The global polymer foam market size is projected to reach USD 157.63 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.73% during the forecast period. Development of biodegradable polymeric foams will play a crucial role in expanding the scope of this market, observes Fortune Business Insights™ in its report, titled “Polymer Foam Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Type (Polyurethane (PU), Polystyrene (PS), Polyethylene (PE), Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) and Others), By Application (Automotive, Building & Construction, Packaging, Furniture, Appliances, Apparel and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027”. This foam is created by dispersing gas into the polymer matrix and can take the form of expanded rubber, cellular elastomers, or sponges. Traditional polymeric foams use petroleum products as raw materials, which has led to heightened environmental concerns as these products are extensively utilized in various end-use industries. As a result, companies are now focused on developing biodegradable polymer foams that are sustainable and whose cost or production is not affected by changes in crude oil prices. For example, New York-based Ecovative Design released Myco Foam in 2016, which the company developed from mycelium, the vegetative part of the mushroom. This foam is 100% biodegradable that can substitute polystyrene in packaging and thermal insulation applications.
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Market Driver
Research into Recyclable Polymer Foams to Create Promising Prospects
An emerging trend that is expected to catalyze the polymer foam market growth is the increasing research conducted to study the viability of recycling waste polymer foams such as phenolic foam and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam. A study published in the journal ‘Industrial Crops and Products’ in 2017, which created polyurethane rigid foams from recycled PET, found that the rigidity of PU foams grew three-fold and strength enhanced two-fold after adding adipic acid and glycerol. Another study published in the journal ‘Polymer Degradation and Stability’ found that recycled rigid polyisocyanurate foams derived from recovered polyols exhibited improved mechanical properties and cellular structure compared to those made from virgin polyols. Such research studies can be utilized by players to synthesize environment-friendly polymeric foams and augment the potential of this market.
Regional Insights
Asia Pacific to Lead the Market Backed up High Consumption of Polymer Materials
Asia Pacific, with market size of USD 50.36 billion in 2019, is expected to dominate the polymer foam market share during the forecast period owing to the consistently high demand and consumption of polymerized materials. This trend is mainly driven by the exponential growth in building & construction activities in the developing economies of India, China, Vietnam, and Bangladesh.
In Europe, the market is anticipated to grow at a remarkable pace on account of wide utilization of these polymer type of foams in automotive interiors and augmenting the safety quotient in vehicles. In North America, increasing demand for effective insulation materials for food packaging will be the prime factor driving the regional market growth.
