WELLESLEY, Mass., May 23, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Metallocene catalysts are finding increased use in the plastics industry to produce polyolefins with unique structures and physical properties, a fact which will help boost growth of the industry in coming years, according to a report by BCC Research.
The global market is expected to see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.0% through 2022, when production could reach 20.4 billion pounds, according to the report Metallocene Technologies and Global Markets.
Major players in the market include ExxonMobil, Ineos Styrolution, Dow Chemical, Saudi Basic Industries, Chevron Phillips Chemical, LyondellBasell, Borealis and Versalis.
Research Highlights
- Growth through 2022 will be steady through all of the industry’s verticals, with consumer industrial packaging leading expansion at 7.3%, followed by shrink and stretch films, with a CAGR of 7.1%. Flexible non-food packaging will lead the industry by size, with 2022 production estimated to be in excess of 7 billion pounds.
- Metallocene polyethylenes offer superior strength, good clarity and superior heat-sealing performance, and these excellent properties have led to package redesign and downgauging, which translates into source reductions.
- Metallocene MDPE has a density of 0.927 and a melt index of 0.9, making it prime for use in clarity shrink bundling, frozen food packaging, fresh-cut produce packaging, hygiene film, shipping sacks, bakery film, and sealant webs and laminations.
“The advent of metallocene-LLDPE coupled with polyolefin plastomers (POPs) and polyolefin elastomers (POEs) and, more recently, polypropylene and EPDM variants, among others, has transformed these materials into a significant market,” report author and BCC Research analyst Andrew McWilliams said. “Although significant commercial volumes of metallocene materials have been attained and compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) are expected to average about 7%, market penetrations are relatively low because of the sheer size of traditional polyethylene and polypropylene resin and elastomer markets.”
Polypropylene Technology Advancements Boost Market
Polypropylene is an important segment of the market, and recent technological advancements are driving growth, the report notes. Key developments include increased clarity and impact strength. New and improved polymerization techniques have produced polypropylenes with higher impact strength and stiffness as well as improved balance of impact and better heat resistance. While polypropylene’s low-temperature performance is limited, advances in catalyst technology have largely eliminated this problem thanks to multistage reactors.
About BCC Research
BCC Research is a publisher of market research reports that provide organizations with intelligence to drive smart business decisions. By partnering with industry experts worldwide, BCC Research provides unbiased measurements and assessments of global markets covering major industrial and technology sectors, including emerging markets. For more information about BCC Research, please visit bccresearch.com. Follow BCC Research on Twitter at @BCCResearch.