Press Releases

As Demand Increases, North American Rigid Transparent Plastics Market Expands

January 21, 2019

WELLESLEY, Mass., Jan. 21, 2019 ­– With applications in various industries such as building and construction, medical, automotive, housewares, optical lenses, contact lenses and toys, the North American market for rigid transparent plastics is seeing steady growth, according to the BCC Research report “Rigid Transparent Plastics: North American Markets.”

The North American market for rigid transparent plastics was valued at 4.7 billion pounds by volume in 2018 and is expected to reach 6.1 billion pounds by 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.2% during the forecast period, according to the report.

Prominent players in the market include: Arkema (ARKAY), BASF SE (BFFAF), Covestro AG (CVVTF), Chevron Phillips Chemical, Eastman Chemical Company (EMN), Evonik Industries (EVKIF), INEOS Styrolution, Lucite International, Plaskolite, PPG Industries, Inc. (PPG), SABIC IP and Trinseo (TSE), among many others.

Research Highlights:

  • Applications that are weight-driven, such as auto windows, provide an incentive for switching from glass to transparent plastics. Transparent plastics have already been introduced in many auto applications, especially in headlights and taillights.
  • Growth of optical disks has historically driven high growth rates of rigid transparent plastics. However, the demand for optical disks has been declining for several years under the impact of alternative media for the delivery of entertainment and data storage.
  • The post-recession recovery of the housing market is contributing to the growth of the second-largest market segment – building and construction.

“Over 10 million tons of plastics are used each year in the building and construction market, with rigid transparent resins accounting for less than 1% of the total,” said Andrew McWilliams, the report’s author. “Vinyl and a wide array of thermosets, on the other hand, account for about two-thirds of the total volume of plastics used in the building and construction market.”

Prime Opportunities in the Market

Within the global market for rigid transparent plastics, there remain many opportunities for growth, such as: additional applications in the automotive, medical and electronics fields, expanded use of polystyrene and ABS products, and the development of SMMA resins.

Editors/reporters requesting analyst interviews should contact Eric Surber at press@bccresearch.com.

Rigid Transparent Plastics: North American Markets( PLS003L )
Publish Date: Jan 2019    

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