Increased market role for long fiber thermoplastics

摘要

Thermosets still dominate the global composites materials market, however, there has been a significant shift towards thermoplastics, with long fiber materials being an important part of the transformation. At the recent Advanced Engineering Show -Composites Forum, Nigel O'Dea, Business Development Manager Europe at Lucintel reported that while the global composites market has grown from US$23.9 billion in 2013 to US$29.9 billion in 2017, the proportion of the total for thermoplastic composites had grown from 25% to 39% in the four-year period. He emphasized that the shift to thermoplastics is expected to continue, driven by easier recyclability and faster production cycle times. Thermoset composites are still likely to be predominantly used in construction, pipe and tank, wind turbine blades, marine, and electrical and electronic, while thermoplastic applications are expected to grow in aerospace, automotive and transportation, and consumer goods.