TABLE OF CONTENTS The global market for FPF is estimated at over 3 million tonnes, roughly divided between the Americas, Europe-Africa and Asia-Pacific. Of these, Asia-Pacific has shown the highest growth rate [93]. Table 5.2 breaks down production by foam type and geography. There are thousands of uses for FPF ranging from commodity cushioning products to highly specialised technical foams. The transportation and furniture industries are the two largest consumers for FPF, and carpet cushion and packaging are also major markets [94]. While all other foam applications only comprise approximately 10% of the foam produced, these cover a broad range of specialty products that tend to have more stringent requirements, and come with concomitantly higher profitability.
| Tonnes foam | Asia-Pacific | Europe-Africa | Americas | Global |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polyether | 530,000 | 620,000 | 880,000 | 2,030,000 |
| HR | 90,000 | 180,000 | 140,000 | 410,000 |
| Polyester | 60,000 | 120,000 | 60,000 | 240,000 |
| Total Slab | 680,000 | 920,000 | 1,080,000 | 2,680,000 |
| Moulded | 270,000 | 380,000 | 330,000 | 980,000 |
| Total FPF | 950,000 | 1,300,000 | 1,410,000 | 3,660,000 |
| Source: IAL Consultants |
Automotive and other transportation applications are clearly the largest markets for moulded foam, and also use considerable amounts of slabstock foam. Automotive foams use a higher percentage of MDI than the other markets. Within this segment, FPF is used for seating, components (such as head and arm rests), textile lamination, gasketing, filtration, sound absorption, and...
