Polyphenylsulfone Market - Industry Analysis, Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

Polyphenylsulfone Market Overview

The Polyphenylsulfone Market size is forecast to reach USD $441.6 million by 2030, after growing at a CAGR of 8.5% during the forecast period 2024-2030.  Polyphenylsulfone is an amorphous, heat-resistant, and transparent high-performance thermoplastic. It is synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution between difluorodiphenylsulfone and the sodium salt of 4,4-dihydroxybiphenyl. Polyphenylsulfone is known for its toughness, high tensile strength, and excellent hydrolytic stability. It has the best overall chemical resistance of the other commercial polysulfones namely polysulfone and polyethersulfone. Its strong mechanical properties combined with its heat and chemical resistance, make it suitable for more demanding applications where higher loads and exposure to chemicals are prevalent. The increasing application of polyphenylsulfone in the aerospace industry, particularly in the interiors of aircraft acts as a driver for the global polyphenylsulfone market. In the medical sector, PPSU's biocompatibility and sterilizability have led to increased adoption in manufacturing surgical instruments, dental devices, and various medical equipment components. Its ability to withstand repeated sterilization cycles without compromising its structural integrity or performance has further fueled its demand in this segment. PPSU's ability to be molded into complex shapes and intricate designs while retaining its strength and stability has made it an attractive choice for producing intricate medical device components, housings, connectors, and surgical instruments. Furthermore, the aerospace and automotive industries have recognized PPSU's lightweight nature, coupled with its exceptional mechanical strength and resistance to extreme conditions, as a valuable asset. Components requiring high-performance attributes, including resistance to chemicals and elevated temperatures, have seen a surge in PPSU usage. 

Market Snapshot :-

Report Coverage

The report “Polyphenylsulfone Market– Forecast (2024-2030)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Polyphenylsulfone Market.
By Form: Sheet and Rod.
By Grade: Food Grade, Medical Grade, and Technical Grade.
By Application: Plumbing, Healthcare, Wire Insulation, 3D Printing Filaments, and Others.
By End Use Industry: Medical & Healthcare (Surgical Instrument Handles, Medical Device Parts, Orthopaedic Implants, Sterilization Cases & Trays, and Others), Consumer Products (Feeding Bottles, Microwavable Dishes, Food Containers, Food Contact Appliances, and Others), Automotive (Oil Pumps, Pistons, Headlights, and Others), Aerospace, Electrical & Electronics, and Others.
By Geography: North America, Europe, APAC, South America, RoW.

Key Takeaways

• Asia-Pacific dominates the global polyphenylsulfone market on account of the growing end-use industries in the region. According to Invest India, the automotive industry is expected to reach $300 billion by 2026.
• Polyphenylsulfone is an amorphous high-performance thermoplastic that offers better impact resistance and chemical resistance than other sulfone polymers, polysulfone, and polyethersulfone,
• The superior hydrolysis resistance of polyphenylsulfone makes it highly suitable for medical and healthcare applications.
• The major opportunity for this market is the high research spending to produce cost-effective polymers.

By Form - Segment Analysis

The sheet segment held the largest share in the global polyphenylsulfone market up to 65% in 2023. Polyphenylsulfone is a thermoplastic polymer that offers a continuous use temperature range of up to 250°C. Polyphenylsulfone sheets are commonly used in applications for aerospace, medical tool handles, sterilization trays, hot water fittings, and food processing equipment. These sheets are an excellent material for the visors of firefighter helmets and other protective helmets. Helmet visors made of polyphenylsulfone sheets are transparent, virtually indestructible by mechanical impact, highly heat-resistant, resistant to chemicals, and have excellent fire performance profiles. Firefighting is one of the most dangerous occupations, with a high rate of on-duty fatalities. As per the United States Fire Administration, the total number of on-duty deaths for 2020 stood at 96. Wearing firefighter personal protective equipment provides an effective barrier of protection against hazardous material. Röhm GmbH, developed EUROPLEX, a flame-retardant sheet material made of polyphenylsulfone. The sheet meets the fire standard requirements for many applications in public transport including the heat release requirements for large interior parts in passenger aircraft. Therefore, the sheet segment is expected to dominate the market.

By End Use Industry - Segment Analysis

The medical and healthcare segment held the largest share in the global polyphenylsulfone market in 2023. Polyphenylsulfone can withstand sterilization with superheated steam better than other members of this group of polymers such as polysulfone and polyethersulfone, and is resistant to detergents and disinfectants. It also exhibits good resistance against high-energy radiation (gamma and x-rays). These properties render it useful in sterilization trays, dental and surgical instrument handles, and medical devices. Polyphenylsulfone is also used for implant trials for knee, hip, and shoulder replacement processes. According to the American College of Rheumatology in November 2023, it estimates that over 450,000 total hip replacements and around 790,000 complete knee replacements are done annually in the United States. When healthcare providers were experiencing a severe personal protective equipment (PPE) shortage in the initial stages of the pandemic, polyphenylsulfone films and filaments from additive manufacturing were being utilized to make reusable face shields. With the growing medical and healthcare segment, the demand for medical-grade polyphenylsulfone is also expected to increase. Hence, the medical segment is anticipated to dominate the market.

