US engineered plastics demand will reach 5.5 billion pounds in 2008 based on needs for cost-effective, higher performance materials. Polycarbonate&s optical clarity and durability will find use in CDs, DVDs and electronics housings. Nylon&s high strength, rigidity, and chemical and abrasion resistance will do well in motor vehicles.

This study analyzes the $7.4 billion US engineered plastics industry. It presents historical (1993, 1998 and 2003) demand data and forecasts to 2008 and 2013 by resin (e.g., ABS, polycarbonate, nylon, thermoplastic polyesters, polyethylene oxide, polyacetal, fluoropolymers, polysulfones, polyimides, polyphenylene sulfide); and by market (e.g., electrical and electronic, motor vehicles, consumer and institutional).

The study also examines the market environment, details industry structure and market share, and profiles 36 leading competitors including GE Plastics, DuPont, Bayer, Dow Chemical, and Ticona.

  
                           TABLE OF CONTENTS
                                    
  
  SECTION                                               PAGE
  
        INTRODUCTION                                                 ix
                                                                       
  I.    EXECUTIVE SUMMARY                                             1
  
 II.    MARKET ENVIRONMENT                                            4
        General                                                       4
        Macroeconomic Outlook                                         4
        Consumer Spending Patterns                                    8
        Manufacturing Outlook                                         9
        Plastic Resin Outlook                                        11
        Competitive Materials                                        13
        Market Trends                                                15
        Pricing Trends                                               17
        Regulatory & Environmental Issues                            18
        Recycling Activity                                           20
        Foreign Trade                                                22
        International Activity                                       24
  
III.    RESINS                                                       26
        General                                                      26
        Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene                              31
          Markets                                                    33
          Producers & Capacity                                       38
        Polycarbonate                                                41
          Markets                                                    43
          Producers & Capacity                                       49
        Nylon                                                        52
          Markets                                                    54
          Producers & Capacity                                       58
        Thermoplastic Polyesters                                     62
          Markets                                                    64
          Polybutylene Terephthalate                                 67
          Polyethylene Terephthalate                                 70
          Other Thermoplastic Polyesters                             71
        Polyphenylene Oxide                                          72
          Markets                                                    74
          Producers                                                  76
        Polyacetal                                                   77
          Markets                                                    78
          Producers & Capacity                                       81
        Fluoropolymers                                               82
          Markets                                                    84
          Polytetrafluoroethylene                                    89
          Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene                             90
          Other Fluoropolymers                                       91
          Producers                                                  93
        Polysulfones                                                 95
          Markets                                                    96
          Producers                                                  99
        Polyimides                                                   99
          Markets                                                   101
          Producers                                                 104
        Polyphenylene Sulfide                                       104
          Markets                                                   106
          Producers & Capacity                                      109
        Other Engineered Plastics                                   110
          Polyketones                                               111
          Syndiotactic Polystyrene & Others                         112
  
  IV.   MARKETS                                                     114
        General                                                     114
        Electrical & Electronic                                     116
          Electrical & Electronics Sector Trends                    117
          Appliance Trends                                          120
          Applications                                              121
          Resins                                                    125
        Motor Vehicles                                              131
          Motor Vehicle Trends                                      132
          Applications                                              133
          Resins                                                    138
        Consumer & Institutional                                    143
          Applications                                              144
          Resins                                                    147
        Construction                                                152
          Building Construction Outlook                             152
          Applications                                              154
          Resins                                                    155
        Industrial                                                  158
        Other Markets                                               162
          Applications                                              162
          Resins                                                    164
  
