Market Reports
The Future of Medical Elastomers to 2025
Covid-19 adds to demand growth for elastomers in medical devices
Data from The Future of Medical Elastomers to 2025 charts how demand for thermoplastic elastomers, synthetic elastomers and natural rubber in this industry will continue to rise at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0% to reach 1.28 million tonnes in 2025.
This represents an acceleration on what was already a high growth rate compared to some other elastomer end-use segments. In the short-term the risk of transmission of infectious diseases in hospitals and clinics – and coronavirus in particular – will have a real and positive impact on the growth of medical elastomers, especially those used in syringes and vial stoppers.
Elastomers have a role in multiple medical devices, from utilitarian colostomy bags or sheeting, to more critical equipment, such as surgical instruments, and ventilators and breathing systems. Medical grades represent an attractive option for suppliers as the economic outlook for other major industries that use elastomers – such as automobile manufacture and aviation – is likely to be more depressed in years to come.
Smithers expert analysis identifies the other leading market trends that will characterise the use and selection of medical elastomers over the next five years as:
- General increases in healthcare budgets, especially for treating chronic conditions as populations age in the developed world, and emerging economies invest in better healthcare infrastructure
- The new EU Medical Device Regulation (MDR) is pushing device OEMs to use TPEs – mainly TPS – in place of plasticised PVC and vulcanised elastomers
- The introduction of stricter regulations, in particular on the use of polymers in medical devices
- The transfer of elastomer-based medical end uses, from certain advanced countries, such as the US, to those without suitable production and product technology will increase
- Major producers – especially Thailand – will reduce their output of natural rubber, while production is being afflicted by the rubber tree leaf blight
- A shortfall in butadiene supply will impact elastomers made using it.
Find out more information and gain a full list of contents and figures here: The Future of Medical Elastomers to 2025.