Global ABS Industry - Growth Reliant on Chinese End Use
Sectors
Reference Code: GDCH0031VPT Publication Date: October 2011
1 Table of Contents
1 Table of Contents.................................................................1
1.1 List of Tables .................................................................1
1.2 List of Figures ................................................................1
2 Summary .............................................................................2
3 Global ABS Industry - Growth Reliant on Chinese End Use
Sectors .................................................................................2
3.1 Versatility in ABS Composition Makes it Preferable in
Diverse Applications ......................................................2
3.2 The Global ABS Industry is Extremely Dependent on
China .............................................................................3
3.3 ABS Blending with Polycarbonate Improves Quality and
Ensures Broader Use ....................................................4
3.4 Home Appliance Sector to Dominate the Global ABS
Industry .........................................................................4
3.5 Conclusion.....................................................................5
4 Appendix ..............................................................................5
4.1 Methodology ..................................................................5
4.1.1 Coverage..............................................................5
4.1.2 Secondary Research ............................................5
4.1.3 Primary Research ................................................6
4.1.4 Expert Panel Validation ........................................6
4.2 Contact Us.....................................................................6
4.3 Disclaimer......................................................................6
1.1 List of Tables
Table 1: Global ABS Industry, Demand and Production,
MMtpa, 2000-2015 ...................................................3
Table 2: Global ABS Industry, Demand Share by Region, %,
2000-2010 ................................................................3
Table 3: Automotive Industry, Europe and North America,
Annual Automobile Production, Million Unit, 2000-
2010 .........................................................................4
Table 4: Global ABS Industry, Demand by End Use Sector,
%, 2000-2010 ...........................................................5
1.2 List of Figures
Figure 1: Global ABS Industry, Demand and Production,
MMtpa, 2000-2015 ...................................................2
Figure 2: Global ABS Industry, Demand Share by Region, %,
2000-2010 ................................................................3
Figure 3: Global ABS Industry, Demand by End Use Sector,
%, 2000-2010 ...........................................................5
GDCH0031VPT /Published OCT 2011/ Page 1
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Global ABS Industry - Growth Reliant on Chinese End Use Sectors
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of ABS makes it suitable in the automotive sector where it is
used to manufacture many exterior and interior parts.
2 Summary
The global* demand for ABS increased from 4.688 MMtpa in
Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) is one of the most 2000 to 6.374 MMtpa in 2010 at a compound annual growth
commonly used engineering plastics with applications in sectors rate (CAGR) of 3.1%. As the end use sectors are recovering
such as home appliances, electronics, automotives and from the downturn, demand is also expected to grow from 6.374
industrial. ABS is made from the polymerization of acrylonitrile MMtpa in 2010 to 8.352 MMtpa in 2015 at a CAGR of 5.6%.
and styrene in the presence of poly-butadiene. The most unique However, production of ABS is always higher than demand.
feature of ABS is that its properties can be modified by ABS production increased from 4.701 MMtpa in 2000 to 6.653
changing the proportion of monomers. Due to this it can be MMtpa at a CAGR of 3.5%. It is expected to increase to 8.696
used as a commodity plastic also. The amount of acrylonitrile in MMtpa in 2015.
ABS grades varies from 15% to 35% while the amount of
styrene and butadiene varies in the range of 40-60% and 5-
30% respectively. Acrylonitrile in ABS provides good strength
Figure 1: Global ABS Industry, Demand and Production,
and chemical resistance while butadiene contributes gives
MMtpa, 2000-2015
higher impact strength. The styrene component in ABS makes it
glossy and rigid. ABS is also blended with other polymers such 10
as polycarbonate to suit specific purposes. The ABS- 9
polycarbonate blend provides a favorable combination of 8
Demand and Production (MMTPA)
thermal and mechanical properties making it popular in the 7
electronic and electrical sectors. 6
5
The ABS industry is highly dependant on China, which