Abstract
IT HASN'T BEEN FUN BEING A NORTH American producer of acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS) resins. They are losing volumes because cheaper polymers such as polypropylene are being substituted for ABS, and because manufacturing of finished goods such as electronics and small appliances is moving offshore, particularly to China. But there are some promising signs for producers. The material substitution is abating. And the North American ABS industry is retaining markets such as weatherable sheet for recreational vehicles, in which styrenic polymers have an edge because of their unique combination of good aesthetics and strong physical properties. So far, 2005 has been a slow year for ABS. According to the American Plastics Council, ABS sales and captive use through June in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico declined by 6.8% versus the year-ago period. Full-year demand in 2004, however, increased by 3.5% to 1.37 billion lb. David Gingras, vice president of sales and ...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
