Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • CEO Issue
    • Diversity
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2022 winners
    • Processor of the Year
    • Rising Stars
    • Women Breaking the Mold
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • BRICS and Plastics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
    • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Resin Prices
    • All Resins
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
August 17, 2018 02:00 AM

Consultant: LSR the fastest-growing among the four main silicones

Chris Sweeney
LSR World
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Chris Sweeney
    Patrick Ellis, associate consultant with Smithers Rapra, said that total capacity for silicones is expected to grow by at least 100,000 metric tons by the end of 2024.

    Cleveland —​ Demand for silicones is expected to grow significantly through 2024, and liquid silicone rubber is a big part of that growth.

    Patrick Ellis, associate consultant with Smithers Rapra, said in a presentation at the 2018 U.S. Silicone Elastomers/TPE summit, held June 27-28 in Cleveland, that total capacity is projected to grow by about 100,000 metric tons to 500,000 by the end of 2024.

    The global industry is projected for 6.1 percent compound annual growth during that same period, with Asia-Pacific well ahead of everyone else, gaining an extra 4 percent of market share. While other regions are shrinking in market share, Ellis said they are still projected to grow through 2024.

    Medical, food and hygiene are projected to grow about 3.1 percent during that time period.

    "Silicone elastomers were made in heaven for the medical industry," Ellis said.

    ​

    Compound advantages

    Silicone elastomers have two significant advantages compared to thermoplastic elastomers — their high heat resistance and superb compression sets. Ellis said, however, that silicones combined with appropriate thermoplastics are the future of the industry, allowing these new compounds to achieve the best of both segments.

    Ellis said there are plenty of opportunities going forward throughout all industries. The migration to electric vehicles presents an opportunity for silicones to be used in unique ways to conserve and more efficiently utilize energy throughout the vehicle. They also have applications in lighting — both in automotive and nonautomotive industries — electronics and medical, specifically developing stronger vial stoppers.

    Regulatory changes, like the new Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulations that went into effect this year, also open opportunities.

    "Silicone elastomers are absolutely at the top of the pinnacle in their ability to comply with REACH regulations," Ellis said. "I know Americans and Asians here today are thinking REACH doesn't have anything to do with them, but without conformity to REACH regulations, you cannot export to Europe. And the Europeans can't export unless they have REACH regulation compliance."

    ​

    LSR impact

    Ellis said LSR is the fastest-growing among the four main silicones — high-consistency rubber and both types of room temperature vulcanizing compounds. HCR is projected to lose about 5 percent of the market, while LSR is projected to gain that same amount through to 2024.

    "It's a unique process," Ellis said of LSR. "No other process uses this kind of liquid injection molding system. I believe there is room for other materials to use this process. Everything grows on everything else; nothing is new under the sun."

    Yanmin Lee, president and CEO of Shenzhen Square Silicone Co. Ltd., said in a later presentation that China has become the fastest-growing single market in both production and consumption of LSR.

    According to Lee, the market has grown to 30,000 tons in 2017, with domestic consumption accounting for anywhere from 25,000-28,000 tons — the remainder exported to other Asian countries, Europe or America.

    "The consumer market of LSR is shifting from Western countries to emerging countries represented by China," he said. "As the world's factory, China turns more and more LSR into products and sells them to the global market."

    However, this growth hasn't been without its bumps. The 2008 recession caused global LSR demand to shrink. And China's environmental protection directives in 2016 caused a shortage of siloxane, exposing the imbalance of supply and demand. Prices for siloxane soared by about 150 percent, according to Lee, causing LSR prices to increase by 50 percent through June 2018.

    While China has plenty of growth potential, Lee said the country is still catching up on building brands for LSR products.

    "This requires consistent innovation, closing the gap with advanced technology," he said. "Strengthening quality management, providing consistent quality and better customer service. And take responsibilities in environmental protection, production safety and occupational health."

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Conference covers advances in materials, machinery, cold runners
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Hillenbrand cites recycling as 'strategic growth' area with Herbold acquisition
    2
    Eastman Chemical looking to build another major plastics recycling facility
    3
    California passes strictest plastics law in US, with EPR and recycling targets
    4
    Congress debates pause on plastics growth, ‘disposable communities'
    5
    Newell closing Coleman plastics plant in Texas
    SIGN UP FOR TO RECEIVE THESE EMAILS AND ENEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Tire Business
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • CEO Issue
        • Diversity
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2022 winners
        • Processor of the Year
        • Rising Stars
        • Women Breaking the Mold
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • BRICS and Plastics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
        • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Resin Prices
      • All Resins
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified