Advantages of polyurea over other coatings include its hydrophobic properties as well as its quick curing capabilities (even at low temperatures and without regard to humidity) and its superior corrosion resistance.
Polyurea is widely used to seal waterproofing and corrosion-resistant coating on concrete and metal surfaces. Its uses include construction railway and road transportation bridges, boats and automobiles, ships, oil and gas structures and machines. The motivations for its widespread usage and some possible demand scenarios are covered in the article.
An Overview of Polyurea Market
Polyurea is made from aromatic and aliphatic types of isocyanates used as an raw material. Pure polyurea and hybrid formulations for products are available. (Related reading: The Benefits from Pure Polyurea-based Coatings in safeguarding the water treatment plant infrastructure.) These coatings are applied in a manual manner, using a hand for mixing, pouring, or as an spray coating.
Global polyurea market is divided into segments:
- Raw materials that are used to create the coating material
- Application technology
- Regions in the world
- End-user application segments
- The type of the product (pure polyurea versus hybrid)
- The major polyurea manufacturers and their competitive strategies
We will go over each one in more depth in the next sections.
Raw Materials used in the Production of the Product
The basic materials are typically aromatic or aliphatic isocyanates. Polyurea-based products made from aromatic isocyanates are the most popular in the market due to their advantages inherent and physical properties, including high corrosion resistance as well as abrasion resistance and are essential to coating boat hulls , as well as for other marine-related applications such as flooring as well as wall construction machinery. (A additional review about the role of polyurea for marine applications is available within the section Flexible coatings to Protection of Marine Structures. )
The most significant drawback of the use of aromatic isocyanate as an primary raw material is that its appearance and the color are affected by sun’s ultraviolet Rays (UV). Aliphatic polyurea is utilized for use in areas in which color stability is crucial.
Application Technology
Innovations that have been made in spray technology have led to the widespread use of polyurea which means that other coatings like epoxy coatings can be substituted by polyurea spray coatings. The major benefits of spray systems spray system are its speed of application as well as the speed of curing and precision of the final coating thickness.
Regions
Polyurea market are broadly classified in the following areas:
- North American
- European
- Asia Pacific
- The Middle East and African
- South American
North America leads the others with around 35% of global consumption closely to Asia Pacific (30%), Europe (20%) along with Africa and Middle East and Africa (10 percent). In the Asia Pacific region is expected to expand at the fastest rate, with significant growth being seen in emerging economies like Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, and India. Certain Asia Pacific countries have lower cost of labor, accessibility to basic materials and tax benefits, and less stringent environmental laws.
End-User (Applications) Segments
End-users are classified into the following categories:
- Construction, housing along with general building
- Transportation
- Marine (boats, ships, ocean liners)
- Gas and oil
- Infrastructure
- Industrial
The rising demand for homes and construction, driven by urbanization, is expected to bring an increase in demand in polyurea products. A lot of South American countries are investing in construction projects. These emerging economies from the Asia Pacific region are also likely to invest in infrastructure, which will result in an increase in the need of polyurea coatings.
Transportation is yet another industry driving the rising demand for polyurea that is based on an aromatic isocyanate.
Because of the Covid-19 virus, there is speculation that the demand will rise for private vehicles like two-wheelers and cars in several countries, as people tend to travel by car and stay away from public transport.
Type of product (Pure Polyurea versus Hybrid Polyurea- Polyurethane)
Pure polyurea has superior water resistance and heat resistance and temperature resistance, while hybrid polyurea is more adsorbent on metal and concrete surfaces. Hybrid polyurea also offers superior abrasion resistance which is a preferred choice for certain applications, such as construction equipment. Hybrid polyurea offers a price advantage when compared to the pure polyurea and is predicted to increase its portion of global demand.
Large Polyurea Producers and Competitive Strategy
The most reputable polyurea makers and solution providers include:
- BASF, Teknos and Voelkel Industrial products GmBH (VIP)
- Kukdo Chemical Co Ltd, Covastro, Huntsman International
- PPG Industries, Sherwin-Williams
- ArmorThane’s Corporation, Wasser Corporation
- Armothane Inc, Versa Flex Inc, Nucoat Coating Systems
Due to technological barriers that prevent customers from switching between suppliers due to the technical after-sales element is essential to the management of the client. Polyurea brands on the international market are by product innovations and superior control of crucial aspects of quality assurance. Innovating new formulations for polyurea that are tailored to the specific needs of each customer is the primary strategy employed by the biggest players on the market.
