Durable and Reliable: The Global Market for Adhesives and Sealants Based on Polyurethane
polyurethanes (PUR) are plastics resulting from a polyadditional reaction of polyisocyanates with polyols and are either hard and porous or soft and elastic depending on its production. Different kinds of PUR are needed for reactive, thermally activated, hot melt, dispersion, and solvent-borne adhesives. These adhesives are for example used to bond car front spoilers, sandwich constructions, and facade elements, to glue metal brackets, or to seal electronic casings. PUR sealants are particularly utilized in the transport industry as well as in the construction industry for window joints, and sealing of windows, pipes, and more. The market research company Ceresana analyzed the global market for adhesives and sealants based on PUR in detail. Until 2024, Ceresana expects an increase in revenues generated with these products to over USD 9.7 billion. Adhesives and sealants based on other products are NOT included in this study.
Building with PUR
The most important application areas of adhesives and sealants based on PUR are the construction industry and the segments transportation, packaging, shoes/leather, and wood processing. The most important sales market in 2016 was the segment construction that consumed about 36% of total global consumption. Adhesives and sealants are, for example, used for wall and floor coverings. In new constructions, maintenance or building refurbishment, they are used for construction parts, such as coverings, panels, and insulation materials, pipes, and interior construction.
Adhesives Instead of Screws
The highest growth rate between 2016 and 2024 is forecast for the segment transportation that is likely to see market volume increase by 4.1% p.a. in the next eight years. The manufacture of cars and utility vehicles is most important in this segment. This application area, however, also includes demand for adhesives and sealants in the production of buses, motorcycles, trains, planes, and ships. Adhesives are, for example, used to bond single parts, such as plates, fittings, and other parts of the interior design. In addition, they are increasingly used to bond metals and plastics.
Light and Durable
PUR adhesives are also important for the packaging industry. Flexible packaging is made of a variety of film types and materials. Different technical characteristics, such as tensile strength, UV light durability, adherence, and air permeability, are to be combined. In 2016, more than 317,000 tonnes of adhesives and sealants were utilized for the segment packaging worldwide. Thus, demand in this segment had risen at an average rate of 3.8% p.a. since 2008.
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