  V.    INDUSTRY STRUCTURE                                          167
        General                                                     167
        Market Share                                                168
          GE Plastics                                               170
          DuPont                                                    171
          Bayer                                                     171
          Dow Chemical                                              172
          Ticona                                                    172
          Other Firms                                               173
        Mergers & Acquisitions                                      174
        Marketing Strategies                                        176
        Channels of Distribution                                    178
        Research & Development                                      179
        Competitive Strategies                                      181
        Cooperative Agreements                                      182
        Company Profiles                                            186
          AGC Chemicals Americas Incorporated, see Asahi
            Glass Company Limited
          Albis Plastic GmbH                                        187
          ALM Corporation, see Polymeric Resources Corporation         
          AMETEK Incorporated                                       188
          Arch Chemicals Incorporated                               189
          Asahi Glass Company Limited                               190
          Asahi Kasei Corporation                                   192
          Asahi Thermofil Incorporated, see Asahi Kasei Corporation
          Atofina Chemicals Incorporated, see Total SA                 
          BASF AG                                                   194
          Bayer AG                                                  198
          Celanese AG                                               202
          Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC                     207
          Custom Resins Incorporated, see Polymeric Resources    
            Corporation                                                
          Daikin Industries Limited                                 208
          Dainippon Ink and Chemicals Incorporated                  210
          Degussa AG                                                211
          DH Compounding Company, see Dow Chemical Company and 
            PolyOne Corporation                            
          Dow Chemical Company                                      214
          DSM NV                                                    217
          DuPont (EI) de Nemours                                    219
          Dyneon LLC, see 3M Company
          Eastman Chemical Company                                  224
          EMS-Chemie Holding AG                                     226
          Exatec LLC, see Bayer AG and General Electric                
          Fortron Industries Incorporated, see Celanese AG             
          GE Plastics, see General Electric Company
          General Electric Company                                  228
          Honeywell International Incorporated                      234
          Honeywell Plastics, see BASF AG
          Inspec Foams Incorporated, see Degussa AG                    
          Korea Engineering Plastics Company Limited, see
            Celanese AG                                                
          Lati Industria Termoplastici SpA                          236
          Lawter International, see Eastman Chemical Company
          LNP Engineering Plastics Incorporated, see General
            Electric Company                                           
          Nylon Corporation of America                              238
          Plastics Engineering Company                              239
          Plexiglas, see Degussa AG
          Polymeric Resources Corporation                           240
          PolyOne Corporation                                       241
          Polyplastics Company Limited, see Celanese AG                
          Premier Polymers Incorporated, see Dainippon Ink and
            Chemicals Incorporated
          PTM Engineering Plastics Nantong Company, see 
            Celanese AG                                                
          RC Plastics Incorporated, see General Electric Company       
          ResinDirect North America, see PolyOne Corporation
          Rhodia SA                                                 244
          Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies                      246
          RTP Company                                               247
          Schulman (A.) Incorporated                                248
          Shell Chemical LP, see Royal Dutch/Shell Group
            of Companies                                               
          Solutia Incorporated                                      250
          Solvay SA                                                 251
          Spartech Corporation                                      255
          3M Company                                                256
          Ticona Incorporated, see Celanese AG                         
          Toray Industries Incorporated                             259
          Total SA                                                  261
          Victrex plc                                               264
          Wellman Incorporated                                      265
          Westchester Plastics, see AMETEK Incorporated                
          WinTech Polymer Limited, see Celanese AG          
          Other Companies Mentioned in Study                        266
  
    

                            LIST OF TABLES
                                   
    TABLE NUMBER                                                   PAGE
  
         SECTION I -- EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
          Summary Table                                     
    3
  
         SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
    1    Macroeconomic Indicators                                     7
    2    Personal Income & Spending Patterns                          9
    3    Manufacturers  Shipments                                    11
    4    US Plastic Resin Supply & Demand                            13
    5    Engineered Plastics Market Trends, 1993-2003                16
    6    Engineered Plastics Pricing Trends                          18
    7    Foreign Trade in Engineered Plastics                        24
  
