REPORT SCOPE
INTRODUCTION
High-performance thermoplastic (TP) films are playing an increasingly important role in modern society. Historically, the most important applications were for photographic and reprographic applications. Today, they may make possible economic electric vehicles, better liquid crystal displays (LCDs), or the birth of an economically practical photovoltaic (PV) industry.
Major companies such as DuPont, Solvay, and 3M are important technology drivers, and invest significant capital in R&D to improve the technology. Innovations were driven initially by chemistry. Increasingly, they are driven by improved fabrication and treatment of films. One example is the incredibly complex development of specialty polyolefin films as membrane separators for lithium-ion batteries.
Engineers define films in different ways, but generally they have thicknesses ranging from 0.001 in. to 0.30 in. Some markets define films slightly differently. Thicknesses above 0.20 in. (20 mils) may be defined as sheet by some. Thicknesses up to 0.40 in. (40 mils) may be defined as film by some engineers. As explained in this report, minimum film thicknesses are trending toward micro as exciting technologies emerge. Most high-temperature films are in the range of 0.001 in. to 0.010 in.
A word on film thickness units: both English and metric units commonly are used. U.S. film thickness is expressed in gauge. In film technology, gauge is a measurement where one gauge unit equals 0.01 mil or about 0.25 micron. Perhaps the easiest way to remember the relationship between these unit systems is that 100-gauge film is 1 mil or 25 microns thick. For this report, film gauge will be referred to in the manner that is the standard in the industry under discussion. See the appendix for an equivalency chart.
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Goals and objectives of this study include the following:
- Identifying trends affecting high-performance polymer films and their major end-use application markets. For example, the PV market is emerging as the fastest-growing market for high-performance film. Each of the major polymer films or film families is discussed and analyzed in detail. They include polyesters, nylons, acrylics, polyolefin-based, polycarbonates (PCs), fluoropolymers, cyclic olefin copolymers, and polyimides (PIs).
- Reviewing, analyzing, and forecasting specific end markets for high-performance films by material types, with sections devoted to each class of high-performance film. This includes both the major resin types and several smaller-volume film materials for which markets were estimated.
- Analyzing and forecasting market developments from the viewpoint of major applications for high-performance films (i.e., automotive, electrical/electronic (E/E), magnetic media, packaging, photographic/ reprographic and release films).
- Analyzing how structural issues affect the high-performance plastic films industry such as the roles of film fabricators, converters, and distributors; product differentiation and substitution; marketing and pricing and international aspects of the business.
- Profiling many of the most important suppliers to the high-performance plastic films industry; for example, providers of plastic resins (many of whom also fabricate films), equipment producers, and specific film converters and distributors.
REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY
New technologies emerging for high-performance films will have a major impact on major issues, ranging from electric vehicles to PV systems. High-performance markets increasingly are becoming where the major chemical companies want to place their future. DuPont, for example, expects its sales for PV applications to exceed $1 billion by 2012. Much of this is coming from its increasing investment in fluoropolymer and other high-performance films.
These markets offer opportunities to create value and move discussions to topics beyond purchase price. Technology advances in this business area will help drive technology developments in other areas, such as electronics. This will have a significant effect on our economy, and even provide the ability to solve climate change problems. High-performance films offer opportunities for applications such as solar cells and fuel cells that can help solve global warming, one of the most serious environmental concerns.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
Due to the size and diversity of the materials and products used in high-performance plastic films, this report should be of interest to a wide group of organizations and individuals. This includes people who are involved in the development, design, manufacture, sale, and use of these films, as well as government officials and the general public. This report will be of value to technical and business personnel in the following areas, among others:
- Personnel in end-user companies in a wide range of industries from aerospace to photographic film and food packaging; the focus of this report is on the interests of specifying engineers and procurement commodity managers
- Marketing and management personnel in companies that produce, market, and sell high-performance plastic films.
- Companies involved in the design and construction of process plants that manufacture both the basic film resins and high-performance plastic films themselves
- Companies that supply, or want to supply, equipment and services to high-performance plastic films companies
- Financial institutions that supply money for such facilities and systems, including banks, merchant bankers, venture capitalists, and others
- Investors in both equity and fixed-income markets; the fate of the specialty film business very much weighs on the values of the publicly traded stocks of companies such as 3M, Kodak, and DuPont
- Personnel in government at many levels, ranging from federal to state and local authorities, many of whom are involved in trying to ensure public health and safety; the report also will be of interest to military scientists studying new packaging and equipment.
SCOPE OF REPORT
High-performance films may be defined in any of several ways: by volume, price, performance, end-use markets, resin types, or a combination of two or more of these characteristics.
For this study, high-performance films are defined as thin gauge, mostly extruded or solution cast-polymer sheets that meet the following criteria: pricing above commodity film levels; continuous-use temperature above commodity plastics; end uses requiring technical capability and thickness at or below 30 mils. These are films that are used primarily for their performance characteristics, not because of their price. Emphasis is on those markets and products where opportunities are the greatest.SCOPE of report
Therefore, distinguishing characteristics of high-performance films are as follows:
- Relatively expensive
- Thin gauge (compared to sheet)
- Possess special performance characteristics.
High-performance films generally are fabricated (or converted) in relatively small volumes (at least compared to commodity films). Much of their value is created after the film is extruded.
The focal point is on high-performance resin chemistries, including the following:
- Polyesters
- Nylons
- Polyolefin-based specialties
- PCs
- Fluoropolymer
- PIs
- Cyclic olefin copolymers
- Acrylics
Basic polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), are not included. Also excluded are polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene. Specialty polyolefin-based films are included, particularly when multilayer construction is involved. They are ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), ionomers, polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVOH), and polymethyl pentene (PMP).
Fluoropolymer films are an important of this report. They include the following:
- Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)
- Polyvinyl fluoride (PVF)
- Fluorinated ethylene-propylene (FEP)
- Polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE)
- Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF)
- Perfluoroalkoxy copolymer (PFA)
- Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE)
- Ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE)
Other resin chemistries are also covered, but in less detail because their roles in films are not as well developed. They include polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), liquid crystal polymers (LCPs), polysulfones (PSUs), polyetherimides (PEIs), polyetheretherketones (PEEKs), and benzocyclobutene (BCB).
METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES
Extensive searches were made of the literature and the Internet, including many of the leading trade publications, as well as technical compendia, government publications, and information from trade and other associations.
AUTHOR'S CREDENTIALS
Douglas A. Smock was the chief editor of Plastics World Magazine from 1986 to 1994 at Cahners Publishing Co. (now part of Reed-Elsevier). He also served as a senior editor of Modern Plastics at McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., associate publisher and editorial director of Modern Mold & Tooling at the McGraw-Hill Publishing Co., and chief editor of Purchasing Magazine at Reed Business Information from 2000 to 2004.
At RBI-US, Smock also served as cochairman of the corporate editorial board. He is the coauthor of Straight to the Bottom Line and On-Demand Supply Management, two leading books in the field of supply management. He is the former editor of BCC Research’s High Tech Ceramic News. Smock has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland, OH).
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DISCLAIMER
The information developed in this report is intended to be as reliable as possible at the time of publication and of a professional nature. This information does not constitute managerial, legal, or accounting advice; nor should it serve as a corporate policy guide, laboratory manual, or an endorsement of any product, as much of the information is speculative in nature. The author assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage that might result from reliance on the reported information or from its use.
