Jacek Wesołowski, Karolina Płachta The Polyamide Market DOI: 10.5604/12303666.1215537 Institute of Biopolymers and Chemical Fibers, Abstract ul. Skłodowskiej-Curie 19/27, 90-570 Łódź, Poland This article presents changes that have occurred in recent years on the market for poly- E-mail: [email protected] amides (PA). Attention is given to the various factors which brought about the changes. Demand and production figures are shown and the biggest players in production and com- merce are indicated. The share of polyamides is compared with other polymers, and the de- mand for polyamide resins from various segments of industry is enumerated. Various figures characterising the market are quoted. While stability is observed in the production segment of classical polyamide fibres, much attention is given to the dynamic growth in the sector of polyamide resins. Impressive changes both in quality and quantity are taking place in the consumption of PA resins in many industry branches: the car industry, electrical and electronic appliances, civil engineering, packaging, and many others. Examples are given in the article of modern solutions and products put on the market as a result of close coop- eration between R&D centers, industry and consumers. Most of the information contained herein is concerned with classical polyamides i.e. PA6 and PA66, yet other polyamides like aromatic-, long-chain-, and bio-polyamides are also highlighted. Key words: polyamides, market, polyamide fibres, polyamide resin, polyamide engineering plastics, films. n Introduction n Volume of production Polyamides have been on the market PCI Research GmbH, Oberursel, Ger- for nearly 80 years. Fibres made of PA6 many in their reports forecasted a de- and PA66 were the first commercialized mand for polyamides of over 7.4 million polyamide products. The first polyam- tons for 2016 and for 2020 an increase ide fibres made of PA66, called Nylon, by 2.3% and 2.7% for PA6 and PA66, appeared on the market in 1938. It was respectively [2, 3]. Ceresana Market In- W.H Carothers who invented the process telligence Consulting reported sales in of their production in the laboratories of 2014 of PA6 and PA66 polyamides in the DuPont de Nemours. At the same time, amount of 24.4 billion US dollars and in Europe, one other polyamide PA6 fibre predicted an annual increase of 3.1% to emerged under the name of Perlon; it was reach the value of 31.2 billion US dollars developed by the German company IG in 2022 [4]. In their report [5] the market Farbenindustrie following P. Schlack’s research company MarketsandMarkets invention concerning the ability of cap- forecast for polyamide type PA6, PA66, rolactam to polymerise [1]. Until to- Bio-Based & Specialty, a market value day, these two polyamides have played of 43.77 billion US dollars in 2020, with a dominant role in production and on an annual increase of 5.4% in the period the market. From the time of their market of 2015-2020. debut throughout the forties of the last century, they were first used solely in the production of fibres. However beginning Manufacturers and domains GENERAL PROBLEMS OF THE FIBRE AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES GENERAL PROBLEMS in the 50-ties, there was an ever increas- of application ing demand for their use in the resin sec- Companies which analyse the market tor. Presently the largest amount of poly- for polyamides mention the following amides is still processed as fibres, but the concerns and chemical companies as resin segment is witnessing ever higher key players on the market: Asahi Kasei rates, which is because polyamide resin Corporation, Arkema S.A., Ascend Per- can be easily adapted to specific require- formance Materials LLC, BASF SE, EI ments in a broadening span of applica- Du Pont de Nemours and Company, For- tions. Classical PA6 and PA66 polymers mosa Chemicals & Fibre (FCFC), Grupa are in many ways being replaced by new Azoty SA, Honeywell International Inc., groups of polyamides, like long-chain, Huntsman Corporation, Honeywell Inter- aromatic and bio-polyamides. Thanks to national Inc., Invista S.à rl , Koch Indus- their original properties, the new poly- tries Inc., Lealea Group, LANXESS AG, amides not only are replacing the classi- Li Heng Chemical Fibre Technologies cal ones in some applications but are also Limited, Li Peng Enterprise Co. Ltd., opening ways to entirely new uses where Nylstar SA, Radici Group, Rhodia SA classical have failed. Royal DSM NV, Solvay SA, Shenma In- 12 Wesołowski J, Płachta K. The Polyamide Market. FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2016; 24, 6(120):12-18. DOI: 10.5604/12303666.1215537 5500 5500 5000 5000 PA 6 PA 66 4500 4500 4000 4000 3500 3500 3000 3000 2500 2500 2000 2000 1000 tons/year 1500 1000 tons/year 1500 1000 1000 500 500 0 0 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 Fibres Engineering plastics Film Fibres Engineering plastics Figure 1. Consumption of polyamides PA6 and PA66 in 1990 - 2015 in the areas of fibres, engineering plastics and films [8]. 