Chemical & Engineering News
June 29, 1998
Copyright © 1998 by the American Chemical Society

PLASTICS: Production of thermosets and thermoplastic up strongly last year

Production % annual change
Millions of lba 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1996-97 1987-97
THERMOSETTING RESINS
Epoxyb 433 486 509 499 497 457 512 601 632 662 681 3% 5%
Melaminec 212 207 222 202 196 232 270 300 290 287 309 8 4
Phenolicc,d,e 2,869 3,066 2,879 2,946 2,658 2,923 3,078 3,229 3,204 3,476 3,618 4 2
Polyesterf 1,367 1,404 1,319 1,221 1,075 1,175 1,264 1,468 1,577 1,557 1,625 4 2
Ureac 1,382 1,425 1,477 1,496 1,483 1,548 1,744 1,914 1,816 2,147 2,340 9 5
TOTAL 6,263 6,588 6,408 6,364 5,909 6,335 6,868 7,512 7,519 8,129 8,573 5% 3 %
THERMOPLASTIC RESINS
Polyethylene
Low densityg 9,599h 10,397h 6,575 7,255 7,236 7,273 7,226 7,578 7,643 7,784 7,691 -1% ----
Linear low densityg ---- ---- 3,120 3,893 4,346 4,644 4,841 5,022 5,243 6,361 6,888 8 ----
High densityi 7,995 8,400 8,102 8,337 9,213 9,808 9,941 11,117 11,211 12,373 12,545 1 4%
Polypropylenej 6,647 7,274 7,238 8,310 8,330 8,421 8,629 9,539 10,890 11,991 13,309 11 7
Styrene polymers
Polystyrene 4,780 5,187 5,104 5,021 4,954 5,096 5,383 5,848 5,656 6,065 6,572 8 3
Styrene-acrylonitrilek 126 148 113 135 109 113 105 138 130 121 96 -21 -3
Acrylonitrile - butadiene - styrene and other styrene polymersk,l 2,254 2,418 2,394 2,351 2,287 2,610 2,924 3,230 2,908 2,969 3,000 1 3
Polyamide, nylon type 507 566 569 558 576 668 768 943 1,020 1,103 1,204 9 9
Polyvinyl chloride & copolymersk 7,971 8,350 8,478 9,096 9,164 9,989 10,257 11,712 12,295 13,220 14,084 7 6
Thermoplastic polyesterk 1,394 1,652 1,630 1,879 2,115 2,413 2,549 3,196 3,785 4,031 4,303 7 12
TOTAL 41,273 44,392 43,323 46,835 48,330 51,035 52,623 58,323 60,781 66,018 69,692 6% 5%
GRAND TOTAL 47,536 50,980 49,731 53,199 54,239 57,370 59,491 65,835 68,300 74,147 78,265 8% 5%
Note: Totals are for those products listed and exclude some small-volume plastics. a Dry-weight basis unless otherwise specified. b Unmodified. c Data include Canada from 1997. d Includes other tar-acid resins. e Gross-weight basis. f Unsaturated. g Density 0.940 and below. h Low density and linear low density. i Density above 0.940. j Data include Canada from 1995. k Data include Canada from 1994. l Includes styrene-butadiene copolymers and other styrene- based polymers. Source: Society of the Plastics Industry

plastics, paints and coatings graphs

PAINTS AND COATINGS: Shipments declined 7% in 1997, when all categories faltered

Shipments % annual change
Millions of gal 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997a 1996-97 1987-97
Architectural 527 536 538 558 538 576 608 645 621 638 567 -11% 1%
Productb 340 366 360 339 320 312 357 373 376 373 366 -2 1
Special purpose 146 154 179 196 180 173 179 194 195 210 202 -4 3
TOTAL 1,013 1,056 1,077 1,093 1,038 1,061 1,144 1,212 1,192 1,221 1,135 -7% 1%
aCalculated from quarterly data. bFor original equipment manufacturers. Source:Department of Commerce

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