Strategic Emerging Industries Boost Domestic Demand for PU Elastomers   

By Huang Maosong, Shanghai Polyurethane Industry Promotion Center
   Jia Runping, School of Material Science and Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology

China's 12th Five-Year Program Outline clearly claims that China should actively develop seven strategic emerging industries, including automobile, high-speed rail, urban rail transit, new energy, marine engineering and high-end equipment manufacturing industries. This will boost the demand for high-performance materials in the next five years (2011-2015). The rapid development of the seven emerging industries will provide a new powerhouse and opportunities for the future development of the polyurethane (PU) elastomers industry.
   According to statistics, in 2007 China's PU elastomers output reached 1.23 million tons, of which the outputs of TPU, spandex, synthetic leather resin and shoe-purpose PU resin all ranked first in the world. In 2010, China's PU elastomers output is expected to reach about 1.7 million tons, with an output value of about RMB50 billion; and China's output and export of PU microporous elastomers (mainly PU synthetic leather resin and shoe-purpose PU resin) leapt to first place in the world. In 2010, China's output of PU synthetic leather resin reached 1.80 million to 2 million tons (equivalent to 540 000 to 600 00 tons of pure PU resin), accounting for 70% of the global total, and having an output value of RMB23.3 billion; and China's output of shoe-purpose PU resins reached 300 000 tons, accounting for more than 70% of the global total.
   Meanwhile, China is the world's major TPU (thermoplastic PU) producer and consumer. China's TPU output in 2010 is expected to reach 150 000 tons.

1  Applications in high-speed rails, subways, urban rail transit and roads

High-speed rails, subways and urban rail transit will be key infrastructural investment areas in China in the next few years. In the next three years, China's investment in high-speed rails will reach more than RMB300 billion per year on average. High-speed rails will become an import powerhouse to drive the future development of China's PU elastomers industry. In addition, subways, inter-city express railways and elevated railways will also develop fast in China in the next few years.

(1) PU sleeper
The PU sleeper is a glass fiber reinforced PU microporous elastomers and has high specific strength, excellent anti-shock and anti-noise performances, good electrical insulation, high durability and environmentally friendliness. Some of Japan-made PU sleepers have been used in rail projects in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Taiwan in China. Bayer MaterialScience AG has successfully developed its Bayflex microporous PU elastomers sleeper and plans to apply it into China's high-speed rails.
   According to China's long-term high speed rail development plan, using PU sleepers to replace or partially replace concrete sleepers will be the future trend of development. The market scale of PU sleepers is expected to reach RMB50 billion in China. This will undoubtedly bring new-type PU elastomers a huge market space in China.

(2) PU sleeper pad and sleeper mat
The PU sleeper pad is a type of microporous PU elastomers and is used between rails and sleepers (or concrete sleepers). It is required to have excellent flexibility and anti-shock performances to buffer strong vibrations and shocks. It has now been widely used in high-speed rails and subways in China and thus has a huge market demand.
   In the next few years, the market demand for this type of PU elastomers will reach 20 000 tons. At present, such a high-performance PU elastomersin China is mainly imported from abroad and is relatively expensive.

(3) PU Microporous elastomers for pavement
Microporous PU elastomers can be used in the pavement material which is made up of PU resins, waste tire powder and silica sand.

2  New-type PU elastomers for new energy industry

    (1) PU elastomers for wind turbine blades
According to China's development plan, China's wind power capacity is expected to reach 5 000 MW in 2010 and 30 000 MW in 2020. By 2010, wind power is expected to account for about 15% of China's total power output, and China is also expected to become one of the world's leading wind power generation countries.
   Wind turbine blades are extremely important components of wind power generators and account for 15% to 20% of the total cost of the latter. At present, basic resin materials for wind turbine blades include polyester resin, vinyl resin and epoxy resin; and reinforced materials for wind turbine blades include high-strength glass fiber, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber and carbon fiber.
   Several years ago, Bayer started to develop the manufacturing technology of PU composites for wind turbine blades. Now, the technology has reached the operational level.
   Using PU composites to make wind turbine blades will undoubtedly open a huge potential market space for new-type PU elastomers.
   Bayer has developed carbon nanotube/PU elastomers composites for the manufacturing of wind turbine blades. In order to overcome the easy deformation of epoxy resin-based wind turbine blades and increase their service life, PU coatings and PU adhesives are used in them in foreign countries. Shanghai Institute of Technology is cooperating with related institutions to develop fluorinated PU coatings for wind turbine blades.

(2) TPU film for solar cells
Solar energy is an important type of new energy, and solar cells are a type of key devices to obtain solar energy.
   In recent years, Bayer MaterialScience has successfully developed a lightfast TPU film, called VISTASOLAR, to alternate the conventional EVA (ethylene - vinyl acetate) film. This TPU film has not only made the production of solar cells more conveniently and rapidly but also greatly enhanced the efficiency of solar cells and solar power generation. In the next few years, the market output value of the TPU film will reach RMB15 billion.

(3) Application of PU elastomers in hydropower, nuclear power and other new energy
PU coatings have very high anti-abrasion performance in aqueous medium and thus have a wide range of applications in hydropower. PU elastomersh as very good resistance to radiation and thus has a wide range of applications in nuclear power. In addition, TPU is being used in power generation by ocean tidal waves.

3. PU elastomers for automotives

(1) TPU for automotives
The rapid development of China's auto industry creates new opportunities for new-type PU elastomers. The development of new energy vehicles will bring a greater market space for TPU.
   TPU features high strength, wear resistance and elasticity and excellent anti-aging and oil-resistant performances and has a wide range of applications in auto parts. By making use of the high strength and load-carrying capacity of PU, Goodyear has developed second-generation TPU, whose trade name is Estaloc. The product retains the characteristics of first-generation TPU Estaloc. It uses hollow glass balls as fillers, which can increase its gloss by more than 15%. It can be used to make side panels and shock absorption pads of automobiles. And many hydraulic rubber parts for automobiles are made from TPU.
   China has worked out a waste auto parts recycling policy: "By 2017, the recovery rate and utilization rate of waste automobiles should reach more than 95% and 85%, respectively." TPU is a recyclable thermoplastic elastomer. Its annual consumption in China's auto industry reaches about 30