High-Performance Films: The U.S. Market

Report Highlights

The U.S. high-performance films market reached 1.5 billion pounds in 2013 and is expected to grow to 1.9 billion pounds in 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%.

Report Includes

• An overview of the U.S. market for high-performance films.
• Analyses of global market trends with data from 2013 and projections of CAGRs through 2018.
• Identification of trends affecting high-performance polymer films and their major end-use application markets.
• A breakdown of end markets for high-performance films by material types, with sections devoted to each class of high-performance film.
• A look at how structural issues affect the high-performance plastic films industry, such as the roles of film fabricators, converters, and distributors.
• Comprehensive profiles of leading companies in the industry.

SCOPE AND FORMAT

High-performance films can 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 generally meet at least one of the following criteria: pricing above commodity film levels, continuous-use temperature above commodity plastics, and 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.

Therefore, the distinguishing characteristics of high-performance films are as follows:

• Relatively expensive.
• Thin gauge (compared to sheet).
• Possess special performance characteristics.
• Significant applications other than in packaging.

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 resins and their chemistries, including the following:

• Polyesters, primarily PET. We use PET interchangeably with “polyester” throughout this report.
• Polyolefin-based specialty film resins.
• Nylons (more properly and chemically called polyamides).
• Polycarbonates (PCs).
• Bioplastics, a newer group of plastics.
• Fluoropolymers.
• Acrylic films based on PMMA chemistry.
• Polyimides (PIs).
• Cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs).
• Polyethylene naphthalate (PEN).
• Liquid crystal polymers (LCPs).
• Polysulfones.
• Polyetherimides.

We also introduce some newer film resins whose markets at present are too small to measure with any precision. These include polyketones, benzocyclobutenes and polyacetals.

Basic polyolefins, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), are not included in our scope since they are true commodities used in commodity film applications like grocery and garbage bags. Also excluded are other commodity resins like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polystyrene. Specialty polyolefin-based films are included, primarily and particularly when multilayer construction is involved. These specialty films are ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVOH), ionomers, polyvinylidene chloride (PVdC), 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 (PFA).
• Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE).
• Ethylene chlorotrifluoroethylene (ECTFE).

The geographic scope of this report is the U.S. market. We include some international discussion, for example of foreign-owned firms that are active in these markets.

Our market estimates are by resin volumes in millions of pounds and we round them to the nearest million pounds. We round to millions since with so many products and applications, many of which are similar and can overlap, market estimates are by nature just that, estimates and not precise beyond millions of pounds, if that. Many applications markets for particular films are small, less than a million pounds, but our precision here is not greater than for larger numbers, and we round up to 1 million those estimated volumes greater than a half-million. Also, compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) for table entries with small volumes may not agree exactly with the 2013 and 2018 volumes; this is again caused by rounding.

Analyst Credentials

Dr. J. Charles Forman has been a research analyst for BCC Research covering polymers and chemicals for more than two decades. His work in the industry includes 21 years at Abbott Laboratories in R&D and manufacturing management. Dr. Forman has researched and written more than 70 multi-client market research reports on a variety of subjects, ranging from building construction materials and spectroscopy to several studies on plastic packaging. He holds a B.S. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an M.S. and Ph.D. from Northwestern University, all in chemical engineering. He is also a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.).