Specialty Films

7th Edition

Specialty films are a $7.4 billion industry comprising a specialized subset of the much larger plastic film industry, which encompasses numerous products, including commodity packaging films, trash bags, retail bags, and agricultural film. Specialty films are differentiated from commodity products by utilizing higher-cost resins and/or receiving some modification, such as the incorporation of functional additives or the application of coatings, metalization, and other surface treatments, yielding value-added products.

Functional classes are:

barrier films
microporous films
safety and security films
conductive and insulative films
light control films
water soluble films
biodegradable films
other specialty films

In addition, demand is analyzed by the following base resins:

polyolefins
polyester
nylon
ethylene vinyl alcohol
polyvinyl butyral
polyvinylidene chloride
fluoropolymers
other resins

This study also includes analysis by the following markets:

food packaging
nonfood packaging
personal care products
construction
transportation equipment
electronics
other markets

Printer Friendly

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

OVERVIEW

Key Findings

Scope & Product Description

Factors Impacting Specialty Film Demand

Technology

Raw Materials

Pricing Trends

Historical Market Trends

Regulatory & Environmental Considerations

International Market

Foreign Trade

International Activity

FUNCTIONS

Key Findings

Specialty Film Demand by Function

Barrier Films

Barrier Films: Characteristics & Scope

Barrier Films: Demand Forecast

Oxygen & Other Gas Barrier Films

Moisture Barrier Films

Corrosion Barrier Films

Other Barrier Films

Microporous Films

Microporous Films: Product Description & Scope

Microporous Films: Demand Forecast

Safety & Security Films

Safety & Security Films: Product Description & Scope

Safety & Security Films: Demand Forecast

Safety & Security Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Interlayer Products

Surface Products

Conductive & Insulative Films

Conductive & Insulative Films: Product Description & Scope

Conductive & Insulative Films: Demand Forecast

Conductive & Insulative Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Light Control Films

Light Control Films: Product Description & Scope

Light Control Films: Demand Forecast

Light Control Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Water Soluble Films

Water Soluble Films: Product Description & Scope

Water Soluble Films: Demand Forecast

Water Soluble Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Biodegradable Films

Biodegradable Films: Product Description & Scope

Biodegradable Films: Demand Forecast

Other Functions

RESINS

Key Findings

Specialty Film Demand by Resin

Polyolefin Films

Polyolefin Films: Product Description & Scope

Polyolefin Films: Demand Forecast

Polyolefin Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Polyester Films

Polyester Films: Product Description & Scope

Polyester Films: Demand Forecast

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Films

Other Polyester Films

Polyester Films: Selected Suppliers

Nylon Films

Nylon Films: Product Description & Scope

Nylon Films: Demand Forecast

Nylon Films: Selected Suppliers

Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Films

Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Films: Product Description & Scope

Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Films: Demand Forecast

Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Films: Selected Suppliers

Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) Films

Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) Films: Product Description & Scope

Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) Films: Demand Forecast

Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) Films: Selected Suppliers

Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) Films

Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) Films: Product Description & Scope

Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) Films: Demand Forecast

Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) Films: Selected Suppliers

Fluoropolymer Films

Fluoropolymer Films: Demand Forecast

Fluoropolymer Films: Selected Suppliers

Other Resins

Other Resins: Product Description & Scope

Other Resins: Demand Forecast

Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Films

Bio-Based Polymer Films

Polyimide Films

All Other Specialty Films

MARKETS

Key Findings

Specialty Film Demand Forecast by Market

Food Packaging

Food Packaging: Overview & Scope

Food Packaging: Specialty Film Demand

Meat, Poultry, & Seafood

Snack Food

Produce

Dairy Products

Baked Goods

Candy

Other Food

Nonfood Packaging

Nonfood Packaging: Demand Forecast

Pharmaceutical & Medical

Other Nonfood Packaging

Personal Care Products

Personal Care Products: Overview & Scope

Personal Care Products: Specialty Film Demand

Construction

Construction: Scope & Product Description

Construction: Specialty Film Demand

Windows

Vapor Barriers

Other Construction Applications

Transportation Equipment

Transportation Equipment: Specialty Film Demand

Automotive

Aerospace & Other Transportation Equipment

Electronics

Electronics: Overview & Scope

Electronics: Specialty Film Demand

Displays

Printed Circuits

Batteries & Fuel Cells

Photovoltaic Modules

Other Electronics

Other Markets

Other Markets: Demand Forecast

Health & Medical Products

Bags

All Other Markets

INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

Key Findings & Industry Composition

Market Share

Mergers & Acquisitions

Cooperative Agreements

Marketing & Distribution

Competitive Strategies

List of Industry Participants

APPENDIX

Scope

Definitions

Abbreviations

Freedonia Methodology

Study-Specific Methodology

Sources

Associations & Agencies

Related Studies & Reports

Macroeconomic Assumptions

Economic Environment

Demographics

Manufacturers' Shipments

Construction Expenditures

List of Tables

OVERVIEW

Table 2-1 | Selected Film Technologies

Table 2-2 | Specialty Film Raw Material Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million pounds & million dollars)

Table 2-3 | Specialty Film Market, 2008 - 2018

FUNCTIONS

Table 3-1 | Specialty Film Demand by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars & million pounds)

Table 3-2 | Barrier Specialty Film Demand by Film Type & Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-3 | Oxygen Barrier Properties of Selected Resins

Table 3-4 | Oxygen & Other Gas Barrier Film Demand by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-5 | Moisture Barrier Properties of Selected Resins

Table 3-6 | Moisture Barrier Film Demand by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-7 | Corrosion Barrier Film Demand by Technology, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-8 | Corrosion Barrier Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Table 3-9 | Other Specialty Barrier Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-10 | Selected Markets & Applications for Microporous Films

Table 3-11 | Microporous Film Demand by Film Type, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-12 | Selected Microporous Film Suppliers & Products

Table 3-13 | Safety & Security Film Demand by Film Type & Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-14 | Interlayer Safety & Security Film Demand by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-15 | Surface Safety & Security Film Demand by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-16 | Conductive & Insulative Film Demand by Film Type & Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-17 | Light Control Film Demand by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-18 | Water Soluble Film Demand by Application, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-19 | MonoSol PVOH Film Capacity Expansions, 2007 - 2018

Table 3-20 | Biodegradable Film Demand by Application, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-21 | Selected Biodegradable Film Suppliers & Products

Table 3-22 | Other Specialty Film Demand By Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 3-23 | Resins, Characteristics, & Applications for Selected Other Specialty Films

RESINS

Table 4-1 | Specialty Film Demand by Resin, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-2 | Specialty Polyolefin Films: Selected Resins, Applications, & Advantages & Disadvantages

Table 4-3 | Specialty Polyolefin Film Demand by Function & Resin, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-4 | Specialty Polyolefin Films: Selected Suppliers & Products

Table 4-5 | Specialty Polyester Films: Selected Resins, Applications, & Advantages & Disadvantages

Table 4-6 | Specialty Polyester Film Demand by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-7 | Selected Specialty Polyester Film Suppliers

Table 4-8 | Specialty Nylon Film Demand by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-9 | Specialty Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol Films: Advantages, Disadvantages, Formulations, & Applications

Table 4-10 | Specialty Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-11 | Specialty Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-12 | Specialty Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-13 | Specialty Fluoropolymer Film Demand by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 4-14 | Selected Fluoropolymer Characteristics, Applications, & Selected Suppliers by Resin

Table 4-15 | Other Specialty Film Resins: Characteristics & Applications

Table 4-16 | Other Specialty Film Resin Demand by Resin, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

MARKETS

Table 5-1 | Specialty Film Demand by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-2 | Food Packaging Specialty Film Demand by Application & Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-3 | Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Packaging Specialty Films: Selected Packaging Applications & Characteristics

Table 5-4 | Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Packaging Specialty Films: Selected Resins, Characteristics, & Applications

Table 5-5 | Snack Food Packaging Specialty Films: Selected Resins & Characteristics

Table 5-6 | Nonfood Packaging Specialty Film Demand by Application & Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-7 | Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-8 | Other Nonfood Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-9 | Personal Care Product Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-10 | Construction Market for Specialty Film Demand by Application & Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-11 | Transportation Equipment Specialty Film Demand by Application & Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-12 | Electronics Specialty Film: Selected Segments, Applications, & Characteristics

Table 5-13 | Electronics Specialty Film Demand by Application & Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Table 5-14 | Other Markets for Specialty Film Demand by Application, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

Table 6-1 | US Specialty Film Sales by Company, 2018 (million dollars)

