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Rigid Transparent Plastics: North American Markets

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    Report

  • 164 Pages
  • January 2019
  • Region: North America
  • BCC Research
  • ID: 4733529
UP TO OFF until Aug 31st 2033

Report Scope:

Use of the terms transparent and clear is subjective. Most definitions of the terms express the clarity of plastics by the percentage of light transmission as defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) Test D-1003. Light transmission percentages above 85 are generally accepted as transparent, although many suppliers claim clear grades with percentages of 80 or lower, making the distinction between transparent and translucent unclear. When referring to plastics and resins, the terms transparent and clear are used synonymously in this report.

Clear rigid plastics are commercially available in many forms, including injection-molded, extruded, blow-molded and thermoformed. Many clear extruded products are converted to clear films. The uses for these films are varied and include commodity, specialty, coextruded, food and medical packaging. Packaging markets such as healthcare and food are not addressed in this report. Blow-molded clear plastics are hollow, and most are converted to bottles or containers. Thermoformed plastics are similar to injection-molded plastics but are generally thinner and require less equipment and capital outlay.

This report covers rigid, clear, non-packaging plastic products, which include injection-molded, non-film extrusion and some thermoformed (including cast sheet) plastics. Flexible and hollow thin plastics, including films, are not covered in this report. The clear resins covered in this report are: acrylics, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, styrene block copolymers (SBCs), styrene acrylonitrile (SAN), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polysulfones, thermoplastic polyesters (almost exclusively polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polypropylene, acrylic-styrene copolymers (SMMAs), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), nylon, cellulosic resins, cyclic olefin copolymers (COCs), and allyl diglycol carbonate (ADC) (for optical applications).

Major applications of these rigid transparent plastics include: medical, electronic, automotive, building and construction (glazing, lighting lenses, signs, and displays), housewares, appliances, toys, optical lenses, and aircraft transparencies.

The Report Includes:


  • 42 data tables and 19 additional tables
  • Industry analysis of rigid transparent plastics in terms of current and forecast usage
  • Analyses of global market trends with data from 2017 and 2018, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2023
  • Coverage of rigid, clear, non-packaging plastic products, including injection-molded, non-film extrusion and thermoformed and cast sheet plastics
  • Insight into new developments in clear plastics, their expanded usage in existing and new applications, and competition between polymers exhibiting optical clarity
  • Identification of the market’s dynamics, specifically growth drivers, inhibitors and opportunities
  • Qualitative data covering major producers and suppliers and trade-named products
  • Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry, including DSM Engineering Plastics, DuPont Inc., BASF SE, PPG Industries Inc., Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics and Total Petrochemicals USA

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction
  • Study Goals and Objectives
  • Reasons for Doing This Study
  • Scope of Report
  • Information Sources
  • Methodology
  • Geographic Breakdown
  • Analyst's Credentials
  • Custom Research
  • Related Reports



Chapter 2 Summary and Highlights
Chapter 3 Market and Technology Background
  • Flat Glass
  • Types of Flat Glass
  • Conversion to Transparent Plastics
  • Background of Transparent Plastics
  • Important Early Developments
  • Current Plastics Choices
  • Problems with Plastics
  • Technology
  • Performance Variables
  • Design Considerations
  • Recent Developments



Chapter 4 Market Breakdown by Technology Type
  • Polycarbonates
  • Impact of Bisphenol A on Polycarbonate Usage
  • Processing
  • Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Producers
  • Capacity and Demand
  • Polycarbonate Sheet
  • Producer Grades
  • Specific Applications
  • Selected Trade Names of Polycarbonates
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Acrylics
  • Comparison of PMMA with Glass
  • Properties
  • Manufacture of Acrylic Polymers
  • Acrylic Sheet
  • Applications
  • Producers
  • Comparison of Acrylics and Polycarbonates
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Styrenic Resins
  • General Purpose Polystyrene
  • Styrene Copolymers
  • HIPS
  • Recent Changes in Styrenic Polymer Producers
  • Global Producers and Industry Leaders
  • Processing
  • Applications
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Styrene Copolymers
  • Styrene Block Copolymers
  • Styrene-acrylic Copolymers
  • Styrene-acrylonitrile Copolymers
  • Styrene Methyl Methacrylate
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene
  • Properties
  • Processing
  • Producers
  • General Grades
  • ABS Sheets
  • General ABS Applications
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Cellulosics
  • Overview
  • Properties
  • Types of Transparent Cellulosic Plastics
  • Advantages
  • Disadvantages
  • Producers
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Polyvinyl Chloride
  • Forms of PVC
  • Versatility
  • Processing
  • Consumption Patterns
  • Applications of Transparent PVC
  • Producers
  • Rigid Transparent PVC Characteristics
  • Environmental Issues
  • Producers
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Thermoplastic Polyesters (Polyethylene Terephthalate)
  • Major Applications
  • Modified PET Resins
  • Producers
  • Applications
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Polysulfones
  • Properties
  • Types of Polysulfones
  • Applications
  • Producers
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Allyl Diglycol Carbonate
  • Products, Properties and Applications
  • Trivex Versus Polycarbonate
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Other Transparent Plastics
  • Polypropylene
  • Nylons
  • Cyclic Olefin Copolymers
  • Market Estimates for Other Rigid Transparent Plastics
  • Transparent Plastics Market Summary



