According to the United States’s Freedonia Group, the annual growth rate of demand for construction chemicals in China in the next three years will remain at 10.5%, reaching US$6.6 billion, of which the annual growth rate of adhesives will be l0.5%, nearly US$900 million. The strong growth of Chinese construction chemicals, especially adhesives and sealants, has attracted many multinational companies to invest in the Chinese market.
Henkel Technologies will increase its investment in the Asia-Pacific region, especially China, and China ranks in the top five in the distribution of its global business sales. Henkel’s R&D center with a €10 million investment in Pudong, Shanghai will open in May. The center will focus on research and development of adhesives, sealants and surface treatment products for the Chinese and Asia Pacific markets. Henkel also plans to conduct adhesive research with 6 research teams at five universities in China within two years. The research plan will focus on the development of a new generation of adhesives and sealants based on silicone-modified materials.
Rohm and Haas is building an R&D center in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, which will serve as the company’s main research and technical service headquarters in China and the Asia Pacific region, including the adhesives business.
Focusing on the large Chinese market, Ashland’s Functional Materials Business Unit is expanding its adhesive and sealant installations in the United States and Asia; US National Starch Corp has considered adding adhesive production facilities in China in the next 18 months; Fuller Company is also optimistic China's potential for growth is establishing joint ventures to enhance its business. The adhesive joint ventures they established in Japan and China in cooperation with Japan's Sekisui Chemical Co., Ltd. will start production on April 1 this year.
With the development of some emerging industries, especially the food and beverage industry, the demand for pressure-sensitive label materials is strong. Avery Dennison plans to expand its production of pressure sensitive materials in developing markets, particularly in China and India.
Source: China Adhesive Network News Center