Thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) combine the advantages of rubber and plastic. They are elastic, pliable, and flexible like vulcanized elastomers at room temperature; however, when they are heated, they can be melted, shaped repeatedly, and recycled like conventional standard plastics. TPE can be easily colored and allow combinations of hard and soft components. Ceresana has now analyzed the global market for these innovative materials for the third time already: global revenues generated with thermoplastic elastomers are expected to increase to almost USD 21 billion by 2027.
TPE Applications Conquer Everyday Life
TPE are used in many areas because they offer versatile properties and are easy to process. The most important application areas are transportation, the construction industry, other industrial products, shoes and sporting goods, as well as other consumer goods. Around 36% of all TPE products worldwide are processed in the automotive industry. Possible applications of TPE in this area range from fabric coatings, sealants and covers to inlay mats and bumpers. TPE is also in increasing demand in construction and other industries, such as in mechanical engineering, medical technology, and electrical engineering and electronics. TPE can now be found in numerous everyday products, for example in cable sheathings, roof membranes, soft-touch handles for tools or toothbrushes, as well as in many toys and household appliances.
Growing Market for Thermoplastic Elastomers
The demand for TPE is strongly concentrated in the largest economic nations: processors in China, the USA, Japan, and Germany currently account for more than 60% of global consumption. The production of TPE is dominated by manufacturers in Asia, where more than 57% of the global production takes place. North America comes in second place, followed by Western Europe.
SBC Is the Most Widely Used Grade of TPE
The market shares of the various types of TPE vary considerably in some cases, mainly due to the different sizes of the respective customer industries. By far the most commonly used class of TPE is the group of styrene block copolymers (SBC), which accounts for around 47% of global consumption. Their use ranges from admixtures in adhesives to asphalt modifications in road construction. Thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO) constitute the second largest TPE market. Their main area of application is the transportation industry. Another important type of TPE is thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), which are used, for example, for dashboards and housing shells.
The Study in Brief:
Chapter 1 offers a differentiated presentation and analysis of the global TPE market – including forecasts until 2027: the development of revenues, demand, and production is presented for each region of the world. The market for TPE is divided into the different types of TPE: styrene block copolymers (SBC), thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO), thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU), thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV) and other thermoplastic elastomers. The different areas of application of thermoplastic elastomers are also examined in detail. Data and factors influencing the use of TPE in the segments transportation, construction, other industries, shoes and sporting goods, as well as other consumer goods are analyzed separately.
Chapter 2 provides an in-depth analysis of the 16 most important countries for the TPE market: demand, exports, imports, production, and revenues. The countries are also reviewed in terms of the different application areas. The data on demand volumes per country are furthermore divided by each product type.
Chapter 3 provides a useful list of manufacturers including the 59 most important producers of TPE. It is clearly organized according to contact information, revenues, profits, product range, production sites, and profile summary.
Further information: www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/plastics/thermoplastic-elastomers/
About Ceresana
As one of the world’s leading market research institutes, Ceresana is specialized in the segments chemicals, plastics, packaging, and industrial goods. Companies have been benefiting from our high-quality industry analyses and forecasts since 2002. More than 190 market studies provide more than 10,000 customers around the world with the knowledge base for their sustainable success.
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