End use sectors
The table below summarises the key socio-economic information for the EU industry sectors supplied by the aliphatic diisocyanate suppliers.
| Isocyanate Raw Materials (k Tons) | Formulation (k Tons) | Formulators - Number of Companies | Downstream Market Value (€M) | Users Number of Companies | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coatings | |||||
| Auto / Transportation | 24.7 | 286 | 225 | 4,004 | 58,000 |
| General Industrial | 12.5 | 182 | 330 | 1,016 | 6,700 |
| Materials (non-metallic) | 13.4 | 250 | 280 | 1,550 | 9,500 |
| Total Coatings | 51 | 720 | 840 | 6,600 | 74,000 |
| Adhesives | 6 | 130 | 330 | 640 | 5,800 |
| Elastomers | 7 | 57 | 140 | 500 | 2,200 |
| Others | 3.5 | 42 | 160 | 260 | 5,000 |
| Totals | 67 | 950 | 1,500 | 8,000 | 87,000 |
The following pages focus on the socio-economic information for the six main end-use sectors.
AUTO/TRANSPORTATION COATINGS
A very large proportion of the articles, structures and manufactured goods that we meet in our daily life are coated. Polyurethanes are present in most of the high quality, long lasting coatings used in a wide number of applications such as:
- Automotive Coatings, applied both as original equipment (OEM) and in car repair. Transportation applications such as aerospace, railway equipment, trucks and buses.
- Agricultural, construction and earth moving machinery.
- Plastic articles and components: bumpers, wheel covers, rear mirrors, door handles.
The main benefits given by aliphatic isocyanates based polyurethane coatings are:
- UV and weathering resistance: exceptional gloss retention and non-yellowing, even after a very long exposure time;
- excellent balance between hardness and flexibility;
- outstanding chemical resistance, particularly important in coatings for aircraft where very aggressive hydraulic fluid is used
Therefore, polyurethane-based coatings are used to answer to the highest requirements in terms of chemical and technical performance.
| Chemical producers | Formulation Manufacturers | End-use Applicators | Indirect Industry | Total Indusry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of companies | 4 | 225 | 57,850 | 12,600 | 71,000 |
| % which are SMEs | 0 | 95 | ≈100 | ≈100 | ≈100 |
| Total Number of Workers | 5,000 | 271,000 | 83,400 | 360,000 | |
| Average Number per Company | All Segments | 22 | 7 | 5 |
The market of the formulations used in this sector is more than €4 billion and the volume is nearly 300,000 tons.
GENERAL INDUSTRIAL COATINGS
A very large proportion of the articles, structures and manufactured goods that we meet in our daily life are coated. Polyurethanes are present in most of the high quality, long lasting coatings used in a wide number of applications such as:•
- Maintenance & Protection Coatings: heavy industry anticorrosion (metallic structures), high performance decorative finishes.
- Marine: superstructure, topsides and decks of ships and yachts.
- Coil & Can Coatings: buildings (cladding and roofing), appliances, transport,packaging.
- General Industry: metal office furniture
The main benefits given by aliphatic isocyanates based polyurethane coatings are:
- UV and weathering resistance: exceptional gloss retention and non-yellowing, even after a very long exposure time;
- excellent balance between hardness and flexibility: this property is especially of interest to achieve the extreme flexibility necessary in Coil applications where coated steel is embossed to obtain complex shapes;
Therefore, polyurethane-based coatings are used to answer to the highest requirements in terms of chemical and technical performance.
| Chemical producers | Formulation Manufacturers | End-use Applicators | Indirect Industry | Total Indusry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of companies | 4 | 330 | 6,700 | 18,900 | 26,000 |
| % which are SMEs | 0 | 95 | ≈100 | ≈100 | ≈100 |
| Total Number of Workers | Common to All Segments | 6,200 | 40,000 | 92,400 | 140,000 |
| Average Number per Company | Common to All Segments | 19 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
The market of the formulations used in this sector is about €1 billion and the volume is over 180,000 tons.
