Nov 15 2010
Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Plastic Resins & Synthetic Fibers " report to their offering.
The US plastic resins and synthetic fibers manufacturing industry consists of about 700 companies with combined annual revenue of about $90 billion. Major companies include PolyOne, DuPont, Dow Chemical, Eastman Chemical, Solutia, and the US operations of BASF. The industry is highly concentrated: the top 50 companies have more than 80 percent of the market.
COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
Demand depends on the level of manufacture of plastic products, which is closely linked to US industrial production. Because resin manufacture is a high-volume process, the profitability of individual companies depends on operating efficiencies. Large companies have significant economies of scale in production and in the purchase of raw materials. Smaller companies can compete effectively by producing specialty resins and fibers. Many smaller companies buy commodity resins from large producers and rework them into specialty compounds. The industry is capital-intensive: average annual revenue is about $1,000,000 per worker.
PRODUCTS, OPERATIONS & TECHNOLOGY
The two basic types of plastic resins are thermosets, which harden permanently after they are cured by heat, and thermoplastics, which may be hard or soft after being cured, but can be remelted or dissolved in a solvent. Thermosets include acrylics, amino resins, epoxy, unsaturated polyesters, polyurethanes and vinyl esters. Polyethylene (PE); polypropylene (PP); polyvinyl chloride (PVC); and polystyrene (PS) are thermoplastics. A third type of resin, elastomers, are thermoplastics that remain elastic after being cured, such as polyurethane foam.
Key Topics Covered:
Industry Overview
Quarterly Industry Update
Business Challenges
Trends AND Opportunities
Call Preparation Questions
Financial Information
Industry Forecast
Website and Media Links
Glossary of Acronyms
Source: http://www.researchandmarkets.com/