Maintaining global competitiveness in plastics application development hinges upon continuous vigilance in relating the "parts to the whole" of plastics materials technology. The drive toward economical, performance-focused application development is likely to gather momentum with the early adoption of emerging, cutting-edge technologies in volume-oriented, high-end specialty polymer industry segments.

Technical Insights’ recent research service on emerging technologies and trends in the plastics materials industry is a compendium of hard-to-find data/information collated from prioritized trade sources. It defines and describes the value of a given technology in different polymer segments such as major plastics material, engineering plastics, thermoplastic elastomers, higher performance plastics, compounded plastics, and plastics additives technology.

Value Enhancement Essential for End-User Acceptance

Unique, value-added plastics materials are required if suppliers are to profit in the current business environment. "Product differentiation alone may not suffice as sales are also dependent on the productivity enhancement created by plastics materials used in manufacturing," says the analyst. Therefore, regardless of the economic environment, plastics material suppliers need to continuously sharpen focus on technical development and introduce inimitable, feature-rich materials in the market.

"Customer- or application- specific grade development and customized offerings - whether in terms of grades, colors, or special effects - is a must to sustain growth," says the analyst. "Leveraging expertise in part renderings through to finished design, judicious reinvestment in R&D, and continuous innovation are the critical factors that determine the business prospects of plastics materials suppliers."

New Plastics Materials Widen the Scope of Applications

The impact of emerging, sophisticated technologies is prominently visible across the plastics materials industry. Hence, a thorough knowledge of evolving trends in all the related segments is critical to the success of a company’s integrated plastics technology program. One such significant development is the introduction of inexpensive, metallocene-based polypropylenes with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) -like properties that are set to make inroads in hot-fill packaging. The use of a polycarbonate copolymer film - that is scratch/chemical resistant and capable of withstanding ten-year weathering tests - to form a paintless Class A decorative finish is another striking innovation generating considerable excitement in the global automotive industry.

The toughness range in vulcanized thermoplastic olefins (TPOs) has increased considerably with the development of hi-tech ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber. Rigid-rod, self reinforced polymers that eliminate the need for added fillers while providing properties considered impossible with traditional engineering plastics is another breakthrough achievement. Above all, the advent of compounded, semi-crystalline polyesters is creating a plethora of opportunities for plastics materials to replace metals across numerous applications.

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