Editorial: Europe's Polypropylene Fibre Industry is Still a World Player

5 pages, published in Issue 81, 2nd quarter 2010   Report price: Euro 275.00; US$ 365.00

Europe is the world's largest producer of polypropylene fibres and the second largest man-made fibre producing continent, behind Asia. It also boasts the biggest single-site units for producing acrylic and viscose fibres.

In the case of acrylic, AKSA Acrylic, a subsidiary of AKKÖK Group, has a site near Yalova in Turkey with a capacity for making 308,000 tons of acrylic fibres?12% of the global total. In the case of viscose, the Austrian company Lenzing has a site located in Lenzing, Austria, with a capacity for making 255,000 tons of viscose fibre and a further 250,000 tons of pulp.

Collectively, European countries produced 3.2 mn tons of man-made fibres in 2009. In value terms, these were worth Euro10.5 bn (US$14.6 bn), of which export sales were worth Euro2 bn. The European man-made fibre industry still has some 25,000 employees, and has ploughed over Euro1 bn into R&D over the past five years.

The position of the European man-made fibre industry is partly due to the critical role it plays in the production of polypropylene fibres?which go predominantly into technical end uses. By contrast, the continent's role as a producer of polyester has diminished markedly over the years?a contrast which was highlighted at two recent conferences held on successive days in Brussels, Belgium.

According to the director general of CIRFS and the EATP, Colin Purvis2, world man-made fibre production was dominated by Europe, the USA and Japan for 50 years from 1950 to 2000.

Editorial: Europe's Polypropylene Fibre Industry is Still a World Player

• European Man-Made Fibres Rank Second Behind Asia
• Safeguarding the Future of the European Man-Made Fibre Industry
• Outlook for the European Polypropylene Textile Industry

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• Editorial: New Sustainability Commitment Implies Big Changes for the Global Nonwovens Industry, (3rd quarter 2010)
• Japanese Nonwovens Producers Look to the Chinese Market to Add Value, (2nd quarter 2010)
• Technical textile markets: personal protective clothing: ensuring worker safety, 2nd quarter 2010, (2nd quarter 2010)

Four times a year, Technical Textile Markets provides an overview of the global man-made fibre, nonwoven and technical textile industries. It provides market data and analysis of new and established markets for technical textiles, and is essential reading for senior executives in (or supplying) the man-made fibre, nonwoven and technical textile sectors ? as well as for those who are not involved in the industry on a day-to-day basis, but who need an authoritative source which helps them to quickly gain an understanding of the key issues facing the companies which are actively involved in this fast-growing sector.
Reports in Technical Textile Markets include:
	company and country profiles ? giving you the opportunity to learn from strategies employed by others, in terms of production, sourcing, import/export, infrastructure and development, and plans for the future.
	profiles of the world's top 40 producers of nonwovens ? updated each year with details of developments from each of the leading producers, including acquisitions, investments and divestments, and analyses of trends which the "rising stars" are using to their advantage.
	statistical reports ? including consumption data, by fibre and end-use applications. Regular updates are published for fibre consumption in Japan, the rest of Asia, the USA, and Western Europe.
	market sector information ? analyses of important commercial end-user applications, and profiles of both established and emerging markets which take into account such innovations and developments as nanotechnology and intelligent textiles.
	regular updates on innovations in fibres, technical textiles, apparel and machinery ? including developments in the following categories: fibres and yarns; technical textile fabrics for industrial applications; machinery; technical textiles for apparel; composites; other technical textile products; and technical textile treatments and finishes.
	reports on new technological developments and other topical issues ? with clear, authoritative comments on their economic and commercial significance. The reports bring to your attention the key issues which you can use to develop your business, and provides contact details of useful organisations.
So whether you are involved in man-made fibres, nonwovens or technical textiles ? in manufacturing, converting, import/export, or end use ? or if you are in education or consultancy or investment or finance ? a subscription to Technical Textile Markets will tell you what you need to know about the key trends in the industry.
Technical Textile Markets is available on subscription ? either in printed format only, or in printed and electronic format. If you choose the printed only option, you will receive 4 printed publications a year. Each issue contains five research-based reports (see above) and an editorial.
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Technical textiles are used in a wide range of end-use applications and markets, including agricultural; automotive; building/ construction/ engineering; medical and hygiene; packaging; protective clothing; sports and sportswear; and transport. A subscription to Technical Textile Markets will support your decision making, and provide the information you need to expand into new markets.