Polyolefin Catalyst Market Size By Classification (Polypropylene, HDPE, LLDPE), By Catalyst (Ziegler Natta, Single Site [Metallocene, Post-metallocene], Chromium), By Application (Injection Molding, Blow Molding, Film, Fiber), Industry Analysis Report, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 – 2026

Industry Trends

Polyolefin catalyst market size was USD 2.1 billion in 2018 and shall exhibit 4.8% CAGR throughout the forecast timespan. Polyolefin catalyst are a class of catalyst that are used to produce HDPE, LLDPE and PE. Widespread application base of these polyolefins in construction, packaging, furniture, etc. will complement industry growth.
 

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The global polyolefin catalyst market will grow at a steady rate driven by the expanding polyolefin industry. Robust demand for polyolefins from the packaging sector is expected during the forecast period, thereby propelling the overall demand.
 

Moreover, the introduction of stringent regulations regarding emission control on automotive urges automotive manufacturers to use lightweight, strong & versatile materials in their production. This trend has significantly increased the demand for polyolefin materials in automotive parts, subsequently increasing the polyolefin catalyst demand.
 

The development of new-generation catalyst for the betterment of polymerization process shall also positively contribute to the polyolefin catalyst market share over the study timeframe. India, China, and Brazil will likely drive growth for the consumption of polyolefin products and materials, while Japan is expected to be a key market primarily owing to its developed economy and high consumption of polymers.
 

The growing commercial success of polyolefin materials in various end user segments including automotive, food and beverage and packaging among others is projected to substantially contribute to the overall catalyst demand during the forecast period. Moreover, the growing research and development spending for new manufacturing technologies along with the capacity expansions of polyolefin plants shall also augment the product demand in the coming years.
 

However, fluctuating crude oil prices is projected to be a major downside to the overall polyolefin catalyst market during the assessment period. Polyethylene and polypropylene are both derived from crude oils, hence change in feedstock prices hampers the overall production in turn negatively impacting the catalyst demand.
 

The global polyolefin catalyst market exhibits a medium level of forward integration. Most of the major players in this market are engaged in the production of both catalysts and polyolefin products. As a result, high degree of captive consumption of catalyst can also be seen in the overall market.
 

Additionally, many market players also possess their own patented catalyst technologies for the polymerization processes. For instance, Dupont has licensing agreements with Akzo Nobel, Albemarle Corp. and Grace Davison for manufacturing and selling ‘DuPont Versipol catalysts’ for the olefin and polyethylene industries.
 

Ziegler Natta led the market on account of its widespread application in polymerization of polypropylene

Three basis types of polymer catalyst are Ziegler Natta (ZN), Chromium and single site catalyst. ZN catalyst are the most popular owing to their wide use in the production of the polypropylene, high density polyethylene, and linear low density polyethylene. Over 90% of global polypropylene production uses ZN catalyst, whereas in polyethylene production Ziegler Natta is used more than 50% in all cases. Phillips or chromium catalyst is another major catalyst used mainly to produce high density polyethylene (HDPE).
 

The catalyst employed for polypropylene production is essentially titanium based ZN catalyst activated with aluminum alkyds and external donors, whereas catalyst used for HDPE include both titanium systems, Phillips and metallocene’s. Linear low density polyethylene use over 80% of Ziegler Natta catalyst and metallocene catalyst at a lesser extent.
 

Film application accounted for the largest share in 2018

Polyolefin catalyst for films application held the largest share in 2018 in terms of both volume and revenue. Polyolefins films are extensively used in various end user industries mainly for packaging purposes. These films offers excellent chemical resistance, release properties and tensile strength which makes them highly desirable in the packaging industry.
 

Injectional molding was another major application segment in the polyolefin catalyst market in 2018. Injection molded products holds wide application in major industries such as automotive, electrical & electronics, building & construction, packaging, home appliances, consumer products, and medical devices among others. Injection molding application held a market share of 27.3% in 2018 in terms of revenue.
 

Asia Pacific was the largest revenue pocket in 2018

Polyolefin catalyst in the Asia Pacific region has gained wide popularity in the recent times. The growing oil & gas activities along with enormous growth in the regional end-user sector has positively impacted the polyolefin catalyst market trends. Moreover, government expenditure in the development of plastic production units will further aid to the polyolefin demand in coming years.
 

For instance, the Government of India announced its plans to incorporate 18 plastic parks for an investment of USD 6.2 million (40 crore INR) each in the coming years. This move is anticipated to generate ample opportunities during the forecast period.
 

The major countries contributing to the Asia Pacific are India and China. China accounted for over 20% of the overall market in 2015 and shall grow at a CAGR of over 4.9% during the review period. The developed packaging and automotive industry in the country shall positively attribute to polyolefin catalyst market value.
 

Acquisition and mergers are key strategies seen in the polyolefin catalyst market

Companies are adopting various strategies to retain/increase their industry foothold. The key players are mostly adopting inorganic growth strategies to attain a larger chunk of the polyolefin catalyst market share. Major companies are seen to acquire smaller players or enter into merger agreements to outsource their catalyst production.
 

For instance, W.R Grace, in April 2018, the acquired Albemarle Polyolefin Catalysts Business for a value of USD 416 million. This acquisition also include highly optimized Ziegler-Natta (ZN) catalysts for PE production.
 

Some of the key players operating in the polyolefin catalyst industry are the W.R. Grace, Univation Technologies, LLC, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., Sud-Chemie India Pvt., Ltd, Johnson Matthey Inc., China Petroleum Corporation (Sinopec Group), TOHO Titanium Company Limited, PQ corporation, Idemitsu Kosan Co., Ltd., INEOS Group, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc, Clariant AG, Evonik Industries, DuPont, Inc., DORF-KETAL Chemicals India Private Limited, AGC Chemicals Inc., and NOVA Chemicals Corporation.
 

Polyolefin catalyst market research report includes in-depth coverage of the industry, with estimates & forecast in terms of revenue in Tons and USD million from 2015 to 2026, for the following segments:

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By Classification

• Polypropylene
• LLDPE
• HDPE

By Catalyst

• Ziegler Natta
• Single-site Catalyst
  • Metallocene
  • Post Metallocene
• Chromium

By Application

• Injection molding
• Blow molding
• Film
• Fiber
• Others

The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • UK
  • France
  • Italy
  • Russia
  • Poland
• APAC
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • South Korea
  • Thailand
  • Indonesia
  • Australia
  • Vietnam
• LATAM
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
  • Argentina
• MEA
  • South Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE
  • Egypt