Eco-Friendly Plasticizers Market

DRIVER: Stringent norms & regulations to drive the market

The demand for bio-based plasticizers is increasingly on the rise due to growing regulatory concerns over phthalates and their potential health impacts on humans. The European Commission has published tough regulations aimed at banning certain phthalates, including di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP), in products that come into contact with the human skin, especially concentrations above 0.1%. These chemicals are common in flexible plastics of many consumer products including childcare items and automotive interiors. The step toward phase-out is a giant step forward toward protecting consumers from these chemicals and environment. Similar steps have been initiated by regulatory agencies in the US, such as the FDA, which has recommended DEHP exposure limits for newborns through medical procedures. The U.S. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) launched an Action Plan in 2009 focused on eight specific phthalates under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), showing a concern on continuing health and safety aspects. Thereby, these regulations had to be met, and the plasticizer industry increasingly had to rely on safer alternatives from renewable feedstocks. Generally, bio-based plasticisers, such as epoxidized soybean oil, ESBO and citrate esters, have good safety profiles and performance properties. The market pressure from new regulatory policies, especially in Europe, has driven the trend towards bio-based plasticisers. This is also being complemented by customer trends seeking safer alternatives for their particular applications, bringing an enormous innovation and expansion opportunity for the plasticiser industry.

RESTRAINT: Higher price of non-phthalate plasticizers in comparison to phthalate plasticizers

Non-phthalate plasticizers are pricey in comparison to the phthalate plasticizers because of high prices of raw materials and the process of manufacturing. The raw materials for some non-phthalate plasticizers are quite expensive, so that the prices of non-phthalate plasticizers increase, like trimellitate anhydride for trimellitates and adipic acid, which is used in the production of plasticizers and lubricant components. 85% of produced adipic acid is turned into nyion.

More due to the increasing standard of living in developing countries like China and India, the demand for nylon has resulted in supplying adipic acid asymmetrically. As a consequence, the price of non-phthalate plasticizers has gone up. The production process of a non-phthalate plasticizer, 1,2-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid, diisononyl ester (DINCH), is rather complicated. The production of this compound begins with the production of DINP, which It is further processed for the production of DINCH. All these factors have led to an increase in the price of non-phthalate plasticizers.