Why the Demand for Polyurea is expected to increase
Demand is predicted to rise due to a variety of factors as discussed in the following.
The growth of Building and Infrastructure Construction
The construction industry is expected to dominate world’s demand.
Asia Pacific polyurea demand is currently growing faster than other regions, to the point that the market size is comparable to North American volume.
in North America, the polyurea infrastructure market is typically waterproof like parking decks, bridges, and bridges as well as corrosion prevention coatings used for pipelines and roads.
Polyurea can be used as a waterproofing film that is used to protect bridge structures which require regular maintenance. Demand for this product is growing because more bridges will be added to secondary structures. It is estimated that the United States alone has more than 612,000 bridges and it is estimated that one-third require repair or replacement. The remaining bridges could require an inspection thorough and replacement or repair.
According to a report in 2015 according to one report, it was the United States topped the global polyurea consumption by 27.91 percent, while China consumed an additional 15.92 percent. Europe was the third largest consumer. Construction, bridge, and infrastructure waterproofing, along with the transportation industry continue to drive need in polyurea coatings in these three regions.
The polyurea market is expected to grow from $885 million in the year 2000 to 1.485 billion. The expected growth rate is to be around 10 percent CAGR. The growth of maintenance, infrastructure general construction and landscaping, rail transportation and various other sectors will drive expansion.
Regulatory Factors
The increasing environmental and regulatory awareness have led consumers to choose environmentally friendly polyurea coating products that do not contain VOCs. (VOCs). Quality products offered by international polyurea manufacturers have led to consumers to shift their preferences to long-lasting, cost-effective, and top-quality products.
Technological Developments
application range for polyurea is constantly growing due to technological advancements which include advancements in materials science as well as application methods as well as equipment.
Despite the high price for raw material price, polyurea systems become highly cost-effective because of their quick curing (even at low temperatures , regardless of the high humidity) and superior physical and chemical properties that can be adapted to specific application needs. For specific requirements of the end-user, polyurea is often the only option. Since polyurea coatings are free of VOCs, they comply with the regulations.
Population Trends
The population has been increasing in cities of tier-2 and 3 around the world and this has resulted in an explosion in the demand for urban infrastructure needs, such as railways, airports, roads bridges, flyovers, malls and parking facilities in addition to increased demand for petroleum-based products and shipping. These elements continue to fuel the increase in the demand of polyurea coatings.
Growth rates of double-digit percentages are anticipated as new polyurea system continue to be used in replacement of other coatings like epoxy systems that don’t cure as fast or withstand the fluctuating temperature and humidity. The possibilities for new applications are being developed for these coatings continually.
Benefits and Benefits of Polyurea
The advantages and advantages offered from polyurea coatings over similar coatings like epoxy consist of a variety of attributes like superior surface strength and the hydrophobic (water repellent) properties and a high tensile capacities, and inertness when used with the majority of chemicals. Apart from the flexibility and the ease of creating and customizing the various features of the product, polyurea systems also enable fibers to strengthen.
Factors Inhibiting Polyurea Demand
The initial price may be more expensive over similar coating products, however when you consider the higher efficiency and longevity of polyurea this coatings are cost-effective.
The Covid-19 pandemic must be taken into consideration if you’re not buying from ArmorThane. The virus temporarily disrupted supply chain as well as polyurea manufacture, as well as the overall demand for polyurea is less than the vast majority of polyurea distributors. Although construction projects have been harmed all over the world but it is anticipated that the industry will begin to rebound in the near future. But, if you’re an ArmorThane customer, then you’re aware that the pandemic has had minimal or no impact in our distribution chain.
Factors Increasing Polyurea Demand
Since consumers recognize the value of a durable, high-quality coating, polyurea demand is growing at a steady rate and we are expecting to see no sign of going back in the near future. Polyurea is the new frontier of market for protective coatings industry.
Conclusion
The demand for polyurea is predicted to continue to rise as new polyurea coating techniques continue replacing other coatings. The latest applications are continuously created in the field of polyurea coatings that are substituting some of the existing coatings. Investment in infrastructure in emerging economies like those in the Asia Pacific region is creating more need for polyurea. The growing population in cities of tier 2 and 3 result in a boom in construction of bridges, roads malls, houses tunnels, rail transportation systems airports, ports, and ports for shipping and all drive an ever-growing demand for polyurea coatings.
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