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IHS CEH Report : Fluoroelastomers (Chemical Economics Handbook 2019)

Download Report IHS CEH Report : Fluoroelastomers (Chemical Economics Handbook 2019)

PDF by S&P Global Commodity Insights; IHS Markit

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Format: PDF Language: English Pages: 51 Publisher: S&P Global Commodity Insights; IHS Markit Publitshion date: 2019 ISBN: 106678

Description

Fluoroelastomers are ﬂuorine-containing polymers noted for their exceptional resistance to heat, weathering, and a wide assortment of ﬂuids and chemicals, as well as for their exceptional sealing and mechanical properties. Some perﬂuorocarbon elastomer types can resist temperatures up to 327°C. Components fabricated from ﬂuoroelastomers, like certain O-rings, gaskets, and hoses, are essential for industries such as automotive, aerospace, and others, usually providing reliable, leak-free function. Fluoroelastomers are used mainly in seals and barrier layers subjected to environments too severe for other elastomers. Total consumption of the three major fluoroelastomers (fluorocarbon elastomers or FKMs, fluorosilicone elastomers, and perfluorocarbon elastomers) is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of around 2.4% through 2023. Major market drivers are new product developments in sealing applications (better performance), further tightening of emissions standards in many of the industrialized countries, and strong expansion and resurgence in automobile production.Fluoroelastomers are fluorine-containing polymers noted for their exceptional resistance to heat, weathering, and a wide variety of fluids and chemicals. Fluoroelastomers were first introduced in the 1950s, as technological advances in the automotive and aerospace industries demanded higher performance from sealing components than what traditional synthetic rubbers could provide. Today’s fluoroelastomers are designed to withstand the extremes of operational conditions found in modern automobiles, aircraft, aerospace, defense systems, power generation facilities, and chemical and industrial processing plants. Currently, three major types of fluoroelastomers are of commercial significance—fluorocarbon elastomers (including both FKM and FEPM polymers by ASTM designation), fluorosilicone elastomers (FVMQ by ASTM), and high-performance specialty perﬂuoroelastomers (FFKM by ASTM). Consumption of fluoroelastomers is dominated by the demand for fluorocarbon elastomers (FKM), which accounts for 92% of the global market of nearly 36,000 metric tons in 2018. Automotive applications remain the most important market for fluorocarbon elastomers, accounting for about 64% of the global consumption of FKM in 2018. The other major markets are aircraft/aerospace and chemical processing, which account for 9% and 12%, respectively. Fluorocarbon elastomers also find applications in power generation plants, food and pharmaceutical processing machinery, and the semiconductor fabrication industry. The rapid development of the Chinese auto industry has been a major driving force in the global consumption of fluoroelastomers. The global auto industry was dramatically affected by the economic crisis in 2008–09, with a sharp decline in automobile production in all regions. The auto industry bounced back in subsequent years, but more recently has shown mixed fortunes in various regions. China remains the global leader in automobile production with over 28.5 million units produced in 2018, two and half times that of the United States and close to twice that of Western Europe. Accordingly, China has surpassed the United States as the largest market for FKM, accounting for 33% of total global FKM consumption in 2018. However, FKM products produced in China have largely concentrated on low-end vinylidene fluoride (VDF)/hexafluoropropylene (HFP) dipolymer elastomers and vinylidene fluoride (VDF)/tetrafluoroethylene (TFE)/hexafluoropropylene (HFP) terpolymer elastomers. This has resulted in an overcapacity situation in China, with operating rates averaging around 55% in recent years. Demand for higher-end ﬂuoroelastomers, such as perfluoromethylvinyl ether– (PMVE-) containing fluorocarbon elastomers, fluorosilicone elastomers, and perfluoroelastomers, has largely been met by imports. The United States, Western Europe, Japan, and China accounted for 17%, 18%, 10%, and 33% of total FKM consumption in 2018, respectively, while the rest of the world accounted for the remainder. During 2018–23, the global FKM market is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 2.4%, driven mainly by the markets in China and Other Asian countries, while demand growth in the United States and Europe is forecast to be lower than average at 1.7% and 0.3% per year, respectively, influenced by general macroeconomic conditions related to the automotive industry. The very low growth in Western Europe is mainly because of the more turbulent time; automobile production is expected to slightly decline at 0.3% per year. In Japan, fluorocarbon elastomer consumption is expected to remain at the current level through 2023 because of relatively stable vehicle production. China will increase its leading position in FKM consumption, driven by the rise in Chinese automobile production and the growing proportion of passenger vehicles and light vehicles that use fluorocarbon elastomer parts. The development and manufacture of fluorosilicone elastomers (FVMQ) and premium-priced perﬂuoroelastomers (FFKM) remain in the hands of a few major global players including Chemours, DuPont (only perﬂuoroelastomers), Dyneon (3M), Solvay, Daikin, Wacker, Dow Corning, Shin-Etsu, and Momentive. Global consumption of FFKM elastomers is considerably smaller than that of FKM elastomers; however, they play an important role in high-value applications that are exposed to extreme operating temperatures or harsh chemical environments, where the properties of regular ﬂuorocarbon elastomers are not suﬃcient. FVQM polymers are more widely used than FFKM polymers and often compete with fluorocarbon elastomers in the automotive and aerospace industries. They are also widely used in the electronics and semiconductor industries. Total global consumption of FVQM polymers in 2018 is estimated at around 3,030 metric tons.

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