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Extrusion is a common method of processing plastics and effectively consists of pushing molten plastics through a die in one form or another.
There are several common forms of extrusion in the plastics industry including:
Film Extrusion
Film extrusion is one of the most important processes for plastics accounting for almost a quarter of all thermoplastics consumed. The sector has enjoyed some periods of rapid growth in recent years, particularly within the packaging industry, where it has been highly successful in substituting other materials such as paper, cellulose and aluminium due to its superior characteristics.
The market for extruded film is almost entirely accounted for by the packaging industry, particularly food packaging, although there are volumes of PE going into agricultural and building film and PP and PVC film are used in the manufacture of tapes.
AMI has an unrivalled understanding of the markets and applications for extruded film. To see more about our programme of work on PE film extrusion click here
or for information on our multi-client study on BOPP film click here
Sheet Extrusion
Sheet manufacturing is one of the smaller of the plastics processing industries in Europe. It accounts for less than 10% of total thermoplastics market demand. However, it is an industry which has enjoyed strong growth over recent years thanks to the increasing use of sheet in a variety of industries and applications.
Nearly all thermoplastics materials can be manufactured into some form of rigid sheet either through an extrusion or cast process and sheet products find use in all the major end use markets for plastics materials, principally packaging, building and transport applications.
Over the past five years it has averaged annual increases of around 5% across all applications and markets. Key drivers have been increased demand for packaging sheet used for thermoforming of food containers, as well as growing demand in industrial markets such as building insulation, advertising panels and signage and panels for automotive components.
AMI has an substantial programme of work on thermoplastics sheet, for more information click here
Profile and Tube Extrusion
Polymer demand for the extrusion of profiles and tubes in Western Europe is in excess of 1.3 million tonnes. The largest and most important market sector is building accounting for almost 90% of overall demand.
In the profiles market, uPVC profiles penetrated the German window market in the 1960s, then in the UK and Benelux, but lower degrees of penetration have been achieved in the Mediterranean markets of Spain, Italy and Southern France, largely due to climatic conditions and related building practices.
Improvements in UV stability and in colouration techniques have, however, increased growth in these markets since the late 1990s and adaptation of uPVC product technology to the construction of conservatories has achieved rapid growth in Northern Europe.
In other end use markets, the development of self-assembly retail furniture has led to sustained growth in profiles for drawer frames and other sections. Flexible profiles based on pPVC or thermoplastic rubbers retain significant markets in automotive, domestic appliance and building markets.
Flexible tubes and hoses based on PVC or PE are widely used domestically and in agriculture and horticulture markets, particularly in Spain, Southern France and Italy. Tubes and hoses based on polyamides or other high performance thermoplastics are used extensively in the automotive market for brake fluid applications. Pipe systems for the chemical and off-shore industries are specialised sectors largely based on HDPE, PTFE or PVDF polymers.
AMI has an extensive work programme in the profile, tube and hose market click here for more details.
Pipe Extrusion
The production of thermoplastic pipe systems in Europe is a major industry which accounts for a significant volume of polymers. Use of plastics materials by the building industry represents the second largest market for polymers in Europe.
For pipe production this amounted to a total market demand of nearly 3 million tonnes in Europe for 2000, of which PVC is the main material processed. A growing proportion of pipe production though, is now in polyolefin materials, principally using high density and medium density polyethylene grades.
Several other polymers such as ABS and PVdF are also being used for a variety of applications, notably in the industrial sector.
Because of the nature of the building industry, demand for pipe products tends to be cyclical, reflecting trends in the economy.
Although the market for plastic building products has often performed better than many traditional materials, because of the opportunities offered in renovation and replacement, the past ten years have still been difficult ones for plastic pipe producers.
Rapidly fluctuating polymer prices and pressure on prices from the consumer end have led to an unstable environment with producer margins being eroded. Many years of recession, notably in the construction industry, have slowed the development of the market which is plagued with overcapacity.
Improved efficiency and slimmed down workforces have been essential to survival but not all manufacturers have been able to provide the investment necessary to achieve this. The structure of the industry has thus been subject to considerable change and upheaval in recent years.
For more information about AMI's work programme in pipe extrusion click here and for building click here
Cable Extrusion
In terms of the consumption of polymer materials in Western Europe, the cable industry
represents one of the smaller markets accounting in 2001 for less than 3% of total
thermoplastic polymer demand. However, it is an industry where a variety of complex materials
can be used, which often attract higher premiums. It is also an industry which has been seeing
notable shifts in material formulations for cables which together with a more challenging market
environment has resulted in considerable variations in the trends for different materials within
the cable industry and for different sectors of the business. Some areas have enjoyed strong growth,
while others have seen their market share whittled away.
In 2001 the cable industry used just over 1 million tonnes of polymer
resins and compounds in 2001. Material demand has actually been
declining over recent years and these volumes are some 100,000
tonnes down compared with five years earlier. The main family of
polymers used in cable manufacturing are PVC and polyethylene. Despite
ongoing environmental concerns about the use of PVC and a marked
decline in usage over the past five years, it still remains the largest
volume of material used, particularly for low voltage energy products.
Compounds of PVC offer good final properties, excellent processing characteristics and low price.
In house compounding of PVC is carried out by many cable producers ensuring
continued support for this resin.
To see more about AMI’s work on cable extrusion click here
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