Chapter 5 Market Breakdown by Application
  • Overview
  • Electronics Applications
  • Optical Discs
  • Other Consumer Electronics
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Building and Construction Applications
  • Background
  • Examples of Product Usage
  • The U.S. Housing Market
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Glazing
  • Lighting Products
  • Signs and Displays
  • Plumbing Fixtures
  • Medical Applications
  • Overview
  • FDA Activities
  • Testing Procedures for Medical Plastics
  • Performance Requirements for Medical Plastics
  • Medical and Laboratory Ware Regulations for Clear Plastics
  • Plastic Medical and Laboratory Ware Products and Devices
  • Additional Requirements of Medical Plastics
  • Sterilization Techniques for Medical Plastics
  • Polymer Reactions to Sterilization Methods
  • E-Beam Radiation
  • Clarity Requirements for Medical Plastics
  • Clear Plastics in Medical Applications
  • Rigid Transparent Plastic Medical Products
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Automotive
  • Clear Plastics Usage in Automobiles
  • Summary of Resin Usage in Automotive Lenses
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Recent Developments in the Automotive Market
  • Housewares
  • Environmental Developments
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Appliances
  • Transparent Plastic Applications in Appliances
  • Key Appliance Manufacturers
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Toys
  • Use of Plastics in Toys
  • Clear Plastic Applications in Toys
  • Consumer Product Safety Council
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Optical Lenses
  • Properties and Advantages
  • Market Dynamics
  • Key Concepts in Lens Materials
  • Use of Plastics in Lenses
  • Fabrication Methods for Optical Plastic Lenses
  • Key Performance Parameters
  • Advantages of Plastics
  • Use of Clear Plastics
  • Optical Lens Market Segments
  • Market Shares
  • Contact Lenses
  • Types of Plastics Used
  • Contact Lens Suppliers
  • Safety Lenses
  • American National Standards Institute
  • Military Ballistic Requirements
  • Deficiencies of Glass
  • Plastics Choices
  • Market Estimates and Forecast
  • Aircraft Transparencies
  • Glass Transparencies
  • Properties
  • Clear Plastics Preferences
  • Applications in Military and Commercial Aircraft
  • Important Clear Plastics Suppliers to the Aerospace Industry
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Solar Applications
  • Potential Applications
  • Key Benefits
  • Conclusions
  • Other Applications
  • Railroads
  • Consumer Goods
  • Sports and Leisure
  • Machine Guards and Safety Shielding
  • Bathroom Products
  • Other Products
  • Market Estimates and Forecasts
  • Summary of Transparent Plastic Applications



Chapter 6 Analysis of Market Opportunities
  • Applications
  • Polystyrene and ABS
  • SMMA Resins
  • Comparison of NAS to Acrylics
  • Comparison of Zylar to Polycarbonates
  • Summary of Competition by Application



Chapter 7 Major Producers and Suppliers and Trade-Named Products
Chapter 8 Standards, Tests and Regulations
  • Properties and Testing Methods
  • Optical Tests
  • Transparent Plastics Code Approvals
  • Selected ASTM Codes for Rigid Transparent Plastics
  • Other Code Approvals
  • Underwriters Laboratories
  • Military Specifications



Chapter 9 Company Profiles
  • Arkema Inc.
  • Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp.
  • BASF
  • Chevron Phillips Chemical
  • Chi Mei Corp.
  • Covestro
  • DSM Engineering Plastics
  • Dupont Inc.
  • Eastman Chemical
  • EMS Grivory
  • Evonik Industries Ag
  • Idemitsu Kosan
  • Ineos Styrolution Americas Llc
  • Lanxess Corp.
  • Lotte Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.
  • Lucite International
  • Lyondellbasell Industries
  • Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics
  • Mitsui Chemicals America Inc.
  • Plaskolite Inc.
  • PPG Industries Inc.
  • Sabic Innovative Plastics
  • Solvay Specialty Polymers Usa Llc
  • Spartech
  • Teijin Kasei America Inc.
  • Topas Advanced Polymers Gmbh
  • Toray Plastics (America) Inc.
  • Total Petrochemicals Usa
  • Trinseo Llc
  • Zeon Corp



