According to a recent report from Ceresana, demand for engineering plastics with special physical and chemical characteristics has been increasing more strongly than the sales of common standard plastics such as polypropylene for several years. Almost 20.3 million tons of ABS, PC, PA, PMMA, POM, PBT, SAN, and fluoropolymers were sold last year. Considering the rising demand for increasingly more efficient and lighter material, this trend is likely to strengthen further.

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is by far the most frequently used engineering plastic, accounting for about 40% of the total demand. More than 6 million tons were processed in 2015 in Asia-Pacific alone. Among others, ABS is used for seat components and automotive door panels, casings of electronic devices, film, pipes, and sheets in the construction industry, as well as for shower heads, toys, and other household appliances.

Worldwide, electrical and electronic applications, as well as consumer goods, are among the most important sales markets for many engineering plastics; almost 25% of global demand oroginates in each of these two sectors. The transportation industry is the third-largest individual market, and Ceresana expects the highest growth for this segment in upcoming years. Application in the construction industry and in consumer goods will exhibit a weaker development. While the transportation segment accounts for 35% of polyamide (PA) consumption, consumer goods are the major sales market of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

For more information, visit www.ceresana.com/en.