, quite the opposite actually polyurethane systems are finding new fields of application and market segments in Europe or the U.S., in Central or South America, in Asia, Africa or Australia. 

In 1985, world production of flexible polyurethane foams was about 3 billion pounds (1.4 million metric tons), with about half of that production and consumption in the United States. Of that total volume, approximately two-thirds, or 2 billion pounds (900,000 metric tons), was poly(alkylene oxide). 

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