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Progress in Technology for Polyolefins Production III

STUDY COMPLETED!

“Progress in Technology for Polyolefins Production III”

Voice of the Customer Driving Innovation and Growth in Polyolefins Catalyst and Process Technologies!

View Presentation Here (PDF format)

This TCGR multi-client study was launched in September 2020 and completed in December 2020. The study’s scope, and specific contents (as depicted in the TofC on pages 7-13 of the presentation, available for download here) reflect the inputs from a group of “charter” subscribers who have indicated their priorities for coverage, areas to be expanded/deepened and focal points for emphasis in “voice of customer” interviews. These are leading industrial developers, suppliers, and end-users of polyolefin catalyst, process and resin technologies.

The need for innovation in the polyolefins industry is clear. Without continuous development of products, processes and catalysts, a polyolefin producer or supplier of technologies and catalysts is doomed to commercial obsolescence within five to seven years. Moreover, it seems this cycle is becoming narrower, as consolidations within the value chain have been speeding up in recent years.

As The Catalyst Group Resources (TCGR) has demonstrated via its multi- and select-client studies in the past, there is ongoing value-added in the R&D endeavor, whether it is (1) improved productivity from existing assets; (2) improving processes and obtaining value added from licensing or joint venturing cutting edge polyolefin catalyst or process advances; or (3) developing superior resins which can be sold for higher pricing. Indeed, the polyolefin industry has a rich history of innovation and the expectations for future advances are unquestioned.

Based on TCGR’s groundbreaking study in 2011 entitled “Progress in Technology for Polyolefin Production: Quantifying the Valued-Added of Advanced Catalysts, Co-Catalysts/activators and Stereo regulators” and two, more focused, updates in 2017 and 2018 (notably ”Polyolefin Catalysts and Processes: Technological and Commercial Impacts on PE and PP” and “Polyolefins Catalysts and Processes: Competitive Implications of Industry Consolidation”), it is now time for a more in-depth and comprehensive industry reassessment.

TCGR has revisited both the new product markets as well as the R&D pipelines, documenting and analyzing opportunities of benefit to polyolefins (PO) producers in their business planning and decision making. New/key to this updated study is a comprehensive “Voice of Customer” survey on resin converters and the changing resin requirements to meet the future needs from within industry.

Figure 1.  The Polyolefin Value Chain

This study documents, through patent and literature surveys, detailed assessments of emerging technologies, product and process advances, and “voice of customer” surveys/interviews, the following:

  • New and improved PO resins to serve the faster growing differentiated or “specialty” market applications, including large volume price-sensitive markets,
    as well as sophisticated niche applications
  • Gains in production volumes from fixed assets which can be achieved through recent improvements in processes and in catalysts, co-catalysts/activators
    and/or electron donor (ED) technologies
  • Value-added returns on R&D, which can result from developing, licensing or joint venturing cutting-edge polyolefin process, catalyst, co-catalyst/activator
    and product advances
  • New/key: A Voice-of-Customer survey with convertors to understand the missing new product needs from within the marketplace

Among the critical findings of the study are new product, catalyst and ID/ED, cocatalyst other advances that have occurred over the last 9-10 years covering all regions: Asia/Pacific, China, India, Japan, Europe, Middle East and the Americas.

A key need/justification for this study, and one that TCGR is uniquely capable of delivering, is a comprehensive technical, market and strategic/competitive assessment of polyolefin technology developments to address the “voice of customer” needs.  This study is a “by the industry, for the industry” assessment and a “must have” for future success in the catalytic process industries globally!

This multi-client study was completed in December 2020.

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Notice to Subscribers of TCGR’s Earlier (2011, 2017 and 2018) Polyolefins Studies:

Due to the complementary nature of this study to TCGR’s previous reports in this area (namely “Progress in Technology for Polyolefin Production: Quantifying the Valued-Added of Advanced Catalysts, Co-Catalysts/activators and Stereo regulators” from 2011; “Polyolefin Catalysts and Processes: Technological and Commercial Impacts on PE and PP” from 2017; and “Polyolefins Catalysts and Processes: Competitive Implications of Industry Consolidation” from 2018), TCGR is offering a discount of $1,000 off “Progress in Technology for Polyolefins Production III” to subscribers of any of the earlier studies. Subscribers are requested to contact John J. Murphy at +1.215.628.4447 or John.J.Murphy@catalystgrp.com if further details are required or to determine if your organization is entitled. When completing the order form, please make sure to indicate your company’s subscription to an earlier report.

Additional information, including the complete study presentation, the actual Table of Contents (including “charter” subscriber inputs) and the Order Form,
is available via the link below or by contacting John J. Murphy at +1.215.628.4447 or John.J.Murphy@catalystgrp.com. 

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As it does in each of its industrially-focused multi-client studies, TCGR has incorporated input from “charter” subscribers (i.e., those who signed up prior to study launch) to help shape the report’s final scope/TofC by delineating areas of importance, including “voice of customer” targets/applications (Section V) and catalyst/product advances (Sections III and IV), as depicted in the actual TofC.

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The Catalyst Group Resources (TCGR), a member of The Catalyst Group, is dedicated to monitoring and analyzing technical and commercial developments in catalysis as they apply to the global refining, petrochemical, fine/specialty chemical, pharmaceutical, polymer/elastomer and environmental industries.

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