Propylene oxide is a clear colorless, low boiling, highly volatile liquid with an ethereal odor. It is highly flammable and reactive. Propylene oxide is traditionally made by chlorohydrins and epoxidation path but modern way of producing propylene oxide is based on hydrogen peroxide. Propylene oxide is primarily used for the production of numerous commercial materials such as cosmetics, fragrance, solvents, carriers, humectants, residential & commercial construction and surfactants.

Figure 1: Global Propylene Oxide Market by Value 2015 - 2023

Market Insights

The global propylene oxide market was sized over USD XX billion in 2015. The global propylene oxide market is projected to grow with a CAGR between 3.0% and 3.5%. Increasing demand for polyether polyols, which is mainly used in the production of polyurethanes and for several end user applications such as packaging, footwear, construction and furniture is the prime factor driving the growth of global propylene oxide market. Furthermore, huge demand for propylene glycol as a construction chemical to be used in paints, adhesives, waterproofing material and coatings will drive the propylene oxide market globally over the forecast period.

Moreover, rising demand for polyurethanes in the automotive industry, sealants and thermal industries which in turn drive the global propylene oxide market as polyurethanes are manufactured using propylene oxide. However, toxic nature of propylene oxide and volatility in raw material prices required for the manufacturing of propylene oxide are the key factors restraining the growth of global propylene oxide market over the forecast period. Nevertheless, rapid industrialization linked with increasing disposable income and growing manufacturing base in developing economies will bring more opportunities to the global propylene oxide market. Hence, emerging substitutes for propylene oxide such as alkylene carbonate will be the major challenge faced by the global propylene oxide market over the forecast period. 

Segments Covered:

The report segments the propylene oxide market by application, by production process and by region. Market segmentation based on application includes propylene glycol, polyether polyols, di-propylene glycol, glycol ethers and others. Moreover, the global propylene oxide market based on production process is segmented into chlorohydrin process, propylene oxide only cumene-based process, propylene oxide (PO)/tertiary butyl alcohol (TBA) process, propylene oxide (PO)/styrene monomer (SM) process, hydroperoxide process and others.

Geographic Coverage and Analysis:

The report provides regional analysis covering geographies such as North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the World. In this section the key trends and market size for each geography is provided over the period of 2017 – 2023.

Figure 2: Global Propylene Oxide Market by Region

Asia Pacific is the largest region in propylene oxide market owing to more than 60% market share and is likely to continue its dominance due to rapid growth in construction and automotive industry. Moreover, Asia Pacific is likely to grow at the highest CAGR rate over the forecast period due to increasing production capacity in polyurethanes and high availability of raw materials for the production of propylene oxide especially in China and India. North America followed by Europe was accounted as the second largest market in terms of consumption of propylene oxide in 2016. Moreover, The North America region is likely to witness significant growth due to increasing automotive and electronic industry across the region over the forecast period. However, Europe is expected to grow moderately due to stringent environment & safety regulation and economic slowdown. Nevertheless, RoW and Latin America propylene oxide market is likely to witness a substantial boom due to developing infrastructure and increasing end use industries especially in economies such as Brazil, Mexico and Middle East.

Companies Profiled:

The companies covered in the report include LyondellBasell Industries, The Dow Chemical Company, Asahi Glass Company Ltd., BASF SE, Royal Dutch Shell, Huntsman International LLC, SABIC, Repsol, Balchem, INEOS Group Ltd., Nihon Oxirane Company Ltd., Tokuyama Corp. and Manali Petrochemical Limited.

Report Highlights:

The report provides deep insights on demand forecasts, market trends and micro and macro indicators. In addition, this report provides insights on the factors that are driving and restraining the demand of propylene oxide globally as well as regionally. Moreover, IGR-Growth Matrix analysis given in the report brings an insight on the investment areas that existing or new market players can consider. The report provides insights into the market using analytical tools such as Porter’s five forces analysis and value chain analysis of propylene oxide.

Moreover, the study highlights current market trends and provides forecast from 2017 to 2023. We also have highlighted future trends in the propylene oxide market that will impact the demand during the forecast period. Moreover, the competitive analysis given in each regional market brings an insight on the market share of the leading players. Additionally, the analysis highlights rise and fall in the market shares of the key players in the market. This report will help manufacturers, suppliers and distributors of the propylene oxide market to understand the present and future trends in this market and formulate their strategies accordingly.