Published October 2024
The main product categories covered in this report are organotins, organoaluminums, organomagnesiums and organolithiums.
Nonbiocidal organotins are used largely as additives for polyvinyl chloride (PVC), but also in catalysis of several products, including rigid polyurethanes and silicones. Biocidal organotins are used in agriculture as fungicides and miticides, and as preservatives/antifoulants on wood surfaces, in closed-circuit cooling towers and in marine paints.
Organoaluminums are used primarily as catalysts for the synthesis of polymers, including polypropylene, polyethylene and several elastomers. Use as a catalyst for other syntheses includes olefin ligomerization and the Dimersol process for gasoline production.
Organomagnesiums are used as catalysts for polyolefin production and in the synthesis of pharmaceutical and fine chemicals. Organolithiums are used as catalysts for polybutadiene elastomer roduction and in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals
The following pie chart shows merchant consumption of organometallics by major region, based on value:
The overall business environment for organometallics includes the following characteristics:
- Greater regulations and restrictions (e.g., tributyltins in markets such as biocides/paint and PVC stabilizers). Because of stricter environmental demands, organotin antifoulants have been phased out and replaced by copper-based or other alternatives.
- Volatile raw materials (metals) costs, along with processing cost fluctuations, adversely affect the development of markets for some organometallics in certain applications (e.g., organotin stabilizers)./li>
- The rapid expansion and maturation of the LED and solar cell markets has hastened demand for high-purity organometallics for use in metal organic chemical vapor deposition and other thin-film applications.
- Polyvinyl chloride additive applications remain the main markets for organotins, especially in mainland China and the United States.
- Catalyst applications remain the main markets for organoaluminums, organomagnesiums and organolithiums.
Organotins are the largest-volume products followed by the organoaluminums. Combined, the two account for more than 97% of the total volume and almost 90% of the total value of the global organometallics market. Mainland China is the largest consumer of organotins for PVC applications, while both mainland China and the United States are nearly equal biocidal consumers. In organoaluminums, the United States remains the largest consumer, followed by mainland China, South-eastern Asia and Western Europe.
The development of mainland China’s organometallics market has been intrinsically tied to its strong economic growth and the rapid expansion of the plastics industry. The buildup of capacity for PVC, polyethylene and other resins hastened an equal need for sufficient supplies of organometallics. In 2023, mainland China accounted for over 40% of estimated global consumption of organotins and almost 20% of global consumption of organoaluminums, driven by growing production of PVC and polyolefins.
For more detailed information, see the table of contents, shown below.
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