Following the creation of Polimeri Europa, Enichem's (Via Taramelli 26, I-20124 Milan) thermoplastics activities are now focused on styrenics. Reviewing its prospects at Plast '97, Marketing Manager for the Styrenics and Engineering Plastics Division, R. Bellintani, looked at the trends in the use of styrenics in various telectronic applications. Globally telectronics accounted for around 24% of polystyrene demand in 1994 and this is expected to have increased to nearly 29% by 2005. However, the trends are quite different within particular sectors.

For consumer electronics, such as TVs, videos, stereos, etc. market growth is fairly static with the main demand increases coming from sales of small TV models. The market is characterised by price erosion and the shift in production to Eastern Europe, although there has also been investment by Asian producers in the UK and Ireland. A key issue here is the development of halogen-free flame retardant grades for TV backs and internal parts for which Enichem has developed grades of its "Edistir" polystyrene material.

In the business machines sector there has been much stronger growth, and the market grew by 6% in 1996 according to Enichem fueled by growth in the Internet and the rising level of home computers, increasing sales of laptop computers and the need to upgrade equipment. Unlike consumer electronics there are less regulations for this sector concerning the use of materials and a wide range of styrenics can be used from basic high impact grades to V0 grades with superior UV fastness. However, the tendency in this sector is to seek cost savings by specifying less sophisticated materials. This is tending to benefit the use of polystyrene over ABS.

READER SERVICE: "La Telettronica: Nuovi orizzonti per l'impiego dei materiali stirenici" (Telectronics: New horizons for the use of styrenic materials) Speech by R. Bellintani and P. Maffezzoli (Italian/English):PIE-No. 41305 – Brochure "Enichem Styrenics and Engineering Plastics" (English):PIE-No. 41306