China Should Drive Annual PP Worldwide Growth of 5%   

Since the early 1990s, polypropylene (PP) demand growth has been especially robust in the Asia-Pacific region, growing from 35% of world demand in 1990 to what is anticipated to be nearly half of world demand in 2010. China should drive the annual PP worldwide growth rate of 5% expected during the next decade, according to the report Polypropylene at 50 Years posted by ExxonMobil.
   Beginning in the 1990s, ExxonMobil greatly strengthened its presence in the PP market outside North America. "Last year, we completed construction of a new integrated refining and petrochemical facility in Fujian Province, China, and in 2011 we will complete a major expansion of our petrochemical complex in Singapore. We also provide direct technical support to our customers in all regions, which is another competitive advantage." said Polypropylene Asia Pacific Sales Manager Steven Poon.
   In every global region PP demand is strong. One reason for the continuing strong demand growth is PP's ability to replace a range of other materials, such as metals, wood, glass, nonplastic fibers and even other plastics. This offers the customer an opportunity to realize cost savings without sacrificing performance. As an example, shipping pallets and crates once made exclusively from wood are now often made with polypropylene.
   PP can be spun into unique nonwoven microfibers by a process called melt blowing. These soft but strong fibers are used to make hospital gowns, surgical masks, respirators, diapers, carpeting, insulation and a wide array of garments from athletic wear to suits for deep-sea divers.
   ExxonMobil Chemical offers about 100 base grades of PP, in addition to many more compounded grades. Compounded formulations, such as ExxonMobil's Exxtral performance polyolefins, are made by adding a variety of materials such as minerals or other polymers to PP in order to make specialized products. Many compounded grades are used to make high-performance parts for the automotive industry, which today accounts for about 8% of global PP demand.
   A major trend in today's world of plastics is what's called down-gauging, which means making a product using less material while maintaining or improving its performance. One example is making a car bumper lighter while maintaining its strength, stiffness and scratch resistance, an improvement that boosts fuel economy and lowers cost. PP is an essential ingredient in this process.
   In 1960 in Baytown, Texas, ExxonMobil started production from what was at that time the world's largest plant designed to manufacture a novel petroleum-based material known as the "new plastic." That material was PP.