Description

The global plastic compounding market is expected to grow from USD 642,738.7 million in 2020 to USD 932,575.9 million by 2027, at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2021 to 2027. Plastic compounding is changing the properties of basic plastics and thermoplastics by combining plastics and additives. Plastic compounds are lightweight and have exceptional physical features such as a wide range of conductivity, flame retardancy, and wear resistance. These characteristics boost demand in various industries, including building and construction, packaging, automotive, and electrical and electronics.

Plastic compounds are widely used in the electronic and electrical industries for electromagnetic shielding and antistatic applications. In addition, they are replacing metal components in the automotive industry. This has helped in increasing car safety by reducing the total weight of the vehicle. Plastic compounding has also lowered the carbon emissions and increased fuel efficiency and performance of vehicles in the automotive industry.  

An increase in the disposable income of individuals and rapid industrialization across emerging economies such as China and India have fueled the demand for automobiles. The rise in the production of lightweight vehicles and the growth in demand for electric vehicles are some of the major drivers of this market. Asia-Pacific is the leading manufacturer of electronic devices. Over the past few years, there has been a growth in the demand for electronic devices across the region owing to technological advancements in the electronic industry. Many leading electronic component manufacturers have set up plants in Indonesia, India, South Korea, and China. This is anticipated to drive the growth of this market.

Global Plastic Compounding Market Dynamics

Drivers: Surge in production of lightweight automobiles

The rise in demand for fuel-efficient vehicles to reduce weight, running costs, and fuel consumption result in the penetration of plastic composites into the automotive sector. Plastic composites are lighter and offer stiffness to vehicles. This factor is expected to boost the demand for plastic compounding in the automotive sector. The introduction of new car models with more features and wide usage is anticipated to increase the production of composites for automotive applications. The environmental regulations about low CO2 emissions and increased fuel efficiency in Europe and the U.S. further boost the demand for plastic compounding in the global market.

Restraints: Increase in prices of plastic compounds

Plastic is manufactured using different thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers such as polypropylene, polycarbonates, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, and epoxy resins. These are petroleum-based resins, and the production cost of these resins largely depends on the cost of crude oil prices. In recent years, a substantial decline and upsurge have been noticed in crude oil prices, and this volatility in crude oil prices is anticipated to restrain the growth of the plastics compounding market.

Opportunities: Advancement in filler material technology

Plastics are usually comprised of a base resin compounded with fillers, color-enhancing pigments, plasticizers, and other additives. Several resin/additive combinations are used to make different plastic products. Performance is derived from the chemistry of the base resin and its interaction with the types and proportions of additives used. Several ongoing research on plastic to achieve new performance characteristics and the biodegradable features have a high recycle potential or are made from renewable/non-petroleum materials. There is also a development of plastics with nanotechnology and composite technology, offering promising growth in high-performance materials. Such innovations and development in the plastic industry are expected to offer future growth opportunities to the plastic compounding market.

Scope of the Report

The study categorizes the plastic compounding market based on polymer type and end-users at the regional and global levels.

By Polymer Type Outlook (Sales, USD Million, 2017-2027)

• Polypropylene (PP)
• Polyethylene (PE)
• Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)
• Polystyrene (PS) & Expanded Polystyrene (EPS)
• Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)
• Polyurethane (PU)
• Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS)
• Others

By End-Use Outlook (Sales, USD Million, 2017-2027)

• Automotive
• Building & Construction
• Electrical & Electronics
• Medical
• Packaging
• Others

By Region Outlook (Sales, USD Million, 2017-2027)

• North America (US, Canada, Mexico)
• South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Rest of Latin America)
• Europe (Germany, Italy, France, UK, Spain, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Rest of Europe)
• Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore, Australia & New Zealand, Rest of Asia Pacific)
• The Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa, Northern Africa, Rest of MEA)

The polypropylene segment is projected to account for the largest market share by polymer type

Depending on polymer type, the global plastic compounding market is classified into polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS) and expanded polystyrene (EPS), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyurethane (PU), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), and other polymers. The polypropylene segment was accounted for the largest market share as it covered 22.8% of the market in 2020. Polypropylene is one of the commonly used plastics across the world. It can be used as plastic as well as fiber. Polypropylene is used in food & beverage containers owing to its high chemical resistance and translucent nature.

