Polyvinyl alcohol films market for water soluble applications to reach revenue of US$288.9M by 2018, driven by demand for green packaging, finds market research report

Mathew Kearney

NEW YORK , April 9, 2013 (press release) – According to a new market report published by Transparency Market Research (http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com) "Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Films Market by Application (Water Soluble Packaging & Polarizer) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2012 - 2018," the global PVA films demand for water soluble applications was 16,027 tons in 2011 and is expected to reach 20,628.3 tons by 2018, growing at a CAGR of 3.7% from 2012 to 2018. In terms of revenue, the market was valued at USD 208.9 million in 2011 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% from 2012 to 2018.

The global market for PVA films used in polarizer applications was 225.5 million square meters in 2011 and is expected to reach 301.3 million square meters by 2018, growing at a CAGR of 4.3% from 2012 to 2018. In terms of revenue, the market was valued at USD 4.8 billion in 2011 and is expected to reach USD 6.8 billion by 2018, growing at a CAGR of 5% from 2012 to 2018.
Browse the full report at http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/polyvinyl-alcohol-films.html

Increasing government initiatives to support green packaging coupled with the biodegradable nature of PVA films is expected to drive demand over the next five years. Water soluble PVA films are used for packaging across various industries and the growing acceptance of PVA films for water soluble packaging is boosting demand. However, volatility in vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) prices has emerged as a key inhibitor to market growth. Pioneer companies in the PVA films market such as MonoSol LLC have been conducting extensive R&D activities in order to explore novel applications for PVA films. MonoSol LLC is currently developing food packaging grade for PVA films which the company states is non hazardous in nature.

Water soluble PVA films are majorly used for detergent and agrochemical packaging across the globe and together accounted for over 66% of the total water soluble PVA films consumed. Detergent packaging is a fast growing application segment for PVA films, growing at a CAGR of 4% from 2012 to 2018. The growing acceptance for small packets of detergents to minimize skin contact is one of the key factors driving the PVA films demand for detergent packaging. Other applications of water soluble PVA films include manufacturing of laundry bags, embroidery, pet waste bags etc.

Water soluble PVA films consumption was dominated by North America and Europe, with the former being the leading consumer with 32.9% of the global demand in 2011, closely followed by Europe.

The growing demand for LCD panels, mainly in the electronic hubs of Asia Pacific is one of the major factors driving PVA film demand. The global market for PVA films used in polarizer applications is concentrated in Asia as this region is the major producer of various electronic appliances such as LCD TVs, cellular phone screens etc.

LCD panels accounted for over 95% of the total PVA polarized films produced, with other applications like sunglasses and optical filters accounting for the remaining consumption of PVA polarized films.

The global market for PVA films used for water soluble applications is led by the U.S.-based MonoSol LLC which was recently acquired by Kuraray. Both the companies are benefiting from this partnership. Other companies operating in the market include Sekisui Specialty Chemicals, Nippon Gohsei, Aicello Chemicals, Jiangmen Proudly Water Soluble Plastic Co. Ltd, and Changzhou Water Soluble Co. Ltd among some other companies.

Japan-based Kuraray is the major company producing polarized PVA films, with approximately 80% of the global market in 2011. Nippon Gohsei is another company producing PVA polarized films.

The study estimates and forecast the market for PVA films by its application (water soluble packaging and polarizer) in terms of volumes and revenues from 2011 to 2018. The report segments the global PVA films market as:

PVA Films Market, by Water Soluble Packaging Application:
Detergent Packaging
Consumer Detergent Packaging
Industrial Detergent Packaging
Agrochemical Packaging
Laundry Bags
Embroidery
Other (including pet waste bags and fish bait bags etc)
PVA Films (Water Soluble Packaging) Market, by Geography:
North America
Europe
Asia Pacific
Rest of the World (RoW)
PVA Films Market, by Polarizer Application
LCD Panels
Other (including sunglasses, optical filters etc)
PVA Films (Polarizer Application) Market, by Geography
South Korea
Japan
Taiwan
China

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