By Geography - Segment Analysis

The Asia-Pacific region held the largest share in the global polyphenylsulfone market in 2023 up to 41% owing to the growing automotive and aerospace industries in the region. After the initial lockdown ended, countries in this region began ramping up production to overcome the economic repercussions with China leading the way. APAC, particularly countries like China, Japan, South Korea, and India, has become a hub for automotive manufacturing. The region's increasing vehicle production has led to higher demand for high-performance materials like PPSU for various components. According to SIAM 2023, The industry produced a total of 2,59,31,867 vehicles including Passenger Vehicles, Commercial Vehicles, Three Wheelers, Two Wheelers, and Quadricycles in April 2022 to March 2023, as against 2,30,40,066 units in April 2021 to March 2022. Hence, this region is expected to dominate the polyphenylsulfone market during the forecast period. Automakers are increasingly focused on using lightweight yet durable materials to enhance fuel efficiency without compromising safety or performance. PPSU's properties, including its lightweight nature and resistance to extreme temperatures and chemicals, make it an attractive choice for automotive applications. 

For more details on this report - Request for Sample

Drivers – Polyphenylsulfone Market

• Increasing Usage of Polyphenylsulfone in Bottles for Babies

In recent years, polyphenylsulfone has become the material of choice for manufacturing feeding bottles for babies. Polyphenylsulfone is the safest and most durable material for baby bottles. It is lightweight, and hydrolysis and temperature resistance allow for repeated sterilization without any deformation or release of toxic substances. Polyphenylsulfone does not absorb odor or color. It is naturally BPA free. These properties make it an excellent choice for feeding bottles.  For instance, The Japanese baby products manufacturer Zoom T, is using BASF’s Ultrason P to produce baby bottles under its Dr. Bétta brand. The polyphenylsulfone meets Zoom T’s strict requirements for its curved baby bottles that are safe and easy to handle. Ultrason P is the trade name for BASF’s product range of polyphenylsulfone. Hence, the usage of polyphenylsulfone for feeding bottles for babies drives the global polyphenylsulfone market. 

Increasing Demand for Polyphenylsulfone in Aircraft Interiors

Fuel costs represent the highest operating costs for aircraft leading to soaring demand for lighter aircraft. According to the International Air Transport Association in 2023, It is anticipated that the airline industry would turn a profit. On $779 billion in revenue, airlines are expected to make a $4.7 billion global net profit (0.6% net margin). As demands for weight reduction and fuel efficiency increase, aluminum, steel, and titanium are being replaced by composites and thermoplastics. Being the highest performance polysulfone, polyphenylsulfone is used in the aerospace industry for applications where superior thermal and mechanical properties relative to conventional resins are required. Polyphenylsulfone is an extremely tough and versatile thermoplastic that meets existing and emerging safety requirements for structural and decorative aircraft interior components. It is widely used for passenger service units, seat video shrouds, and other thin-walled decorative components. Thus, the increasing demand for polyphenylsulfone in aircraft interiors drives the market. 

Challenges – Polyphenylsulfone Market          

 Inadequate Source: Expert Insights & IndustryARC Analysis

• High Cost of Polyphenylsulfone

Polyphenylsulfone delivers the highest performance among the sulfone polymers, offering better impact resistance and chemical resistance compared to polysulfone and polyethersulfone. All the sulfone polymers are highly-priced as they are high-performance thermoplastics. One of the reasons is that these polymers have the ability to withstand various sterilization techniques.  Among all the sulfone polymers, polyphenylsulfone is the most expensive. For instance, the price of polysulfone resins is US$16-20/kg, the price of polyethersulfone resins is US$18-25 and the price of polyphenylsulfone resins are US$28-30/kg. This high cost may prove to be a restraint for the global polyphenylsulfone market. 

Market Landscape

1. Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the Polyphenylsulfone Market. in 2023, The major players in the Polyphenylsulfone market are BASF SE, Solvay SA, Sumimoto Chemicals, SABIC, Evonik Industries, Ensigner Inc, Curbell Plastics, Inc, Westlake Plastics, Mitsubishi Chemical Advanced Materials, Quadrant Engineering Plastics Products and Others.

Developments:

• In April 2023, Solvay introduced the first mass balance sulfone polymers approved by ISCC PLUS. The first ISCC-PLUS mass balance compliant sulfone materials on the market are Udel® PSU ReCycle MB and Radel® PPSU ReCycle MB, which are both commercially accessible globally.
• In May 2022, The TegraCoreTM PPSU resin-based foam from SOLVAY, which will be marketed as AIREX® TegraCoreTM, will be acquired by 3A Composites Core Materials. The two businesses decided to keep working together to develop AIREX® TegraCoreTM.

For more Chemicals and Materials Market reports, please click here