Table 6-2 | Selected Mergers & Acquisitions

Table 6-3 | Selected Cooperative Agreements

APPENDIX

Table 7-1 | Relevant Industry Codes

Table 7-2 | Abbreviations & Acronyms Used in Study

Table 7-3 | US Macroeconomic Indicators, 2008 - 2023 (billion 2012 dollars)

Table 7-4 | US Population & Households, 2008 - 2023 (million persons)

Table 7-5 | US Manufacturers' Shipments, 2008 - 2023 (billion dollars)

Table 7-6 | Construction Expenditures, 2008 - 2023 (billion dollars)

List of Figures

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Figure 1-1 | US Specialty Films Market

OVERVIEW

Figure 2-1 | Key Trends In the Specialty Films Market

Figure 2-2 | Specialty Film Demand & Manufacturers' Shipments, 2008 - 2018

FUNCTIONS

Figure 3-1 | Specialty Films Functions

Figure 3-2 | Specialty Film Demand Share by Function, 2018 (billion dollars)

Figure 3-3 | Barrier Specialty Film Demand Share by Film Type & Market, 2018 (billion dollars)

Figure 3-4 | Oxygen & Other Gas Barrier Film Demand Share by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-5 | Moisture Barrier Film Demand Share by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-6 | Corrosion Barrier Film Demand Share by Technology, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-7 | Other Specialty Barrier Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-8 | Microporous Film Demand Share by Film Type, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-9 | Safety & Security Film Demand Share by Film Type, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-10 | Interlayer Safety & Security Film Demand Share by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-11 | Surface Safety & Security Film Demand Share by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-12 | Conductive & Insulative Film Demand Share by Film Type, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-13 | Light Control Film Demand Share by Market, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-14 | Water Soluble Film Demand Share by Application, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 3-15 | Biodegradable Film Demand Share by Application, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

RESINS

Figure 4-1 | Resins Used in Specialty Films

Figure 4-2 | Specialty Film Demand Share by Resin, 2018 (billion dollars)

Figure 4-3 | Specialty Polyolefin Film Demand Share by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-4 | Specialty Polyester Film Demand Share by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-5 | Specialty Nylon Film Demand Share by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-6 | Specialty Ethylene Vinyl Alcohol (EVOH) Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-7 | Specialty Polyvinyl Butyral (PVB) Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-8 | Specialty Polyvinylidene Chloride (PVDC) Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-9 | Specialty Fluoropolymer Film Demand Share by Function, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-10 | Other Specialty Film Resin Demand Share by Resin, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-11 | Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-12 | Bio-Based Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-13 | Polyimide Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 4-14 | All Other Specialty Film Resin Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

MARKETS

Figure 5-1 | Specialty Films Markets

Figure 5-2 | Specialty Film Demand Share by Market, 2018 (billion dollars)

Figure 5-3 | Food Packaging Specialty Film Demand Share by Application, 2008 - 2023 (billion dollars)

Figure 5-4 | Meat, Poultry, & Seafood Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-5 | Snack Foods Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-6 | Produce Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-7 | Dairy Product Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-8 | Baked Good Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-9 | Candy Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-10 | Other Food Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-11 | Pharmaceutical & Medical Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-12 | Other Nonfood Packaging Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-13 | Personal Care Product Specialty Film Demand Share by Application, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-14 | Windows Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-15 | Vapor Barrier Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-16 | Other Construction Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-17 | Automotive Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-18 | Aerospace & Other Transportation Equipment Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-19 | Display Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-20 | Printed Circuit Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-21 | Battery & Fuel Cell Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-22 | Photovoltaic Module Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-23 | Other Electronic Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-24 | Health & Medical Product Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-25 | Bag Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

Figure 5-26 | All Other Markets for Specialty Film Demand, 2008 - 2023 (million dollars)

INDUSTRY STRUCTURE

Figure 6-1 | Specialty Film Market Share, 2018 (billion dollars)

Figure 6-2 | Specialty Films: Market Leader

Figure 6-3 | Specialty Films: Second Market Leader

Figure 6-4 | Specialty Films: Third Market Leader

Figure 6-5 | Specialty Films: Fourth Market Leader

Figure 6-6 | Specialty Films: Fifth Market Leader

Figure 6-7 | Specialty Films: Sixth Market Leader

APPENDIX

Figure 7-1 | Annual Population Growth, 2003 - 2018 (percent)