PCI Nylon: „European Nylon Symposium 2012“ - Where is the European polyamide market heading

Production capacity in China for ɛ-caprolactam, the base material for the polymerization of PA6 – annual output capacity is to be raised to 2.98 million tonnes by 2016 in this country, specifically through the erection of new plants. This corresponds to a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of approx. 39%. Illustration: PCI Nylon

With its “European Nylon Symposium 2012“ due to take place on February 27 & 28, 2012 in Frankfurt/Main, the PCI Nylon market research and consulting company based in Bad Homburg (Germany) aims to examine current developments and trends in the global polyamide market with a focus on their effects on Europe. To this end, the event programme comprises lectures and presentations held by experts from the PCI Consulting Group and globally active polyamide manufacturers and processors, supplemented by round-table discussions for more in-depth analysis. The symposium will cover the market situation along the entire polyamide process chain, from the petrochemical stage through the relevant in-process intermediates down to PA6 and PA66 end-uses in the form of engineering plastics, fibres and films. Given the projected downtrend of the overall economy and the vast capacity expansion planned for the coming years, especially in China, the symposium is intended to assist decision-makers in the European polyamide industry by delivering facts as input for their planning processes. Registrations for this 1½ day event at the Frankfurt Hilton Hotel can be made online under the "Nylon Symposia" heading at www.pcinylon.com. English will be the presentation language at the European Nylon Symposium, which has evolved into an established annual forum now being held for the 6th time in succession.

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Engineering plastics, at around 40%, account for the bulk of the current global consumption of PA6 and PA66, which totals close to 7 million tonnes today. Demand comes mainly from the automotive manufacturing industry. Can declining economic growth decelerate or even diminish this share, which has been increasing steadily and robustly to date? Textile fibres, at around 20%, are another important application segment. Is the displacement competition brought on by cheaper PET solutions going to exert an additionally negative effect in this specific field of application? And how will the capacity expansions planned worldwide, and particularly in China (in which market alone the output of caprolactam is projected to rise from a current 670,000 tonnes p.a. to around 3 million tonnes by the year 2016), affect Europe – even if one allows for the fact that China is meanwhile consuming 30% of the world´s PA output itself? These and other issues, including uses of "bio¬process" technology in the production of PA, will be addressed by speakers from major companies such as DSM Engineering Plastics, Ascend Performance Materials, Kordsa Global, BioAmber, Jacobs Consultancy, PCI Fibres, PCI Films Consulting, and PCI Nylon. Their presentations are going to be supplemented by "round tables" chaired by expert facilitators. For these panel sessions scheduled for the afternoon of Day 2 of the event, the participants can choose between three subject areas, i.e. “Intermediates/Polymers“, “Engineering Plastics/Films“ and “Fibres/Textiles“.

In addition to the above, the annual „American Nylon Symposium“, also organized by PCI Nylon, will be held in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 30, 2012. In analogy to its European counterpart, this symposium will examine the global PA scenario with a U.S. focus.

PCI Nylon, Bad Homburg, Germany

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