Page 46 - Handbook of Adhesives and Sealants

16 Chapter One

TABLE 1.4 Sealant Usage by Generic Sealant Type 4
Generic type Construction Industrial Transportation Appliances Aerospace
Asphalt, bitumen x x
Oleoresinous x x
Butyl x x x
Hypalon x
EPDM x x x
Neoprene x
Styrene-butadiene x
Polyvinyl chloride x
Acrylic solution x x
Acrylic emulsion x x
Polyvinyl acetate x x
Polysulfide x x x x x
Polyurethane x x x x x
Silicone x x x x
Fluoropolymers x x x x
Epoxies x x x
Intumescents x

New users (e.g., consumer electronics, sporting goods)
Higher standards of performance
Newer materials (e.g., the use of nonferrous parts such as alumi-
num, composites, and engineering plastics on car bodies)

The demand for adhesives in the U.S. is forecast to rise to 14 billion
pounds in the year 2001, with market value reaching $9 billion. There
will be continuing shifts from lower cost natural products toward
highly formulated synthetic adhesives. The general focus of adhesive
product development will be on lowering solvent content and volatile
organic compound emissions. These trends will result in many new
environmentally compatible adhesive systems with higher solids con-
tents, such as water based or hot melt products. Natural adhesives
will lag total aggregated demand with almost all growth in this sector
arising in starch and dextrin adhesives used in paperboard packaging.
The U.S. demand for sealants was about 2.1 billion pounds and $2.4
billion market value in 1998. Synthetic sealants dominate and will
expand their share of the sealant market due to superior performance
characteristics over natural sealants. Polyurethanes, silicones, and
acrylics command the synthetic market, taking share from butyl
rubber and polysulfide types. These products are experiencing above
average growth. The overall sealant growth rate will be dictated by
global economies especially in construction and transportation. The
construction market increases will depend on improved non-
residential construction spending, sustained economic growth, and an