2500 2500 PA 66 PA 6 2000 2000 1500 1500 1000 1000 1000 tons/year 1000 tons/year 500 500 0 0 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 Europe Americas China Rest of Asia Europe Americas China Rest of Asia Figure 2. Consumption of polyamides PA6 and PA66 in 1990-2015 by regions [8]. dustrial Co. Ltd, Ube Industries Ltd. etc. 2015 in the areas of fibres, engineering by increasing consumption of the mate- [4 - 7]. plastics and films. rial in the domain of engineering plastics. The main areas of application of polyam- Figure 2 presents the regional break- The graphs also reveal the regress which ides are: down of PA6 and PA66 polyamide con- polyamides suffered in the world-wide fi- nancial crisis which began in 2007, with n the production of polyamide fibres, sumption in 1990 - 2015. various repercussions in the consecutive which still consumes the largest num- years. The polyamide market slackened ber of polyamides globally, The consumption of PA6 in fibres, en- and demand for both types of polyamides n processing associated with polyamide gineering plastics and film distinctly was down, necessitating a reshuffle in engineering plastic, outstripped that of PA66, used main- their production. The European scene of n processing polyamides designated for ly in fibres and engineering plastics. polyamides is a good example of the on- films. The very important sector of polyam- going turmoil. Demand for polyamides ide fibres showed much slower expan- resins in 2007 in Europe was at the level of 850 000 tons, but it dropped by about n sion than engineering plastics and film. Consumption of polyamides The tendency is particularly strong for 6% in the next year. Restructuring steps were taken in consequence to improve Various tendencies on the polyamide fibre-grade PA66, whose consumption competiveness, mainly by establishing market at the turn of the century can be is, from the middle of the last decade, on some production facilities in Europe, for seen from the graphs. the decrease. The American market has example BASF and Rhodia [9]. undoubtedly contributed to this develop- Presented in Figure 1 is the consumption ment. On the other hand, the decrease of The big players started to invest in for- of polyamides PA6 and PA66 in 1990 - PA66 in the fibre sector is accompanied eign markets, like BASF, which entered FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2016, Vol. 24, 6(120) 13 in Romania and Hungary. The polyamide business in Western Europe did not re- spond to the demands by increasing pro- polyolefins 8% duction capacity, being rather concerned with cost reduction [16] polyester acrylics 3% 80% other 2% n Polyamide fibres polyamide 7% In 2014 polyamide fibres represented a share of 7% of the total amount of synthetic fibres produced world-wide. Polyester fibres dominate the scene with Figure 3. World market for synthetic fibres 2014 by fibre type [17]. a 80% share. Polyamide fibres are fac- ing strong competition from polyesters China and Korea with their production. the high domestic production, China is in many application areas. Polyesters are DuPont‘s strategy was to expand their still a major importer of caprolactam. a universal fibre which penetrates all seg- presence in Asia; Lanxess invested in In recent years, imports have begun to ments of the textile market, and moreo- the USA, India and China, and Rho- stabilise at a similar level, but in 2011 ver they are cheaper to produce than pol- dia - in China, South Korea, India and they only increased by 0.2% to 633 thou- yamides. Nonetheless polyamide fibres, Brasil. The American company Invista sand tons. The main supplying countries with their outstanding quality, still play Sarl, based in Wichita, started business were Russia (141 thousand tons), Japan an important role in many demanding ap- in Asia and both Americas. BASF nearly (102 thousand tons), USA (64 thou- plications. Figure 3 illustrates the world doubled their compounding capacities in sand tons), Mexico (59 thousand tons), production of synthetic fibres by type. Pudong. close to Shanghai, and in Yesan, Belorus (55 thousand tons) and Poland Korea from 130 000 to 225 000 tons (32 thousand tons) [15]. Polyamides are processed into textile a year. BASF, responding to increasing filament (NTF), industrial filament (NIF) demand for polyamides in the Chinese A number of polyamides production cent- and carpet filament (PA BCF). The list of market, constructed and commissioned ers are located in Asia, mainly in China. consumers is quite long, with the main in 2015 in the Shanghai Chemical In- In the last 25 years many new produc- ones being producers of: underwear, dustry Park, a polymerisation plant for tion sites have been erected related with decorative fabrics, fabrics for apparel, their Ultramid® (PA6 and PA66), with a polyamides used in a variety of manu- technical textiles, upholstery, floor cover- yearly capacity of 100 000 tons.