Moreover, it is widely utilized in several end-use applications such as rigid packaging, automotive, consumer products, and flexible packaging. In addition, the heat resistance of polypropylene makes it conducive for medical and laboratory instruments where autoclaving is required. Polypropylene is used for compounding as it offers improved surface finish, tensile strength, flexural modulus, and increased conductivity.

Europe accounts for the highest CAGR during the forecast period

Based on the regions, the global plastic compounding market has been segmented across North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, South America, and the Middle East & Africa. Globally, Europe is estimated to hold the highest CAGR of 6.7% in the global plastic compounding market during the forecast period. Countries such as Germany, France, the UK, and Russia, are the major contributors to the revenue of this region. Builders, architects, and service consultants are constantly looking for ways to enhance energy efficiency in buildings. Thus, the plastic compounding market is gaining popularity, owing to improved energy efficiency in buildings and a surge in energy prices.

Plastic compounding is used on a large scale in different packaging industries in Europe. Both the packaging and automotive industries are valuable markets for plastic compounding products in Europe. The investment in these products in western to central and Eastern Europe has increased mainly due to the growth of automotive and electrical appliances manufacturers. The increase in packaging, automobile, and electrical appliances industries is expected to provide growth opportunities.

Key Market Players

The plastic compounding industry is highly concentrated, with only a few companies holding considerable market shares, such as BASF SE, DowDuPont, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., Solvay, and Covestro AG, and Celanese. These companies have used a variety of techniques to increase their market share or maintain their dominance. Asahi Kasei Corporation, BASF, DowDuPont, LyondellBasell Industries Holdings B.V., SABIC, Solvay, and PolyOne are among the companies that have chosen to expand their businesses. A detailed examination of the major companies in the plastic compounding industry is used to assess top winning methods. A thorough examination of current advancements and growth curves of various organizations aids in understanding their growth plans and their prospective market impact.

Recent Developments

• In October 2018, Covestro showcased the first thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) based on carbon dioxide technology at Fakuma. Compared to conventional TPU materials, the new TPU products leave a lower carbon footprint and help close the carbon cycle.
• In October 2018, PolyOne opened a new Technology Center that will house an advanced laboratory for new and existing R&D activities and is designed for manufacturing GLS TPEs to maintain the highest levels of material quality. In addition, PolyOne has also announced the opening of a new, state-of-the-art thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) production line at its Pune facility in India.
• In August 2018, Celanese Corporation signed an agreement to acquire India-based Next Polymers Ltd. Next Polymers deals in custom compounding various ETP materials with a 20 kilotons per annum compounding production facility in Silvassa.
• In August 2018, LyondellBasell acquired A. Schulman, Inc., a leading global supplier of high-performance plastic compounds, composites, and powders. The acquisition is likely to double the company's existing compounding business in end-use industries such as automotive, construction materials, electronic goods, and packaging.

Key Issues Addressed

• What is the market size by various segmentation of the plastic compounding by region and its respective countries?
• What are the customer buying behavior, key takeaways, and Porter's 5 forces of the plastic compounding market?
• What are the key opportunities and trends for manufacturers involved in the plastic compounding supply chain?
• What are the fundamental dynamics (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) of the market?
• What and how regulations, schemes, patents, and policies are impacting the growth of the market?
• What are the upcoming technological solutions influencing market trends? How will existing companies adapt to the new change in technology?
• The market player positioning, top winning strategies by years, company product developments, and launches will be?
• How has COVID-19 impacted the demand and sales of plastic compounding in the global market? Also, the expected BPS drop or rise count of the market and market predicted recovery period.
• Detailed analysis of the competitors and their latest launch, and what are the prominent startups introduced in the target market? Also, detailed company profiling of 25+ leading and prominent companies in the market.