Freedonia: Demand Brisk for Bromine Derivatives

U.S. demand for bromine derivatives will increase nearly 5% per year to 815 million pounds by 2003, valued at $1.1 billion. Over the same span, derivatives production will advance 4.6% annually to nearly 870 million pounds, which will require 527 million pounds of elemental bromine. Bromine usage will trail that of derivatives due to a changing product mix that features, on the whole, good growth in derivatives that contain less bromine by weight, such as tetrabromobisphenol-A (TBBA) and brominated hydantoins; and slow growth or outright declines in the production of derivatives that contain higher loadings of bromine (e.g., calcium bromide, methyl bromide). These and other trends are presented in Bromine & Derivatives, a new study from market researchers The Freedonia Group, Inc. (Cleveland, OH).

The flame retardants market will continue to account for the largest share of derivatives demand through 2003 as brominated hydrocarbon flame retardants, especially TBBA, continue to replace chlorinated compounds based on performance advantages and better environmental profiles. Growth, however, will decelerate as plastics production slows, which will lead to an overall slowdown in flame retardant demand. Discounting methyl bromide and ethylene dibromide, whose use is being regulated out of existence, brominated hydrocarbons will enjoy above-average growth as TBBA increases its share of the flame retardants market and compounds such as n-propyl bromide find growing use in such diverse applications as solvents, adhesives and electronics cleaning, often as a replacement for more environmentally suspect substances.

In the biocides market, both sodium bromide and the brominated hydantoins will enjoy above-average growth as they continue to replace chlorinated products in both residential and industrial applications. Demand for potassium bromide will grow below the derivatives average, as demand for photographic chemicals, its principal market, decelerates and as it faces growing competition from lower priced bromine compounds such as sodium bromide which can replace it in some applications. Other bromine derivatives, which include a variety of smaller-volume compounds used in a number of diverse markets, will in the aggregate increase at the fastest rate as they find growing demand in applications such as pharmaceuticals, organic synthesis, solvents and cleaners.

Bromine & Derivatives (published 02/2000, 214 pages) is available for $3400.

For more information: Corinne Gangloff, The Freedonia Group, 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, OH 44143-2326. Tel: 440-684-9600. Fax: 440-646-0484.

Edited by Angelo DePalma