Finishing Chemical Business Could Hit $8B by 2015

A new report out suggests that sales of metal finishing chemicals could hit $8 billion globally by 2015, driven by electronics and electrical, motor vehicle equipment and the aerospace industries.
 

Global Industry Analysts’ report says that the U.S. and Europe are still the largest markets for metal finishing chemicals worldwide, but that the Asia-Pacific market will grow by a compound annual growth rate of 3%.
 

GPI reports that plating chemicals constitute the leading market segment, and that galvanization and electroless plating technologies will displace other processes such as chromium and cadmium electroplating. The report also suggests that cleaning chemicals such as aqueous cleaners and oxygenated solvents will be a substitute for chlorinated solvents.
 

The report also hints that an increased use of plastic substrates should push the demand for cleaning chemicals because plastics generally require meticulous chemical cleaning prior to the finishing process.
 

Buying the report will set you back a mere $4,500. While we’re sure the report is interesting, we did get a chuckle when the synopsis of the research referred to plaforization as “a new metal treatment process used in the preparation of metal surfaces for painting, has recently gained ground in the U.S. and Canada.” Since Products Finishing has recently reported many times on the process, including a story back in 2001, we think either the GPI may be a little late to the game, or Products Finishing is just so darn ahead of everyone else.