News
Bisphenol A Market Demonstrates Mixed Dynamics
September 26, 2016
The global bisphenol A (BPA) market is currently demonstrating a mixed dynamics. BPA prices in two main BPA-producing regions, Europe and Asia, are moving upwards thanks to various factors. These factors include the increase in feedstock prices; tightening of the …
Current Rise in Butadiene Prices Adversely Affects Margins of SBR Producers
September 16, 2016
Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) is a mixture of butadiene and styrene, in which the amount of butadiene exceeds that of styrene by roughly three times. As such, SBR market behaviour is very sensitive to the fluctuations of prices for butadiene and …
Current Precarious Macroeconomic Situation Affects Steel Markets
September 9, 2016
Steel supply and demand reflect, though with some time lag, global and regional macroeconomic trends. These macroeconomic trends may vary in its temporal dimension since, for instance, the curtailments in the US steel industry of the 1980ies, caused by growing …
Health and Environmental Concerns Restrains Talc & Pyrophyllite Market Growth
September 2, 2016
Talc and pyrophyllite are two monoclinic minerals with similar physical properties and respective magnesium-based and aluminium-based composition, each belonging to the same sub-class of phyllosilicates. The products made on their basis are quite versatile and applicable in various areas. The …
Chemicals Industry Leads Global Salt Consumption
August 26, 2016
Production of industrial chemicals accounts for about 63% of the total consumption of salt, and as such, it is the biggest single application segment for salt. The whole branches of the chemical industry, like the chlor-alkali industry, are associated with …
Polystyrene End-Use Sectors Exhibit Different Dynamics
August 19, 2016
Polystyrene application sectors exhibit different dynamics, both temporarily and geographically. This dynamics is governed by various factors. Packaging industry is a major outlet for global polystyrene production, especially in Asia, which might be considered a world leader in packaging. However, …
Innovation as Indispensible Component of Polypropylene Market
August 9, 2016
Polypropylene is a highly sustainable and versatile thermoplastic polymer, which is being utilized in a wide range of applications thanks to its unique features. Polypropylene enjoys well-deserved popularity in many industries, including food packaging, electrical appliances, equipment, consumer goods, automotive …
High-density Polyethylene Market is Vibrant, Volatile and Bullish
July 25, 2016
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is one of the most commonly used plastics found in multiple products in different applications. Physical, chemical and safety-related properties of high-density polyethylene make it a highly durable, chemically non-reactive and environmentally safe material. Its versatility, wide …
Uncertainty as a New Trend of European Expandable Polystyrene Market
July 13, 2016
Building and construction applications are the largest outlet for expandable polystyrene (EPS), accounting for around two-thirds of its demand, though construction-related EPS application grows faster than EPS use in packaging. Other promising expandable polystyrene applications include furniture and sports accessories. …
Brexit to Impact Regional Potassium Sulphate Markets
July 7, 2016
Britain’s vote to leave the European Union has already rendered certain detrimental effect on the European and primarily UK fertilizer markets. The British fertilizer market is not particularly big, with clear predominance of NPK fertilizers and just a very small …
Bromine Market Monopolization Increases Vulnerability
June 30, 2016
The market for bromine and its derivatives may be defined as relatively oligopolistic with just a few countries controlling the bulk of the market. There are three major bromine-producing areas: North America (the United States), Middle East (Israel and Jordan) …
Demand for Bismuth may Run Counter to China’s Export Policies on Strategic and Critical Materials
June 21, 2016
Bismuth application areas are diverse but the bulk of the metal is used in metallurgical (metallurgical additives, alloys), pharmaceutical and chemical (incl. pigments and cosmetics) industries. Other uses include electronics, ammunition, ceramics, catalysts, recycling of uranium nuclear fuels, to name …
Correlation Between Zinc Supply and Demand to Keep at Steady Equilibrium
June 9, 2016
There are good prospects that zinc supply would anticipate a fairly long period of relative stability and abundance. Reductions in zinc supply which periodically occur due to price volatility, zinc deposit depletion at some mines (e.g. Lisheen mine run by …
Bullish Mood Registered in Global Silver Market
May 31, 2016
The bulk of silver usage (around 56%) is in industrial applications including electrical industry, electronics, brazing alloys and solders, photovoltaic sector, photography and the production of ethylene oxide. Thanks to its unique properties, silver is also a prime candidate for …
Environmental Considerations Play Important Role in Global Lead Market
May 19, 2016
Global mine production of lead was about 5.46 million tonnes in 2014. The top mine lead production countries include China, Australia, the USA, Peru and Mexico, with the first two accounting for 54% and 13.2% of the total mined lead …
Indonesian Tin Industry in Two-Way Interaction with Global Tin Market
May 12, 2016
Tin mining and smelting exhibit fairly large level of monopolization with respect to geographic localization; they are also dominated by so-called developing countries. For instance, tin production is concentrated mainly in China and Indonesia, with both countries accounting for over …
Demand for Industrial Diamonds to be Driven by Abrasives Market
May 4, 2016
The total natural and synthetic industrial diamond production worldwide was estimated to hit 4.565 billion carats in 2014, of which synthetic industrial diamond production constituted 4.5 billion carats, accounting for about 98% of global industrial diamond output. The substitution of …
Global Market for Magnesium Compounds to Show Steady Growth
April 27, 2016
The term magnesite is used to refer to magnesium carbonate (MgCO3) or sometimes commercially to magnesium products, like magnesium oxide (magnesia, MgO). The main application sphere of mined magnesite is the production of magnesium oxide, which has two most common …
Niobium & Tantalum Markets to Grow by 4-6% Yearly up to 2019
April 17, 2016
Niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Та) are transition metals grouped together thanks to their very similar physical and chemical properties. The similarity between the two metals lies also in the uniqueness of their properties, which find them application in numerous industries, …
Sodium Cyanide Market Has Positive Capacity Expansion Prospects
April 8, 2016
The predominance of gold cyanidation in the use of sodium cyanide (NaCN) is indisputable, especially in the regions of North and South America, China and Australia. In North America alone, the extraction of gold and other precious metals comprises over …
Declining DMT Output Has Become a Steady Trend
March 31, 2016
Dimethyl terephthalate (DMT) is a versatile chemical intermediate used to manufacture polyesters, industrial plastics, adhesives, inks, herbicides and many other products. Despite its wide applicability and universalism, DMT output has been steadily decreasing over the last decade. This long-term trend …
Prerequisites for Successful Ethylene Oxide Market Development
March 24, 2016
Ethylene oxide (EO) is mainly used as a chemical intermediate and key petrochemical building block in the manufacture of textiles, detergents, polyurethane foam, antifreeze, solvents, medicinals, nonionic surfactants, adhesives, flame retardants and other products. EO derivatives (especially ethylene glycol, monoethylene …
Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Market Has Good Prospects for Growth
March 17, 2016
Ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) is the copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. EVA copolymers are used in foam applications, packaging/agricultural films, extrusion/lamination products, flexible injection and blow moulded products, base components for hot melt adhesives, sanitary applications, etc. EVA can …
Demand for Drilling Barite to Demonstrate Upward Trend
March 11, 2016
Barites are mainly used by the oil and gas industry as a weighting agent in drilling muds. Oil and gas exploration accounts for about 85% of global barite consumption, though this share is a flexible figure dependent on time and …
Global Iodine Demand to Grow at Steady Pace
March 2, 2016
Iodine is a non-metallic element with some metallic properties and a wide variety of medical and industrial applications. Iodine is also considered to be an indispensible element of thyroid hormones. Iodine lack thereof is detrimental for multiple processes and normal …