Polyvinyl alcohol; abbreviated as (PVOH, PVA or PVAI) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer which is not only ductile but also is a highly flexible, strong polymer that exhibits excellent tensile strength. It is resistant to grease, oil and solvents and thus widely used in textile and pulp industry to strengthen the paper and yarn. Unlike other polymers, which are produced by the polymerization of its corresponding monomer, PVOH is prepared by dissolving polyvinyl acetate (another polymer) in methanol and treating it with an alkaline catalyst like sodium hydroxide. This is partly because its monomer, vinyl alcohol is thermodynamically unstable. The Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) market has been witnessing significant growth in recent years, driven by its versatile applications across various end use industries. In the long term forecast period, the PVA market is projected to grow at a 3% to cross 1955 kilo tons from the current demand of around 1,400 kilo tons. Global PVOH market is driven in large part by the development of the building & construction, automotive and other industries. According to Prismane Consulting’s HHI index calculations, China, Western Europe, Japan, and USA together account for more than 95% of the global capacity in 2021. In terms of Consumption, Asia-Pacific, and Western Europe account for a larger share followed by North America.
Global PVA Demand Supply Analysis- 2016-2032 (Kilo Tons)
PVA is used as a film in small dose packaging such as water treatment chemical, dyes, agrochemical, and detergent owing to its water-soluble characteristics. Other applications of Polyvinyl alcohol include polymerization aid, adhesives, textile, polyvinyl butyral (PVB). Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) are produced by reaction of PVOH with Butyraldehyde. PVB is used as coating in automotive and architectural application to generate laminated safety glass and is the largest end use application of PVOH in the United States. Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) application accounts for 18% of the global PVA demand and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.5% in the forecast period. Adhesives & Caking Agents accounts for more than 16% of the total global PVA demand and is estimated to grow at rate of 2.4%. Textile Processing & Fibers application makes up around 15% of the global PVA demand . Other applications including Films, Paper Processing and Others together accounted about remaining share of the global PVA market.
Global PVA Demand Analysis, By Application - 2021 (Kilo Tons)
Major PVA Manufacturers Capacity - 2021 (Kilo Tons)
In Western Europe, Kuraray Specialties Europe Gmbh, Wacker Chemie and Sekisui Chemical operate PVA production plant of 94 kilo tons, 22 Kilo tons and 30 Kilo tons in Germany and Spain respectively. The region accounts for around 7% of the global PVA installed capacity. Germany accounts for around 80% of the regional installed capacity while Spain accounts for the remaining 20% of the regional demand. No new major PVA capacities are expected to come up in the region in the short-term forecast till 2025. Historically Western Europe is a major net importer of PVOH. It is expected to follow the same trend during the forecast period. Between 2016-2020, the average annual regional PVA imports have been around 208 kilo tons while the average annual regional PVA exports have been around 95 kilo tons. During the forecast period, the annual PVA net exports are expected to be around 151 kilo tons
PVB accounted for around 1/4th of the total PVOH demand in Germany’ and is further anticipated to witness strong demand growth in the forecast period to reach 30 kilo tons by 2032. Kuraray Specialties Europe Gmbh is a major PVB manufacturer in Germany. PVB is used by automotive manufacturers to make windshields. Largest concentration of automotive OEM’s can be seen in Germany, where there are more than 40 automotive OEM plants accounting for more than half of the regional OEM market. This concentration of automotive industry is due to convenient geographical location where the country is located at market cross-roads of Europe. The countries encompassing are Poland, France, Austria, Netherlands, and Belgium whose automotive demand is majorly met by Germany. Major export markets for Germany are in U.S. and Asia-Pacific region where demand for premium automotive is at a rise.
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