Published December 2022
Engineering thermoplastics provide a combination of high strength and light weight—characteristics that make these high-value, specialty polymers attractive replacements for metals in many applications. Such qualities make engineering resins suitable for diverse applications, including parts for transportation, electrical/electronics, construction, medical, and appliances.
This study focuses on the compounding of the larger-volume engineering thermoplastic (ETP) resins: polyamides (PA; also known as nylons), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonates (PC), polyphenylene ethers (PPE), polyacetals (POM), and polyphenylene sulfides (PPS). Most compounders, especially independent compounders, will purchase resins on the merchant market, often compounding both commodity resins and ETP resins. Engineering thermoplastics are often compounded with glass fibers, carbon fibers, (inorganic) fillers, and other plastics additives including antioxidants, antistatic agents, chemical blowing agents, heat stabilizers, impact modifiers (elastomers), light stabilizers, lubricants, and slip additives or nucleating agents.
The following pie chart shows world consumption of engineering thermoplastics by type:
Engineering thermoplastics compete not only against metals and glass in various applications, but also against each other and with lower-cost polymers such as ABS and polypropylene (PP). In particular, PP is a real threat to the ETP business, especially to the nylon segment, since it can be made into parts that are lighter, but with comparable properties at continuous-use temperatures below 130°C.
Transportation and electrical/electronic applications account for the majority of ETP consumption. The transportation market includes automotive, truck/bus, motorcycle, marine and aerospace applications. All electrical/electronic components used in vehicles are included in the transportation market segment. Consumption in this segment represents approximately 40–45% of the total compounding market. The electrical/electronic market (market share of 35–40%) includes electromechanical (e.g., coils, bobbins, relays) and electronic components (e.g., connectors, sockets, switches). Other segments include business equipment housings (market share of 10–15%) and industrial applications (market share of 5%) including material and fluid handling equipment and plumbing/irrigation components.
For more detailed information, see the table of contents, shown below.
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