CELLULOSE ACETATE FIBERS MARKET ANALYSIS

The global cellulose acetate fibers market size is projected to surpass US$ 7.8 billion by 2027, and register a CAGR of 9.1% over the forecast period (2019 - 2027).

Market Overview

Cellulose acetate fibre is a type of manufactured fibre associated with tree pulp cellulose, or cotton. These acetate fibres are recognized by trade names such as Estron, Acele, Celanese, Avisco, and Chromspun. In recent years, these synthetic fibres have been replaced by cheaper alternatives such as polyester and nylon. The production process of cellulose acetate fibers was first discovered in 1865, however, the commercial production was not undertaken until 1921. The acetate fabric has several valuable qualities such as low manufacturing costs, comfort, good draping, smoothness, quick drying, lustre, heat retention, and dye-ability. Moreover, it is highly renewable as it is made from wood pulp or cotton lint, resistant to moisture, able to bond with plasticisers, pressure, and heat, and solubility in organic solvents and water. Acetate fibres, however, have weaker tenacity, and need to be dry cleaned.

Market Dynamics

Acetate fabric has application as lining for clothes, sleepwear, tags and labels on clothes, gift box lining, ribbons, and other various goods owing to its breathable nature. Furthermore, acetate fabrics are used in bridal attires such as wedding gowns as they drape well, and have a smooth, shiny and glossy texture akin to silk. Typically, acetate fibres are combined with other fabrics such as polyester and rayon to make clothing. Cellulose acetate fibres have another major application as camera film and magnetic tapes owing to its light and easy to use nature. With a melting temperature (230 °C), diacetate can be mixed with appropriate plasticizers in its flake form into powders for the purpose of molding solid objects, and cast as a film. Among other applications, cellulose acetate fibers can be used in furnishings and beddings, eyeglass frames, fibre-tip pens, cigarette filters, diapers and other absorbency products, and toys such as the original Lego bricks which were produced using cellulose acetate until 1963. Therefore, the wide range of applications is expected to propel growth of the global cellulose acetate fibre market over the forecast period.

One of the disadvantages of acetate fabrics which could hamper its demand is poor fiber strength. Although, manufacturers are overriding this drawback by combining it with other fabrics such as polyester that can contribute enough strength to make it effective for practical applications.

Market Outlook

The global cellulose acetate fibres market is segmented into Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, and rest of the world. Over the past years, the highest demand for cellulose acetate fibres was observed in North America, owing to the presence of a mature market such as the U.S. Asia Pacific accounted for the second largest market share as a result of large consumer demand in China. Moreover, rapid expansion of industries such as textile and wood in emerging economies such as India has contributed to the overall growth of the Asia Pacific cellulose acetate fibres market. The Europe market is expected to grow at a steady pace over the forecast period, much like North America. However, growing demand for substitutes such as polyester and nylon in these regions is expected to affect the market growth to some extent. In terms of other regions, the market in Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East is projected to exhibit steady growth owing to increasing focus of key manufacturers on expanding their presence to untapped markets.

Key Players

Some of the key players operating in the global cellulose acetate fibres market are Bayer AG, Formosa Plastics Group, Du Pont- Akra Polyester LLC, Sinopec, and BASF AG among several others.