Medical Plastics

US demand to increase 2.6% per year through 2012
Demand for medical plastic in the US is forecast to expand 2.6 percent annually to 5 billion pounds in 2012, valued at $6.55 billion. Growth will be driven by the greater use of disposable plastic medical devices and supplies, as well as plastic packaging products. An aging populace will entail a rising incidence of acute and chronic conditions and an increasing volume of patient activity. Plastic medical products and packaging have advantages compared to competitive materials such as glass, metal and ceramics. These include light weight and the ability to be cost-effectively molded into ergonomic shapes.

Commodity plastic resins will remain dominant
Commodity plastics will remain dominant with better opportunities anticipated for engineering plastics as a result of greater needs for higher performing materials. Leading commodity resins include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene. Thermoplastic polyester and polypropylene will exhibit the best growth due to opportunities in pharmaceutical and medical product packaging. Demand for engineering plastics will be boosted by growing needs for higher performing materials in surgical, diagnostic testing, drug delivery, geriatric care, self treatment and preventative medicine. Best opportunities are expected in the surgical and medical instrument segment. Polycarbonate will remain the dominant engineering resin and exhibit the best growth prospects based on the resin’s clarity and impact resistance. Thermoplastic elastomers will also present above-average growth due to their moldability and good tactile properties.

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