Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE) Market Size, Share, Opportunities, And Trends By Technology (Extrusion Molding, Injection Molding), By Application (Film And Sheet, Tubes, Wire And Cable, Coatings, Others), By End-Use (Nuclear, Medical, Aerospace & Defense, Construction, Automotive, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2023 To 2028

Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene is a chemical and plastic component manufactured using injection molding or extrusion molding technology by chemical manufacturing companies to be applied for several processes such as the manufacture of films, sheets, tubes, wires, cables, and coatings to be used across a wide range of industries including nuclear, medical, aerospace, defence, construction, and automotive fields. Ethylene and tetrafluoroethylene are the copolymers that are moderately fluorinated to create the fluorine-based plastic called ethylene tetrafluoroethylene whose first commercial production originated at DuPont during the 1970s. The rising demand for ETFE materials in certain industries such as horticulture, nuclear, and construction sectors is expected to propel the growth of the ethylene tetrafluoroethylene market over the forecast period.

Market Drivers

• The innovations in greenhouse technology

The constant research and development activities by farming and horticultural companies are resulting in the advancement of greenhouse technology. For instance, AppHarvest, the biggest greenhouse in the US with the ability to produce vegetables by consuming 90% lesser amount of water than conventional farming methods was launched in November 2020. The rise in the innovation of greenhouse technology encourages new entrants into the greenhouse market and offers an opportunity for the consumption of ETFE by creating new greenhouses. For example, the Ackerlei Biolandbetrieb business in Germany opened a new greenhouse facility in March 2022 equipped with a slim ETFE film, F-Clean manufactured by the AGC Chemicals Americas Company. In addition, the RIPEHouse project conducted by the Crop Health and Protection Solutions Organization revealed the crop yield benefits of replacing the glass with ethylene tetrafluoroethylene material in greenhouses in October 2022 which is encouraging the commercial manufacture of ETFE for greenhouses.

• Increasing demand from construction and architecture sector

The growth in consumption of ethylene tetrafluoroethylene in the construction and architecture sector can be attributed to its self-cleaning qualities. The installation of ETFE films as a surface structure facilitates the cleaning of dirt and dust from surfaces only by using external forces such as wind and rain. For instance, a significant part of the Wildlife Explorers Basecamp constructed by the San Diego Zoo in March 2022 employed ethylene tetrafluoroethylene material. In addition, an increasing number of stadiums around the world are consuming ETFE foils due to their light and weather-resistance properties. The use of ETFE by famous architectural building designs such as the So-Fi stadium, Beijing National Aquatics Center, Shanghai Disney Resort Tomorrowland, the U.S. Bank Stadium, and the Estadio Cuauhtémoc stadium in Mexico are encouraging the construction of new stadiums using ETFE materials. For instance, the Chongqing Longxing football stadium constructed in 2022 utilized ETFE roofing membrane materials to cover its entire stadium of 30,000 sq. meters. The employment of ETFE can lower expenses by 10% in small-scale construction projects while in large-scale projects the expense reduction can amount to up to 60%. In construction projects, ETFE films can be integrated through the welding process at installation, which lowers construction costs further. Therefore, the rise in architectural designs adopting ETFE membrane and film solutions is driving the demand for ETFE in the construction sector.

Product Offerings

• DyneonTM Fluoroplastic ET 6218Z by 3M – 3M is a US-based science and specialty solutions manufacturing company that produces an ETFE product range that includes MFI grade DyneonTM Fluoroplastic ET 6218Z to be applied in the process of injection molding and extruding monofilaments. 
• ETFE films by AGC Chemicals Americas – AGC Chemicals Americas is a US-based chemical manufacturing company owned by AGC Inc. that produces two different types of ETFE film products, F-CLEAN ETFE film and Fluon ETFE film. The F-Clean film is manufactured for greenhouse applications while Floun film is produced for use as other construction material.
• Neoflon ETFE EP by Daikin Industries, Ltd.– Daikin Industries, Ltd. is a Japan-based international manufacturing company that produces an ETFE product range named Neoflon ETFE EP as part of its Fluoropolymer chemical division. This product line consists of seven ETFE products of varying grades and features to be used across different applications. 

Asia Pacific region contributes majorly to the ethylene tetrafluoroethylene market and is expected to remain steady over the forecast period.

The ethylene tetrafluoroethylene market in the Asia Pacific region is promoted by the increasing development in its nuclear industry. The World Nuclear Organization revealed that the nuclear industry in Asian economies is witnessing enormous development due to the presence of approximately 140 working nuclear reactors. In addition, China and India countries in the region are emerging as nuclear countries since China is constructing 22 new nuclear reactors and further planned the construction of 46 more reactors. Ethylene tetrafluoroethylene is extensively used in the nuclear sector for producing cables and wires to be used in nuclear plants. Therefore, the development in the nuclear industry of the region offers an opportunity for the expansion of the ethylene tetrafluoroethylene market over the forecast period.

Key Market Segments:

• By Technology
  • Extrusion Molding
  • Injection Molding
• By Application
  • Film and Sheet
  • Tubes
  • Wire and Cable
  • Coatings
  • Others
• By End-Use
  • Nuclear
  • Medical
  • Aerospace & Defense
  • Construction
  • Automotive
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • USA
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • United Kingdom
    • Spain
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Saudi Arabia
    • UAE
    • Israel
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • China
    • Japan
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • Taiwan
    • Others