         SECTION III -- RESINS
    1    Engineered Plastics Demand by Resin                         29
    2    Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Demand                      32
    3    Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Demand by Market            33
    4    Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Capacity, 2003              40
    5    Polycarbonate Demand                                        42
    6    Polycarbonate Demand by Market                              43
    7    Polycarbonate Capacity, 2003                                51
    8    Nylon Demand                                                53
    9    Nylon Demand by Market                                      54
   10    Nylon Capacity, 2003                                        61
   11    Thermoplastic Polyester Demand                              63
   12    Thermoplastic Polyester Demand by Market                    64
   13    Polybutylene Terephthalate Capacity, 2003                   69
   14    Polyphenylene Oxide Demand                                  73
   15    Polyphenylene Oxide Demand by Market                        74
   16    Polyacetal Demand                                           78
   17    Polyacetal Demand by Market                                 79
   18    Polyacetal Capacity, 2003                                   82
   19    Fluoropolymers Demand                                       84
   20    Fluoropolymers Demand by Market                             85
   21    Polysulfones Demand                                         96
   22    Polysulfones Demand by Market                               97
   23    Polyimides Demand                                          101
   24    Polyimides Demand by Market                                102
   25    Polyphenylene Sulfide Demand                               106
   26    Polyphenylene Sulfide Demand by Market                     107
   27    Polyphenylene Sulfide Capacity, 2003                       110
   28    Other Engineered Plastics Demand by Market                 111
  
         SECTION IV -- MARKETS
    1    Engineered Plastics Demand by Market                       115
    2    Selected Electrical & Electronic Shipments                 119
    3    Appliance Shipments                                        121
    4    Electrical & Electronic Markets for Engineered Plastic
           by Application                                           124
    5    Electrical & Electronic Markets for Engineered Plastics
           by Resin                                                 126
    6    Motor Vehicle Trends                                       133
    7    Motor Vehicle Markets for Engineered Plastics
           by Application                                           134
    8    Motor Vehicle Markets for Engineered Plastics by Resin     139
    9    Consumer & Institutional Markets for Engineered
           Plastics by Application                                  146
   10    Consumer & Institutional Markets for Engineered
           Plastics by Resin                                        147
   11    Building Construction Expenditures                         153
   12    Construction Markets for Engineered Plastics by
           Application                                              155
   13    Construction Markets for Engineered Plastics by Resin      157
   14    Industrial Markets for Engineered Plastics by Resin        161
   15    Other Markets for Engineered Plastics by Application       164
   16    Other Markets for Engineered Plastics by Resin             166
  
         SECTION V -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
    1    Selected Acquisitions & Divestitures                       176
    2    Selected Cooperative Agreements                            184
  
    

                           LIST OF CHARTS
                                   
    CHART NUMBER                                                   PAGE
  
         SECTION II -- MARKET ENVIRONMENT
    1    Engineered Plastics Market Trends, 1993-2003                16
  
         SECTION III -- RESINS
    1    Engineered Plastics Demand by Resin, 2003: Volume
           Versus Value                                              30
    2    Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Demand by Market, 2003      34
    3    Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene Capacity, 2003              41
    4    Polycarbonate Demand by Market, 2003                        44
    5    Polycarbonate Capacity, 2003                                51
    6    Nylon Demand by Market, 2003                                55
    7    Nylon Capacity, 2003                                        62
    8    Thermoplastic Polyester Demand by Market, 2003              65
    9    Polybutylene Terephthalate Capacity, 2003                   69
   10    Polyphenylene Oxide Demand by Market, 2003                  75
   11    Polyacetal Demand by Market, 2003                           79
   12    Fluoropolymers Demand by Market, 2003                       85
  
         SECTION IV -- MARKETS
    1    Engineered Plastics Demand by Market, 2003                 116
    2    Electrical & Electronic Markets for Engineered Plastics
           by Application, 2003                                     125
    3    Electrical & Electronic Markets for Engineered Plastics
           by Resin, 2003                                           127
    4    Motor Vehicle Markets for Engineered Plastics by
           Application, 2003                                        134
    5    Motor Vehicle Markets for Engineered Plastics by
           Resin, 2003                                              140
    6    Consumer & Institutional Markets for
           Engineered Plastics by Application, 2003                 146
    7    Consumer & Institutional Markets for
           Engineered Plastics by Resin, 2003                       148
    8    Construction Markets for Engineered Plastics
           by Resin, 2003                                           157
    9    Industrial Markets for Engineered Plastics by Resin, 2003  162
  
         SECTION V -- INDUSTRY STRUCTURE
    1    US Engineered Plastics Capacity, 2003                      169
  .