Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Market Size & Forecast Report, 2014 - 2024

Industry Insights

The global pressure sensitive adhesives market was valued at USD 8.81 billion in 2015. The market is driven by the increasing consumption of the product in construction, consumer goods, automotive, and packaging industries. The rising requirements for reducing weight in products providing high bonding solutions is expected to drive market growth.

The increasing use of low-cost engineering and lightweight plastics in numerous end-use applications such as electronics, construction, and automotive is expected to have a positive impact on the PSA market demand. The low plastic materials are evolving as substitutes for wood assembly, construction material, glass, and heavy materials.

The demand for PSA in the automotive sector is increasing owing to the pressure for reduction in emission from regulatory bodies coupled with increased mileage performance is likely to propel market growth. The rising acceptance of RFID labels (wireless tags) in end-use applications including medical, packaging, architecture, and automotive on account of their contribution in managing inventory is likely to aid PSA market growth.

The regulations regarding reducing carbon & Green House Gases (GHG) emissions by improving fuel efficiency has attracted the OEM automotive towards plastics as substitutes for metals including steel and aluminium, thereby aiding PSA market growth.

The cultural and social factors including increased spending on lifestyle products, increased income of nuclear families and a high number of working women are likely to affect market dynamics. These factors augment the growth in major industries including consumer goods, electronics & electrical, and packaging.

Technology Insights

The demand for water-based PSA is expected witness fastest growth on account of its eco-friendly and low-cost characteristics. The attributes of water-based PSA such as high resistance to UV radiation, temperature, and chemicals coupled with high sheer, peel & tack bonding well with polymer, polycarbonates, and glass & metal surfaces have enabled their scope of applications.

The labeling segment is the largest application of water-based PSAs having wide product range such as CDs, vegetables & fruits, electronic devices owing to its superior moisture adhesion coupled with high tack. In addition, their low cost and multiple properties have aided in their growth over conventional polymers.

The solvent-based PSAs are acrylic polymers produced from crude oil solvents offering high tensile strength. In addition, the peel & sheer strength provided by them is higher than water-based PSAs. Solvent-based products are used in Asia Pacific region on account of relaxed regulations on emissions. The use of the product in the automobile industry is high on account of their resistance to fluids including gasoline, brake fluid antifreeze, & oil and chemicals.

Product Insights

The largest product segment was labels at CAGR of over 5% owing to the rising demand for retail labeling and RFID labels. The key driving factor for the growth in this segment is a wide range of applications in security, health & beauty, food & beverage, and transportation industry.

RFID labels contributed to one of the largest application segment owing to their ability to track security and inventory locations including sea ports, shopping malls, and companies. Graphics application accounts for a small market share as opposed to tapes and labels is a potential future market owing to a wide range of applications in cushioning and home décor.

Tapes dominate the market with wide application scope in construction & building, medical, electrical, and automotive industries. They are used in mounting, HVAC & pipe wrapping, splicing, casketing, sealing, and masking.

End-use Insights

The dominant end-use segment was packaging accounting for over 25% of the market volume in 2015, owing to the high use of the product in food packaging industry. The advent of packaging technology coupled with increased requirement of PSAs flexible materials on account of its attributes including good adhesion at low temperature is anticipated to fuel market demand.

The extensive use of the product in electronics & electrical industries is on account of its performance specifications including easy application, strong bond strength, easy application, and transparency coupled with decreased processing time. The electronic appliances including refrigerators and microwaves together with membrane switches are likely to have a positive impact on PSA market growth.

The PSAs are widely used as substitutes for mechanical fasteners and liquid epoxies on account of its attributes including clean application, ease of handling, thickness control, flexibility, consistent bond, and mess-free processing. The rising need for use of automation, fast prototyping, and quick changeover are anticipated to fuel market growth in the electrical & electronics segment.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific contributed to over 45% of the market volume in 2015. The easy availability o funds via personal loans and EMI coupled with increasing disposable income is expected to drive market growth in the region. The demand for the product is primarily from the electronic & electrical and automotive industries.

The variation in consumer preferences with regard to convenience and processed food is expected to propel PSA market demand in Central & South America for the labeling application segment. The emerging economies including Brazil and Uruguay are undergoing sharp industrial growth together with large investments in automotive and construction industries.

The stringent regulations regarding VOC emissions together with fuel efficiency norms are likely to result in the sluggish growth of the product in North America and Europe regions. The regulatory agencies including REACH, U.S., and EPA have strict norms to improve sustainability. This includes considerable investment by the companies to develop eco-friendly product portfolio in accordance with the norms.

Competitive Insights

The global PSA market is fragmented with the presence of various large and small scale companies. The major companies are 3M, Bostik, Avery Dennison, H.B. Fuller, Dow Chemicals, Sika, Henkel, and Ashland. The other players include Drytac, Collano Adhesives, Franklin Adhesives & Polymers, Novamelt, Scapa, and Jesons Industries.

The major companies in the market focus on developing their existing product portfolio together with the development of new, competitive, and innovative products. Ashland launched Arocure UV-curable PSAs based on hot-melt technology for application in specialty tapes. The widely used product strategy implemented by most of the companies is product innovation.

Market Segment:

Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Technology Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2024)
       • Water-Based
       • Solvent-Based
       • Hot-Melt
       • Radiation

Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Product Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2024)
       • Tapes
       • Labels
       • Graphic Films
       • Specialty
       • Others

Pressure Sensitive Adhesives End-Use Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2024)
       • Automotive & Transportation
       • Electrical & Electronics
       • Consumer Goods
       • Packaging
       • Construction
       • Others

Pressure Sensitive Adhesives Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2024)
       • North America
              • U.S.
              • Canada
              • Mexico
       • Europe
              • Germany
              • UK
       • Asia Pacific
              • India
              • China
              • Japan
       • Central & South America
              • Brazil
       • Middle East & Africa