JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #67 - August/September 2011 - 20

composites

now being some 19% larger than in the USA, due mainly to the large thermoplastic composite sector in the EU27. The rest of the world accounted for 29%, or 3.5 mln. tons, of the overall composites production in 2010. Although this region showed annual growth of 14% in 2010, it appears to still be some 10% below its peak of 3.4 mln. tons in 2007. It should be noted that in 2007, China’s glass-fibre-based composites production was some 2.1 mln. tons and, by 2010, it had reached 3.1 mln. tons, the same volume level as in the rest of the world.

89% in 2007. Strong recovery in Europe and the USA (particularly in thermoplastic-based composites) combined with continuing growth in China and India was behind this 18% growth in 2010, even though some sectors like wind energy and marine were disappointing in their market performance in 2010. China’s glass-based sector grew 20% in 2010 to reach a volume of 3.1 mln. tons, which is 30% of the world’s production (these figures exclude printed circuit board volumes where China has a very large share of that market). Growth prospects The glass-fibre-based remain good in China in all key sector still by far the end-use areas, such as largest infrastructure, renewable From a volume standpoint, the energy, electricity distribution, polymer composites industry corrosion resistance, etc. continues to be heavily The EU27 glass-based dominated by the glass-fibreproduction volume grew by based sector in spite of good 13% in 2010 to 2.2 mln. tons, growth of the carbon-fibre- and which is 21% of the world natural-fibre-based volumes. volume but still significantly The glass-fibre-based sector short of the EU27 2007 level of grew 18% in 2010, accounting 2.7 mln. tons. Although the for a global production of 10.3 thermoplastic and direct roving mln. tons, or 85% of the total sectors showed good recovery, composites production volume. other segments of the market, This is down from a share of such as marine and truck, remained slow in 2010. The USA showed a good recovery of 27% in 2010 to a volume of 1.8 mln. tons, or 18% of the world volume, and still some 25% below the 2007 level with construction and marine significantly Fig.2 : 2010 share of global glass-fibre-based down. composites* production World total 2010 (est.): 10.3 mln tons The rest of the

jec composites magazine / No67 August - September 2011

world represents a further 30% of global glass-fibrebased composites with a growth of 16% in 2010, bringing production volume to 3.1 mln tons. The regions includes a mix of countries and growth Fig.3 : 2010e share of global carbon-fibreperformance based composites production World total 2010 (est.): 45 ktons levels ranging from the large Japanese market, which has Obviously, the value (on a per dropped from 800 kt of kg basis) of carbon-fibre-based production in 2007 to less than composite segments can range 600 kt in 2010, to the Latin from ten to fifty times those of American and Indian glass fibre the glass fibre sector. Recent composites markets, each of interest in carbon-fibre which is over 250 kt and shows composites was spurred initially healthy growth. by the successful significant replacement of aluminium in Carbon-fibre several new commercial and composites: an area of military aircraft (A380, 787, high focus A400M), taking the share of CF In 2010, the global production composites to over 50% of the of carbon-fibre-based airframe weight. composites grew by some 18% More recently, the decision by to 45 kt, which is still below the BMW to enter into a jointmost recent peak of 56 kt in venture for the production of 2007. Data obtained so far in carbon fibre with SGL in the 2011 suggests that in 2010, due USA, for energy cost reasons, to exceptional reasons linked to has created focus on whether projects in the aerospace and and how high-productivity wind energy industries, the processes can be developed to production of carbon-fibreproduce carbon-fibre composite based composites in the EU27 parts which are economically recovered more strongly than in viable for the automotive the USA, where it had More information undergone a much more The author, Andrew Mafeld, is dramatic fall in 2009 to 50% of the founder and managing the 2007 level. director of the Connectra It therefore appears that in Group of companies 2010, the EU27 share of global (www.connectra.biz) located in carbon-fibre-based production the UK, Belgium and Sweden. volumes rose to some 40% Connectra specialises in global whilst the USA dropped to business development around 25%, with China at 20% consulting for materials. and the rest of the world at 15%.

http://www.connectra.biz

JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #67 - August/September 2011

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JEC COMPOSITES MAGAZINE - Issue #67 - August/September 2011