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Pressure On Plasticizers

In a world without plasticizers, all objects made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) would be as hard and rigid as sewer pipes. But thanks to a class of compounds called phthalates, PVC can be soft, flexible, and durable, making it attractive for use in endless applications—artificial leather, electrical wire insulation, and garden hoses, to name a few. Phthalates provide flexibility to vinyl products, but they are also controversial. Concerns—justified or not—have been bubbling up for more than a decade over their potential to disrupt hormones and cause reproductive and developmental effects. As a result, the plasticizer industry is in a state of flux, scrambling to adapt to ever-changing demands from regulators and the marketplace. And it’s a big marketplace. The global plasticizer market was about 8 million metric tons last year, according to IHS Chemical, a market research firm. Phthalates make up about 70% of that volume, IHS says. The plasticizers ...