EVA Resins & EVA Films Market, 2028- Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2018-2028F
Segmented By Application (Solar Cell Encapsulation, Thin-Film Solar Cells, Crystalline Solar Cells, Glass Lamination, Cosmetics, Agriculture, Others), By Type (Vinyl Acetate-modified Polyethylene (Low VA Density), Thermoplastic Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (Medium VA Density), and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Rubber (High VA Density), By Region, By Competition
Global EVA Resins & EVA Films Market is anticipated to witness a robust CAGR in the forecast period 2024-2028. EVA resin is an elastomeric polymer that produces rubber-like materials that are known for their soft and flexible properties. It offers various advantages, such as UV resistance, water resistance, stress-crack resistance, chemical resistance, and excellent processability and transparency. Ethylene vinyl acetate, or EVA, is a copolymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. It is a highly flexible, durable thermoplastic with excellent clarity and gloss, with a low smell. Its use in film applications is particularly appealing since EVA has strong flex, crack, and puncture resistance, is relatively inert, attaches well to a variety of substrates, and can be heat-sealed.
Due to their exceptional adhesive qualities, transparency, and high thermal stability, EVA resins and films are becoming more and more common in the glass lamination sector. EVA films melt when heated and flow into the crevices between the glass panes, where they cool and solidify to form a bond. A laminated glass structure is the result, and it has excellent durability, safety, and noise reduction qualities. Extreme temperature resistance is one of the key benefits of employing EVA resins and films in glass lamination. EVA films can be used to laminate glass panes in high-temperature situations because of their melting point, which is between 80 and 110 °C. EVA films are additionally resistant to moisture, UV rays, and other environmental elements that could eventually cause harm.
Applications of EVA in lightweight and cutting-edge packaging options from the food industry are collectively driving the market. Due to its benefits, such as being lightweight and simple to open, carry, store, reseal, easy transport, and less waste generation, etc., the need for flexible packaging is increasing.
Furthermore, the most typical encapsulation used in the solar industry is cross-linkable ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA). The cells are laminated between films of EVA with the aid of a lamination machine under a compressed vacuum. A high-pressure reactor is used to co-polymerize the monomers of ethylene and vinyl acetate to create thermoplastic resin ethylene-vinyl acetate. It has several benefits, including outstanding heat seal strength, great flexibility even at low temperatures, durability, and crack resistance. Moreover, it is simple to process using traditional thermoplastic methods. This technique is carried out in environments that can reach 150 °C. EVA film comes in a variety of hues in addition to clear and white, and there is no plasticizer in it. The interlayer of EVA film is always placed between two sheets of glass or plastic, and it has a smooth, non-stick surface.
EVA has many uses in the film industry. Often, this resin is mixed with other film resins rather than being used alone. Significant uses include wire and cable insulation, solar encapsulation, meat and dairy packaging structures, and glass lamination for improved impact resistance. However, EVA has been replaced by metallocene PE in many of these applications since it is a poor choice for food packaging applications due to its average gas and moisture barrier properties. Furthermore, metallocene PE provides quicker hot tack and improved downgauging capabilities, enabling thinner packaging and films.
Besides this, EVA films cannot be used for UV screening because they are not UV-resistant. The ethylene vinyl acetate sheets, once laminated, are crucial in keeping dust and moisture from getting inside the solar panels. The arrangement dampens shocks and vibrations, shielding the solar cells and their circuitry from harm. Also, it prolongs the life of solar cells by preventing oxygen and other gases from oxidizing the cell while it is performing its usual power-generating function.
Apart from these, favorable government policies for EVA Resins & EVA Films and technological advancement for new applications propel the EVA Resins & EVA Films market in the forecasted period. Further, the excellent characteristics of EVA resin, such as its high impact strength, low coefficient of friction, and outstanding abrasion resistance, are boosting its demand in a variety of applications. During the forecast period, the ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) resin market is anticipated to increase because of rising demand from end-use sectors like packaging, automotive, and construction.
