Mar 3 2008
Helmut Kaiser Consultancy has released a new study: The Markets for Antimicrobial Additives in Plastics Worldwide
Hygiene issues have been becoming more and more relevant in the last few years. With increasing population it is inevitable to to find a solution to reduce the problems with microbial contaminations. Bacteria, fungi and algae can be major problems in health, construction, food, and packaging industries. Contaminantion problems are especially relevant in the health industry, there are a lot of cases of nosocomial infections in hospitals, which can be prevented through hygiene and disinfection. Antimicrobial can be used to control the build up and growth of bacteria in surfaces, such as plactics and other materials. The market for antimicrobial additives has been developing steadily, with the largest market share for the food and beverages industry.
The highest markets in the total markets for plasctic additives are in the field of fire protection and anitmicrobials. USA, Europe, China and other Asia Pacific Countries consume about a third of the plastic additive volume, followed by other Countries. The market is relatively new and will develop in the near future. Major developments and growth will be seen in China, India, and the rest of the Asian countries. With the increasing awareness of disinfection and potential liabilties for microbes and foodbourne pathogens, we can also expect a high growth in the food Industy (Food and Beverages), pharmaceutical and chemical and water disinfection.
In the future nanotechnology will play a more crucial role in the development of this market. With nanotechnologies, we will be able to produce particles small enough to be use effectively as plastics and polymer additives. This means that we will be able to produce plastics with different properties, with more efficient antimicrobial or fire retardant properties. The growth of nanotechnology markets will influence the whole additive markets, including antimicrobials.
Antimicrobial additives and coating will experience a high growth in the future, with new innovations, research and developments in this area. Some of the applications of these antimicrobial plastics include hospitals, public facilities, furniture and food/beverage packaging, pharmaceutical and water disinfection.