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Polyolefin and Other Specialty Products 

 

Overcoming Commoditization

With the accelerating "commoditization" of the global polyolefins industry, producers strive to develop new and higher-performance products that offer opportunities for differentiation and value creation.  Because of this, there is increased interest everywhere in "specialty" polyolefins - those with exceptional properties that serve smaller niche applications.  These specialties usually have compositions or molecular structures that are difficult to replicate and that impart property combinations beyond the reach of "conventional" high volume polyolefins.  Some of these specialties are well-established products, while others are new and based on the latest advanced catalyst and process technologies.

Over the past several years, STA has prepared a number of strategic evaluations of specific specialty polyolefins.  Some of these evaluations have provided a strategic overview, including product history, current supply structure, market applications, prices and global growth prospects.  Others have provided detailed analyses of aspects such as product and production technology, manufacturing cost structure, value in use, cost benchmarking, ultimate market potential, and valuation of key technologies.  Specialties that have been evaluated include:

  • Olefin block copolymers made by advanced single-site catalyst (SSC) technologies
  • Propylene elastomers made by solution processes and based on metallocene and SSC technologies
  • EPDM made by a gas phase process
  • Metallocene-based EPDM
  • Metallocene-based plastomers & elastomers
  • Metallocene-based atactic polypropylene
  • Metallocene-based syndiotactic polypropylene
  • Metallocene-based isotactic polypropylene
  • Advanced Ziegler-Natta catalyzed polypropylenes
  • Polypropylene reactor-made TPOs
  • SSC-based polar copolymers
  • Syndiotactic polystyrene
  • Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE)
  • Polybutene-1 (PB-1)
  • High vinyl acetate EVA resins (HEVA)
  • Polyolefin masterbatches
  • Nanocomposites of polyethylene and polypropylene, and several other plastics:
    • Polyamides,
    • Styrenic polymers,
    • Polyesters,
    • Thermosetting resins,
    • Specialty & engineering plastics: PC, POM, polyacrylates, etc.,
  • Bio-based polyesters that will compete with polyolefins
  • Ziegler-Natta and SSC catalysts for PP
  • Ziegler, chrome and SSC catalysts for linear ethylene polymers
  • Catalysts for PET & other bulk polymers

STA has information on other specialties in its files and can prepare techno-economic and strategic evaluations of these to suit your specific needs.  For more information, please contact us at staresearch@juno.com (949) 600-6546