Increasing Demand from Various End-User Industries
EVA resins & EVA films have widespread usage, such as in biomedical engineering, where ethylene-vinyl acetate is extensively employed as a drug delivery system. EVA is frequently referred to as foam rubber or expanded rubber. It serves as padding for a variety of sporting goods, including ski boots, bicycle saddles, hockey pads, gloves, and helmets. Ethylene-vinyl acetate is also used in the photovoltaic industry as the material for solar cells is made of crystalline silicon. EVA is also frequently used in films, toys, athletic goods, flexible packaging, automobile bumpers, flexible hoses, footwear components, and other products. According to the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, the Indian packaging industry reached USD 32 billion in 2021. In addition, as per The Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies, the PMMI global food packaging market is anticipated to reach USD 400 billion by 2025 and will grow between a CAGR of 4% and 5%. Ethylene-vinyl acetate is also used in the food industry for a variety of food packaging applications, including barrier shrink bags, dry food and snack packaging, dairy and cheese packaging, beverage plastic closures, and packaging for seafood and meat.
Rising Demand from Solar Power Industry
EVA has a low photo degradability in sunlight and strong radiation transmission. As a result, it has many applications in solar cells, including as an encapsulating agent. When heat is applied to the assembly, a sealing and insulating layer is formed around the solar cells. EVA has several benefits, such as good light transmittance and elasticity, a low processing temperature, good fluidity, and adhesive properties. According to Saur Energy International Magazine, the importance of EVA sheets in solar modules is clearly and directly correlated with the demand for solar PV. In 2021, annual PV demand was 173 GW which boosted the demand for EVA Films and Resins. Moreover, about 80% of photovoltaic (PV) modules are encapsulated in EVA materials, and the cost of EVA is also low, which makes it very suitable as a solar cell encapsulation material.
Recent Developments
- Recently, in 2023, SVECK, an EVA film supplier, announced plans to build a production plant for EVA. They will build the new factory in two phases in Yancheng, China's Jiangsu, and the plant will have a total production capacity of 420 million square meters. The first phase will have a capacity of 120 million square meters across 16 production lines, and the second phase will have a total capacity of 300 million square meters with 40 production lines.
- In September 2022, Hanwha Solutions Corporation announced that it will use LyondellBasell Lupotech T high-pressure polyethylene technology to produce 300 kilotonnes of vinyl acetate copolymer EVA per year at a new site in Yeosu, South Korea.
- In 2018, Braskem developed an ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) copolymer, which is derived from sugarcane and is used in footwear applications.
Market Segmentation
Global EVA Resins & EVA Films Market is segmented based on Application and Type. Based on Applications, the market is divided into Solar Cell Encapsulation, Thin-Film Solar Cells, Crystalline Solar Cells, Glass Lamination, Cosmetics, Agriculture, and Others. Based on Type, the market is divided into Vinyl Acetate-modified Polyethylene (Low VA Density), Thermoplastic Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (Medium VA Density), and Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Rubber (High VA Density).
Market players
Arkema S.A., The Dow Chemical Company, International Polymers Company, Exxon Mobil Corporation, LG Chem Ltd, The 3m company, Hanwha Solutions Corporation, LyondellBasell Industries N.V., Mitsui Chemicals Tohcello, Inc. and Zhejiang Sinopont Technology Co., Ltd. are the key players operating in the market.
Report Scope:
In this report, global EVA Resins & EVA Films Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends, which have also been detailed below:
- EVA Resins & EVA Films Market, By Application:
- Solar Cell Encapsulation
- Thin-Film Solar Cells
- Crystalline Solar Cells
- Glass Lamination
- Cosmetics
- Agriculture
- Others
- EVA Resins & EVA Films Market, By Type:
- Vinyl Acetate-modified Polyethylene (Low VA Density)
- Thermoplastic Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (Medium VA Density)
- Ethylene Vinyl Acetate Rubber (High VA Density)
- EVA Resins & EVA Films Market, By Region:
- Europe
- France
- Germany
- United Kingdom
- Italy
- Asia-Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- Australia
- South Korea
- North America
- United States
- Canada
- Mexico
- Middle East and Africa
- Saudi Arabia
- UAE
- Qatar
- South America
- Brazil
- Argentina
- Colombia
Competitive Landscape
Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global EVA resins & EVA Films Market.
Company Information
- Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).