Polyphenylene Sulfide (PPS) is a semi-crystalline, high temperature engineering plastic, which is widely accepted across various industries for its remarkable features such as high mechanical strength, high temperature and chemical resistance. These properties of PPS make it an appropriate alternative of choice for various metals and thermosets. The demand for PPS has significantly increased in across applications such as automotive components, filter bag in coal boilers, and electrical & electronic products. Polyphenylene sulfide or PPS can be bought in diverse forms and grades, including fibers, films, coatings, filaments and compounds. Unfilled PPS resin holds the ability to be melt spun as well as melt blown, so as to offer fabrics and fibers that have applications in flame-resistant clothing, filtration media and conveyor belts. Various reinforcing materials such as glass fibers help in reinforcing polyphenylene sulfide to enhance its thermal and mechanical properties. PPS is generally applied in injection molding processes and can even be turned into films and coatings. These versatile properties make PPS a preferred choice for diverse applications across various industries.

Polyphenylene Sulfide Market Taxonomy

On the basis of application, the global market is classified into:

Automotive

Electrical & electronics

Industrial

Filter bags

Aerospace

Coatings

Other applications (sterilizable medical, dental, and laboratory equipment, hair dryer grills, and components)

Key players focusing on organic growth strategies to ensure sustainable growth in the polyphenylene sulfide market

Various leading companies in the global polyphenylene sulfide market have been launching new products with more advanced features to increase the application area and in turn enhance market presence of the players. For instance, DIC introduced impact modified PPS, an elastomer-modified PPS, which possessed features such as elongation, improved strength, excellent performance even under high temperature and humidity, and low flash level. Apart from this, a few key companies are expanding their production facilities in order to cater to growing demand for PPS. For instance, in April 2014, Celanese Corporation, a specialty materials company, announced the expansion of its Nanjing, China manufacturing facility. The company added a new PPS compounding unit to the facility, which helps in replacement of thermo sets and metals in certain applications like aerospace, automotive and electronics. The PPS market is expected to witness increasing competition over the near future with emergence of various local players focusing on capitalizing on lucrative growth opportunities on offer in the market.

Polyphenylene Sulfide Market Outlook – Increased consumption of PPS in high-temperature applications driving market growth

Owing to its properties such as superior performance, PPS finds wide application in high-temperature processes. This factor is projected to notably drive the market growth over the forecast period. Besides, the recyclable nature of PPS, along with its ability to increase fuel economy and cut emission levels, is expected to further increase its demand, globally. The product’s wide usage in different automotive components, such as transmission components, switches, coolant systems, and pistons, is also likely to drive the global polyphenylene sulfide market growth in the near future.

Asia-Pacific market for polyphenylene sulfide is expected to witness the fastest growth, during 2016-2024. This growth can be owed to increased demand from emerging markets in the region, including India and China. On the contrary, factors such as easy availability of substitutes, such as PEEK and PEI, and price volatility of raw materials are projected to inhibit global market growth over the near future.

Key Developments

In April 2018, Tosoh Corporation launched a polyphenylene sulfide compound having enhanced thermal shock resistance. The new product will find application in automobile industry for manufacturing of light weight components. The new product has improved weld strength & liquidity and can help in reducing the weight of automobiles.

In March 2019, DIC Corporation announced to build a new polyphenylene sulfide production line at its plant based in Wisconsin, U.S. The new production line will have an annual capacity of 3,000 metric tons and construction is expected to completed by last quarter of 2020.

In March 2019, Toray Industries, Inc. developed a new polyphenylene sulfide resin having high flexibility while maintaining its superior chemical & heat resistance properties. The product will be used majorly in automobile applications where high heat resistance is required.

In September 2018, Toray Industries, Inc. announced to invest US$ 89.3 million over the next three years for increasing its polyphenylene sulfide production capacity at its plant based in Gunsan, South Korea.

In April 2018, Kureha Corporation started the expansion of its polyphenylene sulfide production line at its plant based in Fukushima, Japan. The new production line is expected to be completed by February 2021 and will increase the capacity by 5,000 tons per year.

The key players operating in the global polyphenylene sulfide market are Tosoh Corp., DIC Corp., Toray Industries Inc., Kureha Corp., Solvay SA, China Lumena New Materials Corp., Lion Idemitsu Composites Co. Ltd., FORTRAN Industries LLC, Initz Co. Ltd. and Zhejiang NHU Special Materials, among others.