PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM SRI INTERNATIONAL Abstract Process Economics Program Report No. 159A SPECIALTY PLASTIC FILMS (September 1988) Menlo Park, California 94025 This report covers the technologies and economics for the production of specialty plastic films. Investment and production costs are presented for manufacturing the following specialty films: Agricultural films--eva and PVC Microporous films--pp and PET Fluoropolymer films--fep and PFA a Polycarbonate film (PC) Polyimide film (PI). The report also reviews the current status of the plastic film industry. PEP 85 JJLM
Report No. 159A SPECIALTY PLASTIC FILMS SUPPLEMENT A JAMES J. L. MA September 1988 A private report by the PROCESS ECONOMICS PROGRAM Menlo Park, California 94025
I I For detailed marketing data and information, the reader is referred to one of the SRI programs specializing in marketing research. The Chemical Economics Handbook Program covers most major chemicals and chemical products produced in the United States and the World Petrochemicals Program covers major hydrocarbons and their derivatives on a worldwide basis. In addition, the SRI Directory of Chemical Procfucefs services provide detailed lists of chemical producers by company, product, and plant for the United States and Western Europe. I I
CONTENTS INTRODUCTION... l-l SUMMARY... 2-l General Aspects... 2-l Economic Aspects... 2-3 Market Prices... 2-7 Technical Aspects... 2-7 INDUSTRY STATUS... 3-l Commodity Films... 3-l Special Commodity Films... 3-9 Specialty Films Covered in this Report... 3-10 Agricultural Films... 3-10 Microporous Films... 3-l 1 Fluoropolymer Films... 3-12 Polycarbonate Films... 3-13 Polyimide Films... 3-14 Other High Performance Films... 3-15 AGRICULTURAL FILMS... 4-l Property Requirements... 4-l UV Resistance... 4-l Antifogging... 4-3 Coloring... 4-3 Width and Thickness... 4-4 Review of Patents... 4-4 Design and Estimate Bases... 4-5 Process Description... 4-7 Process Discussion... 4-12 Cost Estimates... 4-13 Capital Costs... 4-13 Production Costs... 4-14 Discussion of Costs... 4-22 5 MICROPOROUS FILMS... 5-l Film properties... 5-l Review of Patents... 5-4 Design and Estimate Bases... 5-6 Process Description... 5-6 Microporous PP Films... 5-6 Microporous PET Film... 5-10.*. ill
5 MICROPOROUS FILMS (Continued) Process Discussion... 5-16 Cost Estimates... 5-17 Capital Costs... 5-17 Production Costs... 5-17 Discussion of Costs... 5-25 6 FLUOROPOLYMER FILMS... 6-l Film Categories... 6-l Film Width and Thickness... 6-2 Production Technologies... 6-2 Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)... 6-2 Dispersion Casting... 6-3 Calendering... 6-3 Extruding with an Aid... 6-3 Hot Pressing and Skiving... 6-4 Melt Extrudable Fluoropolymers... 6-4 Solution Castable Fluoropolymers... 6-4 Design and Estimate Bases... 6-5 Process Description... 6-7 Process Discussion... 6-l 1 Cost Estimates... 6-12 Capital Costs... 6-12 Production Costs... 6-12 Discussion of Costs... 6-13 7 POLYCARBONATE FILMS... 7-l Review of Production Technologies... 7-l Extrusion Process... 7-2 Solution Casting... 7-3 Film Properties... 7-5 Estimate Bases... 7-6 Process Description... 7-6 Process Discussion... 7-11 Cost Estimates... 7-11 Capital Cost... 7-l 1 Production Costs... 7-12 Discussion of Costs... 7-l 2 iv
CONTENTS 6 POLYIMIDE FILMS... 6-l Chemistry... 6-l Review of Patents... 8-3 Du Pont Patents... 8-3 Polymerization Conditions... 8-3 lmidization Methods... 8-4 Stretched Polyimide Film... 8-6 Patents of Other Companies... 8-6 Film Properties... 8-7 Raw Material Specifications... 8-8 Pyromellitic Dianhydride... 8-8 4,4 -Oxydianiline (ODA)... 8-9 N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC)... 8-9 Design and Estimate Bases... 8-12 Process Description... 6-14 Polymerization and Mixing (Section 100)... 6-14 Film Casting and Solvent Recovery (Section 200)... 8-15 Solvent Separation (Section 300)... 8-16 Process Discussion... 8-21 Cost Estimates... 8-22 Production Costs... 8-22 Discussion of Costs... 8-23 Appendix A PATENT SUMMARY TABLES..........*.. A-l Appendix B CITED REFERENCES.......................................... B-l Appendix C PATENT REFERENCES BY COMPANY............................ c-1 Appendix D PROCESS FLOW DIAGRAMS............... D-l V
ILLUSTRATIONS 4.1 5.1 Agricultural Films by the Bubble Blowing Process... D-3 Microporous Polypropylene and Polyester Films... D-5 6.1 7.1 7.2 6.1 8.2 6.3 Fluoropolymer Films by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process....,,......,..............,.......,. Polycarbonate Films by the Melt Extrusion-Casting Process.......... Fluoropolymer Films by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Product Value.......... Comparison of Dielectric Strength Aging of Polyimide Films...... Effect of Operating Level and Plant Capacity on Product Value.......... D-13 D-15 7-17 8-l 1 D-17 6-29 vii
