Polyolefin Foam Market

Market Overview

Polyolefin is a polymer derived from a simple olefin as a monomer and is produced from polymerization using several catalysts. Polyolefin is a general term used to refer to several types of polyolefins, including polyethylene and polypropylene. Polyolefin foam is a mixture of several materials, such as organic blowing agents and cross-linking agents, doughed together.

First polyolefin foam was commercially produced in the early 1940s, and since, considerable efforts have been put to develop better polyolefin foams. Polyolefins, including polypropylene, polyethylene, and their other derivatives, are the largest produced and consumed family of polymers. This is attributed to their low cost of production and plethora of physical and chemical properties, such as toughness, lightweight, resistance to chemicals, and abrasion, which are suited for various foam applications.

Market Dynamics

Stringent Regulations Regarding Thermal Insulation and Energy Efficiency in Building and Construction

The building and construction industry across the globe is exercising several stringent energy codes to improve energy efficacy and prevent energy loss due to lack of insulation. As a result, the demand for insulating products such as polyolefin foams is rising in the overall building stock along with the amount of insulation consumed per building. Polyethylene foams are used in almost every commercial and residential property across the globe and are commonly for insulation applications. Polyolefin foams are used to insulate offices, factories, houses, along with pipework systems to prevent heat loss as well as heat gain in some applications. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the building and construction sector consume 39% of energy, whereas the transportation and industry sector accounts for 34% and 27%, respectively.

Figure 1: Energy Consumption Application, 2019

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, recently employed energy codes will save more than USD 126 billion from 2012–2040. China is also promoting greener ways in building and construction industries to stop energy losses. For instance, changes in the energy code in China will save more than 70% of energy in 2020 as compared to 1980.

Table 2: Some of the Important Energy Codes in the Building and Construction Sector

Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Surging Construction Activities Across the Globe

Increased disposable income and the rise in the number of middle-class populations are driving the demand for individual apartments, residential, and commercial infrastructure in developing economies such as India, Indonesia, Brazil, and China. This is due to the easy home loan process and growth in the number of working-class populations.

Additionally, the ongoing recovery in the North American building and construction market is foreseen to boost the market growth; for instance, in the U.S., single-family housing has been witnessing double-digit growth coupled with spending on non-residential construction activities since 2018. The United States is the largest construction market where private construction spending reached around USD 900 billion in 2018. Moreover, growing repair and renovation activities in the region are boosting the demand for polyolefin foams.

Polyolefin Foam’s application areas in the building and construction industry are listed below:

• Wall, floor, ceiling
• Doors and windows
• Heating, ventilating, and cooling systems and equipment
• Lighting systems and equipment
• Water-heating systems and equipment

Regional Analysis

Europe to Contribute Significantly to the Growth of the Global Polyolefin Foam Market

The building and construction industry has emerged as the largest consumer of polyolefin foam in the Europe polyolefin foam market. The construction sector plays an important role in the European economy and contributes approximately 9% of the European Union's GDP. The construction sector in Europe has been witnessing slower growth since the recent past. However, favorable government policies, efforts taken by the European Commission, and huge investments by companies are the primary drivers for the growth of the sector in the region. Especially increasing residential construction activities in the region are expected to propel the demand for insulating products, which in turn drives the growth of the polyolefins foams market.

According to the report published by the European Commission under European Construction Sector Observatory, in Germany, there is a housing demand for at least 350,000 new residences per year. Additionally, the number of companies operating in the construction sector is growing immensely, which further boosts investments in the sector. For instance, the number of companies in the broad construction sector in Germany increased by 21.2% from 2010 to 2016. Moreover, governments from different countries are investing in affordable housing projects to provide basic amenities to people in slums and rural areas. Furthermore, the rapid pace of urbanization and increased immigration to cities are expected to fuel the number of housing projects. For instance, the U.K. government is planning to deliver 400,000 affordable housing units by 2020–21.

Segmental Analysis

The global polyolefin foam market is segmented based on the type, application, and region.

Based on type, the global polyolefin foam market is segmented into Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Ethylene Vinyl Acetate, and others. Polyethylene has been the most preferred material for thermoplastic foam production since the 1940s, owing to its excellent mechanical properties along with balanced temperature stability and chemical resistance. High-density polyethylene and low-density polyethylene have been in use for foam application; however, high-density polyethylene holds the largest share in the global market.

Polypropylene also possesses some of the properties which make it suitable for foam application; however, foaming of conventional polypropylene is relatively challenging as compared to the polyethylene family on account of their high crystallization/melting temperatures, low degradation temperature, and low melt strength result in very narrower processing options. Nevertheless, the introduction of chemical modification processes and long-chain branched (LCB) polypropylene have been proven satisfactory in the manufacturing of foam products from polypropylene.

Based on application, the global polyolefin foam market is segmented into the automotive, building, and construction, cushioning, footwear, furniture and bedding, packaging, sports, and others (rail, wind, marine). The wide array of applications is the primary driving factor for the growth of the global polyolefin foam market.

A Plethora of Applications Spanning Several End-use Industries

Apart from building and construction, polyolefin foam found applications in several other industries such as packaging, sports, footwear, furniture and bedding, marine, and rail, among others. Footwear and packaging industries are consuming polyolefin foams on a large scale in their daily activities to manufacture products. In recent years, the high-quality footwear industry has witnessed high growth as the modern design and aesthetic look of the footwear product led to the development of new products. Polymeric foams, such as polyolefin, enhance the aesthetics, comfort, and overall appeal of footwear products. The footwear industry has a close association with the polymeric foam industry as the footwear manufacturing process is a long process that starts from modeling to finishing. Different kinds of materials used in the industry require other highly compatible materials, including polymeric foams. Additionally, polyolefin foams are also a consumer in the marine industry to provide thermal insulation to tubular systems in deep and shallow water marine environments.