According to a recent report from the consulting firm Kusumgar, Nerlfi & Growney, global consumption of radiation-cured products in 2005 was 270,000 metric tons (MT) with a value of $2.75 billion. Included are products for coatings, inks and adhesives. A modest 6% annual rate of growth is forecast through 2010. Europe and North America are maturing regions that together account for nearly two-thirds of the dollar value. Asia is the second largest consuming region in volume and third in dollars. A robust 9% annual rate of growth is forecast for Asian consumption, led by the surge in China. By 2010, the Asian region is projected to be the leading consumer in both volume and dollars.

Coatings is the largest outlet for radiation-cured products, representing about three-quarters of the worldwide volume in 2005 and over one-half of the dollars. Wood (furniture and flooring) is the leading coating outlet in volume and dollars, with Europe consuming about 40% of the volume.

The report, "Radiation-Cured Products, 2005-2010," is available through subscription. For more details, call 973.439.0030 or e-mail nerlfikng@cs.com .