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Rapra Publishing
PVC - World Markets and Prospects
By G. Pritchard, Emeritus Professor of Kingston University, Surrey, UK20 of all the resin sold in the world today, 26 million tonnes, consists of PVC. It is the second most used plastics material in the world.
This report discusses PVC from a business perspective, looking at its supply and demand, price, markets and applications, environmental issues and the future prospects of the industry.
Professor Pritchard is an exceptional author. He has successfully covered the broad sweep of the PVC industry, describing raw materials and synthesis, additives and compounding, and processing. Current issues have been highlighted including new technology and market forces.
Applications are dealt with by sector with emphasis on the building and construction industry, the predominant user of PVC in applications such as window profiles. Other key application areas include medical, wire and cable and packaging. The trends in different global regions are addressed to indicate where markets are mature and where they are likely to expand.
There is also an extensive section describing individual global regions, including North America, Europe and China, and indicating areas of over-capacity and of growth. Population size, local legislation, free trade areas and degree of industrialisation are all relevant factors here.
The individual companies in the PVC industry are diverse in their range of activities. Besides listings in appropriate sections of the book, there is a chapter giving individual company descriptions, citing useful information such as capacity and prospects.
There have been campaigns by environmentalists against the use of PVC. There are also concerns about the safety of some of the additives, which have been used in plastics to date, primarily heavy metal stabilisers and phthalate plasticisers. This report outlines these concerns, the effects on the industry and the efforts of PVC manufacturers to address these issues.
Recycling of plastics is a major issue for all resins, particularly those used in packaging and vehicles, which are increasingly being targeted by legislation. End-of-life PVC is discussed here.
This report is accessible to both technical and non-technical personnel with an interest in the PVC industry. It will provide an excellent overview for market researchers, and analysts, whilst providing key information on the market place and prospects to those in the industry.
Key Features
About the Author
Professor Geoff Pritchard is Emeritus Professor of Kingston University in Surrey, UK. He has extensive knowledge of the PVC industry. He is the editor of several books on plastics and is also editor of the monthly newsletter Focus on Polyvinyl Chloride, which provides regular updates of events in the PVC industry worldwide, as well as of Rapras Focus on Plastics Additives, much of which relates to PVC.
1 About This Report
1.1 PVC
1.2 Scope of the Report
1.3 Geographical Focus
1.4 Currencies
1.5 Methodology Used in Compiling the Report
1.6 Authorship
2 Executive Summary
2.1 PVC Market Share
2.2 Issues Facing the PVC Industry
2.3 Growth
2.4 Price and Demand Stability
2.5 Production Capacity and Operating Rates
2.6 Supplier Profitability
2.7 Key Application Trends
2.8 Environmental Issues
2.8.1 Criticism
2.8.2 Suppliers Response
2.8.3 End-of-Life Disposal
2.9 Replacement of PVC by Other Resins
3 Brief History of the PVC Industry
5.1 Per Capita Consumption
5.2 World Capacity
5.3 Future Growth
4 Advantages and Disadvantages of PVC
5 World Consumption of PVC
6 The Price of PVC
6.1 Steps in the Manufacture of PVC
6.2 Raw Material Prices
6.3 How PVC Fits Into the Ethylene Market
6.4 Recent Prices of Ethylene
6.5 The Chlorine Industry
7 How PVC is Made
7.1 The Raw Material: VCM
7.2 Production of PVC from VCM
7.2.1 Suspension PVC (S-PVC)
7.2.2 Emulsion PVC
7.2.3 Solution Polymerisation
7.2.4 Vinyl Copolymers
7.3 Summary
8 Additives for PVC Formulations
8.1 Flame Retardants for PVC
8.2 Plasticisers and Extenders
8.3 Heat Stabilisers
8.3.1 Lead Compounds
8.3.2 Tin Stabilisers
8.3.3 Calcium/Zinc and Barium/Zinc Stabilisers
8.3.4 Organic Stabilisers
8.3.5 Other Stabilisers
8.4 Biocides
8.4.1 Examples of Microorganisms and Biocides
8.5 Colorants
9 Compounding and Shaping
9.1 Compounding
9.2 Extrusion
9.3 Co-Extruded and Foamed Products
9.4 Pultrusion
9.5 Paste Based Processes
9.5.1 Coating
9.5.2 Slush Moulding
9.5.3 Rotational Moulding
10 Environmental Issues
10.1 Introduction
10.2 Raw Materials for Making PVC
10.2.1 Ethylene
10.2.2 Chlorine
10.2.2.1 Mercury Contamination from Chlorine Plants
10.2.2.2 Transport of Chlorine
10.3 Organochlorine Compounds
10.4 Dioxins
10.5 Environmental Issues Related to the Manufacture of PVC and PVC Products
10.5.1 PVC Manufacture
10.5.2 Processing, Fabrication, and Additives: General Issues
10.6 Plasticisers
10.6.1 Phthalates
10.6.1.1 Cancer
10.6.1.2 Other Health Risks
10.6.1.3 Phthalates in Toys
10.6.1.4 Phthalates in Medical Devices
10.6.1.5 Plasticised PVC for Food Packaging
10.6.1.6 Biodegradation in Landfill Sites
10.6.1.7 Plasticised PVC in Flooring
10.7 Heat Stabilisers
10.7.1 Lead Compounds
10.7.2 Tin Stabilisers
10.8 Biocides for PVC: Environmental Aspects
10.9 Behaviour of PVC in Fires
10.10 Sustainability
11 End-of-Life Disposal of PVC Products
11.1 The European Waste Problem
11.2 Extent of Plastics Recycling, Incineration and Landfill Activities
11.2.1 Effects on PVC Demand
11.3 Landfill
11.4 Incineration
11.5 PVC Recovery from Waste
11.5.1 Uncontaminated PVC Waste
11.5.2 Mixed Waste
11.5.3 Manual Sorting of Waste
11.5.4 Automatic Sorting of Waste
11.5.5 Size Reduction
11.5.6 Melt Filtration
11.5.7 Mechanical Recycling
11.5.8 The VinyLoop Process
11.6 Chemical Feedstock Recycling
11.7 PVC Products Made From Recycled PVC
11.7.1 General
11.7.2 Construction Items
11.7.3 Automotive Parts
11.7.4 End-of-Life Flooring and Cable
12 PVC in Building and Construction
12.1 Importance of the Sector
12.2 Pipe, Conduit and Fittings
12.3 Types of Pipe
12.3.1 Sewerage and Drainage Pipe
12.3.2 Water Pipe
12.3.3 Gas Pipe
12.3.4 Conduits for Electrical and Telecommunications Cable Protection
12.3.5 Heating and Plumbing Pipe
12.3.6 Chemical Pipe
12.3.7 Irrigation Pipe
12.4 The European Pipe Market
12.4.1 Value
12.4.2 PVC Market Share
12.5 Advantag
- ISBN:
- 978-1-85957-311-2
- Pages:
- 200
- Publisher:
- Rapra Market Report, 2002