CEH Report

Table of Contents

Abstract

Chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) exhibits excellent physical and mechanical properties including resistance to chemicals, oils, heat, weather, low-temperature performance, compression-set resistance, flame retardancy, high filler acceptance, tensile strength and resistance to abrasion. In addition, CPE polymers can range from crystalline or rigid thermoplastics to a flexible elastomer product, making them highly versatile. These polymers are used as the major and/or minor component in a wide assortment of applications in industry. The largest application for CPE is as an impact modifier. Other important end-use applications for CPE include wire and cable jacketing, roofing membranes, geomembranes, automotive and industrial hose and tubing, coated fabrics, molded shapes, extruded profiles, and use as a base polymer.

China is the world leader in terms of chlorinated polyethylene nameplate capacity, accounting for 83% of capacity. The last decade was clearly marked with a rapid buildup of CPE capacity in China. Total world capacity for CPE is forecast to drop following the closure of Dow’s CPE unit in the United States, further increasing the Chinese share of CPE capacity.

The following pie chart shows world consumption of chlorinated polyethylene:

China and the United States were the two largest consumers of chlorinated polyethylene in 2008. In China, roughly 75–80% of the CPE consumed is used for impact modification of PVC for door/window profiles, pipes/drainage applications, and certain styrenic copolymers. The other 20–25% of CPE consumed is used in flexible sheeting for roofing applications, electrical wires and cables, and other rubber product uses (e.g., oil hoses and seals, and new applications). In the United States, 80–90% of CPE consumed is for impact modification and the rest is for other uses including, but not limited to, wire and cable jacketing, roofing applications, automotive and industrial hose/tubing and molded shapes.

World consumption of CPE is forecast to grow at an average annual rate of about 4%. This slower growth will be due mainly to the slowdown in the global housing markets and world economic recession during 2008–2009. CPE consumption in Europe (driven mainly by Central and Eastern Europe), the Middle East/Africa, China and Other is expected to grow at average annual rates of 1.0%, 4.0%, 6.0% and 2.5%, respectively, while the United States and Japan will show a decrease in consumption in the forecast period from 2008 to 2013.