Chapter 10 Appendix: Acronyms
List of Tables
Summary Table: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 1: Optical Qualities of Rigid Transparent Plastics
Table 2: Sensitivity to UV Radiation of Selected Transparent Plastics
Table 3: Heat Resistance Levels of Selected Transparent Plastics
Table 4: Impact Resistance of Selected Transparent Plastics
Table 5: Transparent Grade Percentages of Major Plastics
Table 6: Key Polycarbonates Products and Producers
Table 7: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Polycarbonates, by Application, Through 2023
Table 8: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Polycarbonate in Building and Construction Applications, Through 2023
Table 9: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Acrylics, by Application, Through 2023
Table 10: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Acrylics in Building and Construction Applications, Through 2023
Table 11: Fabrication Methods and Uses of Polystyrene
Table 12: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Polystyrenes, by Application, Through 2023
Table 13: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Polystyrenes in Building and Construction Applications, by Product Type, Through 2023
Table 14: Major SBC Products by Polymer Process
Table 15: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent SBC Resins, by Application, Through 2023
Table 16: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent SAN Resins, by Application, Through 2023
Table 17: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent SAN Resins in Building and Construction Applications, by Product Type, Through 2023
Table 18: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent SMMA Resins, by Application, Through 2023
Table 19: North American Market Volume for ABS Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Application, Through 2023
Table 20: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Cellulosic Plastics, by Application, Through 2023
Table 21: Rigid PVC Applications
Table 22: Leading Global PVC Producers, by Country
Table 23: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent PVCs, by Application, Through 2023
Table 24: North American Market Volume for Thermoplastic Polyester Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Application, Through 2023
Table 25: Global Capacity for Polysulfone Polymer Production
Table 26: North American Market Volume for Polysulfone Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Application, Through 2023
Table 27: U.S. Market Share of Leading Polypropylene Producers, 2017
Table 28: Key Global Nylon Resin Producers, 2017
Table 29: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Resin, Through 2023
Table 30: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Electronics Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 31: U.S. Housing Starts for Single-Family Homes, 2007-2017
Table 32: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Building and Construction Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 33: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Building and Construction Applications, by Application, Through 2023
Table 34: Selected Properties of Plastic Sheet for Outdoor Applications
Table 35: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Glazing Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 36: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Lighting Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 37: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Signs and Displays Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 38: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Plumbing Fixtures Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 39: Selected Resin Usage by Type of Medical Device
Table 40: Radiation Resistance of Key Medical Plastics
Table 41: Performance Criteria for Materials Used in Disposable Medical Kits
Table 42: Resin Property Criteria for Trays
Table 43: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Medical Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 44: Historical U.S. Vehicle Assemblies, 2001-2017
Table 45: Resin Usage in Automotive Lenses
Table 46: North American Market Volume for Automotive Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 47: North American Market Volume for Housewares Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Resin, Through 2023
Table 48: North American Market Volume for Appliance Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 49: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastic Toys, by Resin, Through 2023
Table 50: Optical Performance Properties of Selected Rigid Transparent Plastics
Table 51: Comparison of Polycarbonates and Trivex Lenses
Table 52: Selected Contact Lens Materials
Table 53: Selected Key Contact Lens Producers and Their Products
Table 54: MIL-PRF-31013
Table 55: North American Market Volume for Optical Lens Transparent Plastics, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 56: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Aircraft Applications, by Resin, Through 2023
Table 57: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics in Other Applications, by Resin Type, Through 2023
Table 58: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Application, Through 2023
Table 59: Competitive Transparent Plastics Scenario, by Application
Table 60: Major Rigid Transparent Plastic Suppliers and Trade-Named Products
List of Figures
Summary Figure: North American Market Volume for Rigid Transparent Plastics, by Resin Type, 2017-2023

Companies Mentioned

  • Arkema Inc.
  • Asahi Kasei Chemicals Corp.
  • BASF
  • Chevron Phillips Chemical
  • CHI Mei Corp.
  • Covestro
  • DSM Engineering Plastics
  • Dupont Inc.
  • Eastman Chemical
  • Ems Grivory
  • Evonik Industries Ag
  • Idemitsu Kosan
  • Ineos Styrolution Americas Llc
  • Lanxess Corp.
  • Lotte Advanced Materials Co. Ltd.
  • Lucite International
  • Lyondellbasell Industries
  • Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics
  • Mitsui Chemicals America Inc.
  • Plaskolite Inc.
  • PPG Industries Inc.
  • Sabic Innovative Plastics
  • Solvay Specialty Polymers Usa Llc
  • Spartech
  • Teijin Kasei America Inc.
  • Topas Advanced Polymers Gmbh
  • Toray Plastics (America) Inc.
  • Total Petrochemicals Usa
  • Trinseo Llc
  • Zeon Corp