Demand to reach 3.6 billion pounds in 2008
US demand for medical plastics will increase nearly 3.0 percent per year to 3.6 billion pounds in 2008, valued at $5.0 billion. Strongest advances are expected for engineered resins such as polycarbonate and thermoplastic elastomers, which have favorable cost-performance benefits. Polyvinyl chloride and polypropylene will retain leading positions in non-invasive medical products and standard medical packaging due to their low cost and amenability to radiation sterilization.
Direct contact and critical care devices, such as angioplasty catheters and orthopedic implants, will provide the best opportunities for medical plastics as quality and efficacy concerns outweigh price in raw material selection.
PVC to remain dominant resin
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) will remain the leading medical plastic due to the resin s low cost, versatility and ease of processing. Continued PVC use is expected in flexible and rigid products and new grades of radiationsterilizable compounds. Polypropylene (PP) use in medical products and packaging will be driven by the material s clarity, barrier strength and radiation resistance benefits.
Below average growth is expected for polystyrene due to competition from PVC, PP and acrylics in transparent labware as well as kit and tray packaging. High density polyethylene will also expand at a slow pace with continued use in applications such as external tubing and pharmaceutical closures. The expanding use of drug blister packs will keep the demand for low density polyethylene advancing steadily. However, competitive challenges from PVC, PP and polyethylene terephthalate will moderate overall growth levels.
Leading engineered plastics include thermoplastic polyester, polycarbonate, thermoplastic elastomers and acrylonitrile- butadiene-styrene. However, the use of high value-added plastics, such as polysulfone and polyetheretherketones, will also increase impressively as medical procedures advance in sophistication.
Medical product component uses to grow the fastest
Medical product components, the leading application for medical plastics, will expand at a faster pace than medical packaging due to steady increases in the number of patient procedures and continuing advances in the sophistication of medical supplies, devices and equipment.
By contrast, medical packaging will remain subject to less extensive government oversight, which together with costcutting actions and environmental pressures for waste source reduction, will promote the wider use of less material-intensive and less expensive container systems.
Study coverage
Details on these and other key findings are available a new Freedonia industry study, Medical Plastics. The study provides historical US demand (1993, 1998 and 2003) data plus forecasts to the years 2008 and 2013 for commodity and engineered medical plastics by resin and market. This study also examines the market environment, details the industry structure and profiles 33 leading US industry participants.
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