On a global scale, Southeast Asia represents the fourth largest market for synthetic
latex polymers, accounting for eight percent of the global consumption, according to the recently published “Synthetic
Latex Polymers: Southeast Asia Market
Analysis and Opportunities” report by
global consulting and research firm Kline
& Company. Although it is significantly
smaller than the leading global markets,
such as the U.S., Europe and China, it is still
much larger than the developing markets of
the Middle East, Brazil and India.
Within Southeast Asia, countries such
as Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia account for 82 percent of synthetic latex
polymers consumption in the region.
Acrylonitrile-butadiene (AB nitrile) is
the leading product type, accounting for
44. 6 percent of the total consumption in
the region by volume, followed by styrene acrylics.
Product split varies from one country to
another. Latex consumption in Malaysia
and Thailand is dominated by AB nitrile
due to the large importance of the glove
dipping application in these two countries.
The product mix in Indonesia is dominated by styrene acrylics. Thailand dominates
in consumption of pure acrylics, which
is the third-largest type of synthetic latex
polymers consumed in the region.
“The product split in this region can-
not be compared to any other region in the
world,” said Nikola Matic, industry man-
ager of Kline’s Chemicals and Materials
Practice. “In other regions, paints and
coatings or paper applications usually
represent the largest consumers, while the
product split in Southeast Asia is strongly
affected by the importance of the glove
dipping industry in the region.”
The supplier landscape is also very
specific in this region. Due to its frag-
mentation the market is characterized by
a high degree of rivalry among existing
suppliers. Moreover, the top ten suppli-
ers account for over 60 percent of the
market with several production bases
available in the region. This competition
creates various barriers for those look-
ing to enter the market.
Suppliers consist of two tiers of compa-
nies: multinational companies, with a di-
verse regional base; such as Synthomer, Dow
Chemical, BASF, Archroma and Dairen.
Regional companies, such as Eternal,
Dovechem, Bangkok Synthetics and Arindo
Pacific, complete the competitive landscape.
Due to its strong position in glove dip-
ping, Synthomer is the largest supplier of
synthetic latex polymers, specifically AB ni-
trile and high solids styrene-butadiene (HS-
SB). BASF comes in second and is a leading
supplier of styrene acrylics in the region,
particularly in paints and coatings and con-
struction industries. Kumho Petrochemical
is the third largest supplier of synthetic la-
tex polymers and second-largest supplier of
AB nitrile and HS-SB in the region.
Due to a strong correlation to the
positive GDP growth in these country
markets, the Southeast Asian market for
synthetic latex polymers is forecast to
grow, increasing at a compound annual
growth rate of 6. 5 percent through 2018.
Micronized PTFE Market
$868.29 Million by 2019
According to a new report by Markets
& Markets, “Micronized PTFE Market
by Application (Inks, Thermoplastics,
Coatings, Grease & Lubricants,
Elastomers), by Geography - Global
Forecast to 2019,” the market has a projected value of $868.29 million by 2019,
signifying firm annualized growth of 7.06
percent between 2014 and 2019.
PTFE micro powder or micronized
PTFE is made from virgin polytetrafluoroethylene resin or recycled PTFE scrap.
The micronized PTFE market in Asia-
Pacific is one of the fastest-growing con-
sumers across the globe and is expected to
continue the trend in the near future. Asia-
Pacific is the biggest market for micron-
ized PTFE, and accounted for a share of
more than 38 percent of the total market
size in 2013 that was majorly contributed
by China. It is estimated that India is the
fastest-growing market of micronized
PTFE in the region. The high growth in
this region is mainly driven by growing
population, vast economies–developed as
well as developing, favorable investment
policies, and government initiatives to
promote industrial growth.
Inks are the biggest application for
the micronized PTFE market, followed
by thermoplastic having a combined
market share of around 66 percent of
the total micronized PTFE used in 2013.
Inks require different additives in order
to achieve the right formulation for usage in different end-user industries. The
selection of additives for inks is highly
critical because any deviation from the
required properties may result in entire
formulation being destroyed. PTFE micro
powders in inks are sought out for their
value-added properties such as small particle size, abrasion/rub resistance, and
blocking.
The U.S. and China are at theforefront
of PTFE micro powder consumption,
while Germany, Japan and the U.K. are
other key markets for micronized PTFE
consumption. China is the key market in
Asia-Pacific, consuming more than half of
the demand for PTFE micro powders, followed by Japan, South Korea and India
where consumption is growing steadily.
Increase in the consumption of PTFE
micro powders for inks, coatings, and
thermoplastics has been observed in Asia-Pacific due to continued industrialization
and rise in the manufacturing sector of the
region. Thermoplastic is projected to be
the fastest-growing application segment
followed by grease & lubricants between
2014 and 2019. Inks are expected to witness a slow growth due to the growing
digital media industry, which is substituting the demand for printing ink products.
PTFE micro powders in inks are sought
out for their small particle size, abrasion/
rub resistance and blocking. CW
Southeast Asia Fourth Largest Synthetic
Latex Polymers Market Globally
