Stampable plastics use to grow 24% annually

By the end of this century, the worldwide market for stampable reinforced thermoplastic sheet is forecast to grow to about $1.4 billion, a 24% average annual rate over the 1987 level of $80 million, according to market researchers Kline & Co. Stampable reinforced thermoplastics are high-performance materials adaptable to many semistructural and structural applications. The incorporation of fiber reinforcements yields low-cost, high-performance composites. According to the Passaic, N.J.-based firm, stamping technology has been applied to all thermoplastics from commodities to engineering resins to highly heat-resistant materials. According to a Kline study, the technology was pioneered in the U.S. by PPG Industries with its Azdel brand polypropylene sheet. Two years ago, PPG formed a joint venture, Azdel Inc., with General Electric to exploit the technology with new base resins for new uses. The study says that overseas activity has been even greater with four major European suppliers active in thermoplast...