The report says China's flame retardant industry is booming but the road is bumpy.
- time:
- 2019-05-13
According to a report released by Beijing Hongmei Economic Information Consulting Co., Ltd. **, China's booming flame retardant chemicals market is about to undergo major changes with the introduction of new health and environmental regulations at home and abroad.
Sales in China exceeded 6.7 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) last year, according to the report.
Most flame retardants are supplied to the plastics and chemicals industries. They are widely used in polyethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane and flexible PVC. Its main applications include automotive plastics, printed circuit boards and thermoplastics for television sets.
The company predicts that demand for phosphorus-based and inorganic flame retardants will grow, while halogen flame retardants, which have been widely used for decades, will lose their market under increasingly stringent health and environmental scrutiny. Brominated flame retardants have been banned or restricted in EU, which are the main type of halogen-based flame retardants. In the United States, Kaiser Permanent, the medical system giant, stopped buying all furniture containing flame retardants last year.
The report predicts that China's weak enforcement and regulation means that the transition from halogen flame retardants may be slow.
The report also forecasts trends over the next five years. The authors surveyed 58 suppliers and channel operators.