MATERIALS (NON-METALLIC) COATINGS
Plastic articles and components: phones, computers, skis, hi-fi equipment, kitchen ware.Wood Coatings: parquet flooring, heavy duty and high quality furniture for kitchen, school, counters.
The main benefits given by aliphatic isocyanates based polyurethane coatings, in this end use sector, are their UV and weathering resistance: exceptional gloss retention and non-yellowing, even after a very long exposure time.
| Chemical producers | Formulation Manufacturers | End-use Applicators | Indirect Industry | Total Indusry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of companies | 4 | 280 | 9,500 | 23,500 | 33,000 |
| % which are SMEs | 0 | 95 | ≈100 | ≈100 | ≈100 |
| Total Number of Workers | Common to All Segments | 5,250 | 36,500 | 83,500 | 125,000 |
| Average Number per Company | Common to All Segments | 19 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
The market of the formulations used in this sector is more than €1.5 billion and the volume is 250,000 tons.
ADHESIVES AND SEALANTS
Adhesives are indispensable for manufacture of many daily life products, and aliphatic isocyanate-based raw materials help adhesives to meet high demands
Derivatives of aliphatic isocyanate are usually used as crosslinkers for 2 packs adhesives. Furthermore, aliphatic isocyanate monomers are employed to make urethane based polymers which can be formulated in hot-melt, heat- activated or contact adhesives. The main applications are: wood on wood, PVC lamination on wood, automotive, footwear and construction. The benefits are mainly to improve heat resistance and to achieve a better resistance to moisture and water, as well as a better adhesion on fat or oily substrates.
Aliphatic isocyanate based raw materials are also used in sealants for applications in the construction industry. Durability, resistance and stability, also in critical areas, are the key specifications for these products.
| Chemical producers | Formulation Manufacturers | End-use Applicators | Indirect Industry | Total Indusry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of companies | 4 | 325 | 5,800 | 16,500 | 22,000 |
| % which are SMEs | 0 | 95 | ≈100 | ≈100 | ≈100 |
| Total Number of Workers | Common to All Segments | 4,650 | 20,400 | 50,100 | 75,000 |
| Average Number per Company | Common to All Segments | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 |
The market of the formulations used in this sector is more than €630 million and the volume is nearly 130,000 tons.
ELASTOMERS
Aliphatic isocyanates are also base materials for polyurethane elastomers. These high-quality engineering materials are used e.g. for rollers and belts and in a manifold of applications where high load- bearing capacity, durability, elasticity and chemical resistance are required.
| Chemical producers | Formulation Manufacturers | End-use Applicators | Indirect Industry | Total Indusry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of companies | 4 | 140 | 2,200 | 6,800 | 9,100 |
| % which are SMEs | 0 | 95 | ≈100 | ≈100 | ≈100 |
| Total Number of Workers | Common to All Segments | 3,000 | 8,900 | 23,800 | 36,000 |
| Average Number per Company | Common to All Segments | 21 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
The market of the formulations used in this sector is nearly €500 million and the volume is over 50,000 tons.
OTHER APPLICATIONS
Some other applications: Leather finishing formulations, Textile & Fibre treatments, Inks, Optical and other special applications also use aliphatic isocyanates in order to mainly provide protection and durability.
| Chemical producers | Formulation Manufacturers | End-use Applicators | Indirect Industry | Total Indusry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of companies | 4 | 160 | 5,000 | 12,000 | 17,000 |
| % which are SMEs | 0 | 95 | ≈100 | ≈100 | ≈100 |
| Total Number of Workers | Common to All Segments | 3,500 | 18,000 | 43,000 | 65,000 |
| Average Number per Company | Common to All Segments | 22 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
The market of the formulations used in this sector is more than €250 million and the volume is over 40,000 tons.