Automotive coatings, adhesives & sealants demand to exceed $7 billion in 2010
In addition to growth in vehicle production and vehicles in use, demand for coatings, adhesives and sealants will benefit from other factors, which will increase usage rates of these materials. For example, although consumer tastes have tended to favor larger, heavier vehicles over the last decade, automotive designers continue to stress weight reduction and improved fuel efficiency, while focusing on safety, aesthetics, and durability. Taken together, these efforts are promoting greater use of structural adhesives - such as epoxies and polyurethanes - at the expense of mechanical fasteners, both to reduce weight and to eliminate potential corrosion problems. Similarly, sealant demand has directly benefited from efforts to make car cabins quieter and better insulated.