World demand for emulsion polymers is forecast to rise 5.2 percent per year to 12.8 million metric tons in 2014. Gains will be driven by rising global demand for latex polymers used in the production of water-based paints, coatings and adhesives. In the developed world, the adoption of more stringent environmental regulations concerning the emission of VOCs will continue to drive demand for emulsions in waterborne coatings. Emulsion polymer consumption is also rapidly rising in developing nations such as China and India, driven by strong economic growth and the ongoing replacement of solvent-based coatings and adhesives with waterborne products. These and other trends are presented in World Emulsion Polymers, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Acrylics will remain the leading emulsion polymer product type through 2014, accounting for 37 percent of total demand. Acrylics will also be the fastest growing class of emulsions, driven by increasing demand in latex coatings. Vinyl acetate emulsions, which are used in adhesives and water-based coatings, will also see healthy gains in demand. More subdued advances are expected for styrene-butadiene (SB) latexes, restrained by ties to slower-growing markets such as paper coatings and carpet backing adhesives. Nonetheless, gains for SB latexes will represent a substantial acceleration over the sluggish increases of the 2004-2009 period.

While emulsion polymer demand has historically been concentrated in developed world regions such as North America and Western Europe, the Asia/Pacific region has risen to become the largest consumer of emulsions. Much of the growth has been driven by the rapidly expanding Chinese market, which nearly quadrupled in size between 1999 and 2009. Going forward, the Asia/Pacific region will continue to be the fastest growing emulsions market. However, while North America and Western Europe will post subpar gains, both will see a significant improvement over recent historical performance. North America, in fact, will reverse a nearly three percent annual decline experienced during the 2004-2009 period.

World Emulsion Polymers (published 10/2010, 297 pages) is available from The Freedonia Group, Inc. For further details, please contact Corinne Gangloff at 440/684.9600 or e-mail pr@freedoniagroup.com. Information may also be obtained through www.freedoniagroup.com.