Stabilizers are indispensable additives in the production and processing of many plastics and elastomers. Heat and light stabilizers ensure safe processing and protect products against premature aging and weathering. Especially in the manufacturing of products made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), stabilizers play a very important role.
At present, the global market for stabilizers is undergoing highly dynamic changes as the market shares of individual product groups are shifting considerably. The market research institute forecasts the value of the global market for stabilizers to increase to approx. US$5.3 billion in 2021.
The most important product groups on the market for stabilizers are compounds based on calcium-zinc stabilizers. In both Western Europe and, to an increasing extent, in Eastern Europe, demand for lead stabilizers is falling rapidly. Shortly, lead-based stabilizers will vanish completely from the market in the European Union. An increasing demand for environmentally friendly products can be observed in China as well. It is expected that global consumption of calcium-based stabilizers to increase by 6.9% per year.
Holding a market share of 55%, Asia-Pacific is the worldwide largest sales market for stabilizers, followed by Western Europe. A large share of demand originates in China, the worldwide largest producer and importer of primary plastics. In Western and Eastern Europe, the sector Profiles is the prime sales market. Calcium-zinc stabilizers are dominating in the West especially.