Medical Plastics to 2012 (US industry forecasts for 2012 & 2017)

Abstract

Demand for medical plastic in the US is forecast to expand 2.6 percent annually to 5 billion pounds in 2012, valued at $6.55 billion. Growth will be driven by the greater use of disposable plastic medical devices and supplies, as well as plastic packaging products. An aging populace will entail a rising incidence of acute and chronic conditions and an increasing volume of patient activity. Plastic medical products and packaging have advantages compared to competitive materials such as glass, metal and ceramics. These include light weight and the ability to be cost-effectively molded into ergonomic shapes.

Commodity plastics will remain dominant with better opportunities anticipated for engineering plastics as a result of greater needs for higher performing materials. Leading commodity resins include polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene, polyethylene and polystyrene. Thermoplastic polyester and polypropylene will exhibit the best growth due to opportunities in pharmaceutical and medical product packaging. Demand for engineering plastics will be boosted by growing needs for higher performing materials in surgical, diagnostic testing, drug delivery, geriatric care, self treatment and preventative medicine. Best opportunities are expected in the surgical and medical instrument segment. Polycarbonate will remain the dominant engineering resin and exhibit the best growth prospects based on the resin' s clarity and impact resistance. Thermoplastic elastomers will also present above-average growth due to their moldability and good tactile properties.

Packaging will remain the leading market for medical plastics and present the best growth opportunities. Advances will be driven by plastic' s low cost and excellent protective capabilities in pharmaceutical and product packaging uses. Product component markets will rise at a slightly slower pace, stimulated by opportunities in areas such as prosthetic devices and invasive surgical instruments, which are currently dominated by metal. Further growth will be threatened by decelerating growth in surgical procedures and advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques.

Study coverage

Medical Plastics is a new Freedonia industry study which presents historical demand data (1997, 2002 and 2007) plus forecasts (2012 and 2017) for medical plastics by type (i.e., commodity, engineered and thermoplastic elastomers) and market. Medical plastics are broken out by resin and end use. Medical packaging consists of pharmaceutical uses and packaging for devices, components and other products.The market environment discusses health care and pricing trends, as well as an analysis of medical product shipments and the regulatory environment. This study also evaluates company market share data and profiles 46 US industry competitors.