2.1 Summary of Chemical and Polymer Abbreviations... 2-2 2.2 Summary of Economics--Specialty Films... 2-5 3.1 U.S. Consumption of the Major Types of Plastic Film... 3-2 3.2 Major Plastic Film Plants In the United States... 3-5 3.3 Major Producers of Fluoropolymer Films... 3-l 3 4.1 Agricultural Films Summary of Patents........................................,..,.. A-2 4.2 Agricultural Films Design and Estimate Bases........................................ 4-6 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 Agricultural Films by the Bubble Blowing Process F.O.B. Prices of Major Equipment.................................. 4-9 Agricultural Films by the Bubble Blowing Process Average Consumptions of Utilities................................... 4-l 1 EVA Agricultural Films by the Bubble Blowing Process Total Fixed Capital.................................... 4-16 PVC Agricultural Films by the Bubble Blowing Process Total Fixed Capital.................................... 4-l 7 EVA Agricultural Film by the Bubble Blowing Process Production Costs..,... 4-18 PVC Agricultural Film by the Bubble Blowing Process Production Costs................................. 4-20 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 Comparison of Microporous and Standard Polyester Films Typical Properties................................................ 5-2 Comparison of Microporous and Standard Polypropylene Films Typical Properties................................................ 5-3 Microporous Films Summary of Patents.............................................. A-10 Microporous Films Design and Estimate Bases........................................ 5-7 Microporous Polypropylene and Polyester Films F.O.B. Prices of Feedstock Spheridizing and Masterbatching Section for Microporous Polypropylene Film by the Mobil Process.............. 5-11 ix
TABLES 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.9 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 6.1 8.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 Microporous Polypropylene and Polyester Films F.O.B. Prices of Feedstock Storage and Handling Section for Microporous Polyester Film by the ICI Process..........,......... 5-12 Microporous Polypropylene and Polyester Films F.O.B. Prices of Chill-Roll Casting and Tentering Section for Microporous Polyester or Polypropylene Film....,,................ 5-13 Microporous Polypropylene and Polyester Films F.O.B. Prices of the Coating Section for Microporous Polypropylene Film.........................,....... 5-14 Microporous Polypropylene and Polyester Films Average Consumptions of Utilities....... 5-15 Microporous Polypropylene Film by the Mobil Oil Process Total Fixed Capital........*...*... 5-19 Microporous Polyester Film by the ICI Process Total Fixed Capital....................................*... 5-20 Microporous Polypropylene Film by the Mobil Process Production Costs................................................. 5-21 Microporous Polyester Film by the ICI Process Production Costs................................................. 5-23 Fluoropolymer Films Summary of Du Pont Patents......................*... A-14 Fluoropolymer Films Design and Estimate Bases...........*... 6-6 Fluoropolymer Films by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process Major Equipment and F.O.B. Prices....,...,,...,, 6-9 Fluoropolymer Films by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process Average Consumptions of Utilities..............*...*... 6-10 Fluoropolymer Films by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process Total Fixed Capital............................................... 6-14 FEP Film by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process Production Costs..,...,... 6-15 PFA Film by the Melt Extrusion and Chill-Roll Casting Process Production Costs................................................. 6-l 7
TABLES 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.8 8.7 8.8 8.9 Mechanical Properties of Polycarbonate Films......................... 7-6 Polycarbonate Films Design and Estimate Bases........................................ 7-7 Polycarbonate Films by the Melt Extrusion-Casting Process Major Equipment and F.O.B. Prices...........................*... 7-9 Average Consumptions of Utilities................................... 7-10 Polycarbonate Films by the Melt Extrusion-Casting Process Total Fixed Capital.....*...*...*... 7-14 PC Film by the Melt Extrusion-Casting Process Production Costs................................................. 7-15 Polyimide Films Summary of Patents.............................................. A-15 Comparison of Properties of Commercial Polyimide Films............... 8-10 Design and Estimate Bases........................................ 8-13 Average Stream Flows............................................ 8-17 Major Equipment................................................. 8-18 Utilities Summary.................................... n... 8-20 Total Capital Investment........................................... 8-25 Capital Investment by Section...................................... 8-26 Production Costs... 8-27 xi