Higher-performance and easier processing PE film resins for packaging, a one-pass crosslinked PE for photovoltaic (PV) wire and cable, several higher-performing nylons and TPEs, “greener” plastics, and enhanced styrenic and PC resins are among the new materials that made their debut at the big show in Orlando, Fla., last month.
After falling almost continuously through the second half of 2011, prices of PE, PS, and PVC were all on the way up last month, with PE prices already rebounding by the end of December.
Do you have a sustainability officer yet? You might need one. It's probably even more likely that your customers have one, and you will have to pay attention to them if you want to continue to supply them with plastic parts or products.
As we enter the fourth quarter, price relief has already been felt in the four major commodity thermoplastics and four large-volume engineering resins.