Market Overview

Trimellitates are additives that increase the plasticity or fluidity of a material. Trimellitates have applications in automobile industry and are used in automobile interiors where resistance to high temperature is required. Trimellitates are colorless to slightly yellow liquids with high boiling points and low vapor pressures; these properties contribute to their high physical stability. In addition, trimellitates have extremely low volatility.

Trimellitates are soluble in numerous organic solvents and miscible with ether, alcohol and oils, but essentially insoluble in water. Because of the similarity in structure as well as physicochemical properties, the trimellitates are grouped into a single category containing four substances with carboxylic side chain ester groups ranging from C8-ClO.

Trimellitates are manufactured by esterification of trimellitic anhydride (TMA). The basic structure is an aromatic ring with side chains in the 1,2 and 4 positions. Some examples of trimellitates are n-octyl trimellitate, tri-(2-ethylhexyl) trimellitate, tri-(n-octyl,n-decyl) trimellitate, trimethyl trimellitate, and tri-(heptyl,nonyl) trimellitate among others.

Majority of trimellitates are manufactured for flexible PVC applications. Trimellitates have low volatility and blend with the highest-molecular-weight phthalates and are typically used in high-specification electrical cable insulation and sheathing.

Trimelliates have advantage over other plasticizers due to their superior chemical properties and high permanence which increase the shelf life of PVC compounds subjected to elevated temperatures. In addition, trimellitates have applications in construction materials, food packaging, toys, medical devices and automobile industry.

The growth in the end user industries is expected to be a major driving factor for the consumption of trimellitates. The growth in wire and cable industry is expected to increase the consumption of trimellitates. Demand for trimellitates is also influenced by general economic conditions. Hence, demand for trimellitates follows the patterns of the major world economies. In addition, rising consumption in emerging economies is expected to boost the consumption of trimellitates. However, availability of substitutes could hamper the growth of this market.

Asia Pacific is currently the largest market for trimellites, followed by Europe, North America and rest of the world. The growth of trimelliates market was slow in Asia Pacific due to economic recession but has quickly recovered. India, china, Mongolia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Pakistan, Republic of Korea and Japan are the major markets in Asia Pacific. China has moved towards self sufficiency in manufacture of trimellites but the industry remains highly fragmented. Demand for trimellitates in North America is expected to grow at a moderate rate while demand in Europe is expected to grow at comparatively higher rate.

Some of the key players in this market are Exxon Mobil Chemical(U.S.), Shell Chemicals ( U.S), BASF (Germany), Dow Chemical (U.S.), E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (U.S.), Mitsubishi Chemical (Japan), LG Chem (South Korea), AkzoNobel (Netherlands), Sumitomo Chemical (Japan), Mitsui Chemicals (Japan), Toray Industries (Japan), Eastman Chemical Company(U.S.), and Evonik Industries (Germany) among others. Exxon Mobil Chemical manufactures trimellitate plasticizers under the brand name Jayflex.

Jayflex trimellitate plasticizers have applications in wire and cable industry that require resistance to high temperatures over long durations and in automobile interiors. BASF manufactures trimellitate plasticizers under the brand name Palatinol. Palatinol TOTM (tri octyl trimellitate) provides desirable properties in vinyl applications which require low volatility, good plasticizer compatibility, resistance to extraction by soapy water and good electrical properties. Palatinol tri octyl trimellitate is suitable for interior automotive applications and wire insulation.