Practical concentrate: Ceresana study on the world market for plastic masterbatches

KONSTANZ, Germany - Sept. 28, 2020 - PRLog -- Why complicate things when you can make them simple? Colorants and flavors for beverages are often not directly mixed with water and prefabricated, ready-to-use syrup concentrates are used instead. In the production of plastics, too, so-called masterbatches – granules with a high concentration of colorants, other additives, or fillers – are preferred to powders, pastes, or liquid additives. Color masterbatches contain pigments or dyes; additive masterbatches specifically modify other properties of plastics. A wide variety of additives can be combined, for example stabilizers, antioxidants, antistatics, or flame retardants. Ceresana is now publishing the second, completely revised edition of its market study on masterbatches: the global demand for plastic masterbatches is expected to rise to almost 4.5 million tonnes by 2027.

White Sun Protection and Bright Colors

The top-selling type of masterbatch is currently white masterbatches. Global demand for this type has increased by an average of 2.1% p.a. over the last eight years. The most important product is titanium dioxide (TiO2): the plastics industry uses these white pigments to color toys, electrical appliances, automotive parts, furniture, and plastic films on a large scale. Titanium dioxide also absorbs UV rays and thus protects against harmful solar radiation. Color masterbatches with e.g. colorful inorganic, organic, and effect pigments follow in second place. The color black is usually achieved by using carbon black. It is often used for conductive packaging, films, fibers, molds, pipes, and cables. Another well-known end product is waste bags. Carbon Black offers many advantages in plastic applications, especially for technical polymers: it is very resistant to color changes and fading.

Packaging Manufacturers are Main Customers

The demand for masterbatches follows the global market for plastics: the most important end applications are packaging, construction materials, transportation, electrical products and electronics, as well as other industrial goods. Packaging constituted the largest sales market in 2019, accounting for 36% of total demand. The construction industry ranked second by a considerable margin, followed by the segments industry and transportation. The category packaging includes all masterbatches for flexible plastic packaging, such as films, bags, and sacks, and for rigid packaging, e.g. yogurt cups, cans, bottles, and lids.

The Study in Brief:

Chapter 1 provides an overview and analysis of the global market for plastic masterbatches – including forecasts up to 2027: the development of demand and revenues is examined for each region of the world.
Chapter 2 examines the 16 most important countries individually.
Chapter 3 offers a useful list of the 52 most important producers of plastic masterbatches.

Further information: https://www.ceresana.com/en/market-studies/plastics/maste...