Have you ever used foam craft sheets, cushioned sports equipment, or floor mats? If so, you should be aware that everything on this list is composed of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA).
What are EVA Resins & Films and What Properties Does It Exhibit?
Ethylene-vinyl acetate is the name of the copolymer made of ethylene and vinyl acetate (EVA). The weight percentage of vinyl acetate normally ranges from 10 to 40%, with ethylene making up the remaining portion.
As the VA concentration rises, the EVA resin starts to resemble rubber more and more. EVA is superior to pure polyethylene. They both come from the polyolefin family. In general, there are three basic varieties of EVA copolymer, which vary in the amount of vinyl acetate (VA) present and the applications for which they are employed.
EVA has numerous desirable attributes, including low cost, excellent adhesion to a wide range of polar and nonporous substrates, superior flex-crack and puncture resistance, good hot-tack, and heat-sealing, as well as many more. This thermoplastic resin is typically copolymerized with materials like LDPE and LLDPE or added to a multilayer film.
EVA can be found in copolymers and mixes in concentrations of 2% to 25%. It enhances the clarity and sealability of the olefins (LDPE/LLDPE), while more EVA is commonly added to lower the melting point and increase low-temperature performance.
EVA copolymers with vinyl acetate concentrations between 10 and 30 percent are used in a variety of applications in the packaging and plastic goods sectors. One of the major uses for sealants is to increase impact resistance in footwear, wire and cable insulation, pipelines, toys, corks, photovoltaic encapsulation, medical packaging, hot melt adhesives, and glass lamination.
Benefits and properties of EVA Resins & Films:
- High transparency and flexibility
- Crack prevention
- Flexibility and durability in both cold and warmer environments
- Easily processed using both thermoplastic and rubber manufacturing techniques
Resilient - Enhanced transparency and more vinyl acetate
- A strong tensile capacity
- Excellent heal seal strength
- Lighter than PVC by 30%
- Flexible at low temperatures.
- Outstanding thermal resistance
What Is The Developmental Scenario Of the Eva Resins & Films Industry?
Ethyl vinyl acetate is frequently employed in business due to its ability to withstand weather, extreme environmental conditions, and agents like chemicals, oil, and other substances. Because of its tremendous flexibility and adaptability, EVA is used in many different industries, including healthcare, reformation, automobiles, and electronics.
Kids’ shoes are increasingly using EVA resins manufactured from biomaterials. Rich petrochemical companies are putting more money into research and development for sugarcane-based EVA, which is used in the automotive, footwear, and transportation industries, in order to expand their range of renewable chemicals.
- The demand for footwear is expanding significantly along with the global population, which the World Bank estimates will reach 7.76 billion by the end of 2020, up from 6.92 billion in the year 2010. As a result, there is an increasing need for varied footwear materials and components among footwear makers. As different types of footwear employ EVA resins to make their soles, the demand for EVA in the footwear sector is expected to rise along with the demand for footwear components.
These developments are raising sales in the global EVA resins & films market. Renewable EVA resins & films are actively marketed as a way to lower greenhouse gas emissions since these resins capture carbon dioxide (C02) throughout their manufacturing process. Chemical companies are collaborating to develop bio-based EVA resins for use in the creation of insoles for footwear.
- The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) estimates that by 2021, there will be 843086 MW of solar energy deployed worldwide, up from 72216 MW in 2011. Thus, it is anticipated that the spike in demand for solar PV panels will fuel demand for ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resins and films, which will in turn fuel market growth in the years to come.
The continually evolving construction industry offers value-grab chances to businesses in the EVA resins & films market. As a result, there is a consistent demand in the building industry for EVA laminated glass films. EVA films are frequently used as sealants in photovoltaic solar modules, which are the building blocks of solar panels. These laminating sheets aid in the capture and maintenance of the solar cells as they are drawn under the panel. In addition to the cosmetics and agricultural industries, the use of EVA resins and films in the solar sector is growing.
How Are These Resins Faring Geographically and Gaining Rapid Attention in Multiple Industries?
Asian countries provide the majority of EVA resin and film supplies. Businesses in Italy are increasing their production capabilities to meet the distinctive and creative project requirements of Italian consumers. Companies are increasing their R&D efforts to look into cutting-edge glass processing methods. For usage in glass laminating applications, they have a variety of EVA interlayers.
- For instance, the cumulative annual PV installations in China by the end of 2025 are expected to cross 370 GWdc.
- On the other hand, according to the statistics by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of the Government of India, the total stand-alone power plants in India touched 216407.67 kW as of 31st March 2021, up from 150001.44 kW as of 31st March 2016.
- Furthermore, according to the statistics by the IEA, net solar PV additions in China, Japan, and India, in the year 2020, touched 48.2 GW, 3.9 GW, and 8.7 GW respectively.
Companies in the EVA resins & films market are investing in state-of-the-art extrusion plants to provide customers with high-quality goods. Manufacturers are increasing their research spending to better understand the dynamics of quality control in products that fulfill specific client requirements. Manufacturers of interlayers based on EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) are investing in new production facilities to boost their supply of EVA resins and films.
EVA is one of the most favored, reasonably priced, and often utilized industrial hot melt adhesives. They bond to many kinds of cellulosic materials and have a diversity of compositions. Despite being reasonably priced, they deliver subpar performance. Like most other hot melts, they have little creep resistance when loaded. Throughout the projected period, it is anticipated that the hot melt adhesives market would expand steadily.
Conclusively
Several sectors continue to profit from the broad range of EVA resin and film uses, which is assisting revenue development globally and fostering improvements in manufacturing technology. As a result, the product is anticipated to generate additional revenue streams and profit from a number of stakeholders.