Nonmetal Materials

Materials are substances we use to produce articles, devices, structures, machines and other products. They mainly include metal materials (see metals and metal products described above) and inorganic nonmetal materials. With progress made in production and technologies, especially the development of inorganic chemical industry and organic chemical industry, many new nonmetal materials have been manufactured and synthesized with natural minerals, plants and petroleum as raw materials. Examples of these materials include synthetic resins (plastics), synthetic rubbers, synthetic fibers, cement, artificial graphite and specialty ceramics (See Table 1 for detail). Owing to their excellent properties, these nonmetal materials are superior to natural nonmetal materials and some metal materials. Their applications in modern industry have therefore been constantly widened.

Organic nonmetal materials are technology-intensive new materials. They mainly include high-end chemical materials in new fields, high-end varieties of traditional chemical materials and new materials produced through secondary processing (such as modified plastics and functional membrane materials) (See Table 2 for detail). Organic nonmetal materials and composite materials are also collectively called new chemical materials. New chemical materials are extensively used in various fields of the national economy and people’s lives. Major applications are in automobile, electronic, construction, daily articles and aviation/aerospace sectors. 

The world’s output value of new chemical materials was $540 billion in 2010. The figure reached $700 billion in 2015, with a CAGR of 5.5%, higher than the global GDP growth in that period. The global output value of new chemical materials is expected to reach $850 billion in 2020, with a CAGR of 4%. Modified plastic is a variety of new chemical materials with the highest output value, accounting for about 35% of the world’s total output value. In addition, output values of polyurethane, engineering materials, composite materials, organofluorine materials and specialty rubbers are also quite high.

The output value of new chemical materials in China is estimated to exceed RMB 1 trillion, with a CAGR of over 6% during 2015-2020. Composite materials, polyurethane and modified plastics are also major categories of the new chemical material sector in China and their total output value accounted for about 53% of the national total in 2015. Polyurethane, high-performance polyolefins and composite materials production can still maintain high profits now. Nanometer materials, functional polymers and membrane materials will be categories with the most rapid growth in the new chemical material sector and the average annual growth will be close to or above 10%, much higher than the GDP growth in the same period. Specialty fibers, functional polymer materials, biomass-based materials, nanometer materials, specialty coatings, fluorosilicon materials, specialty rubbers, specialty adhesives and membrane materials will be highly profitable in the future. Graphene, carbon nanotubes and 3D printing consumables and other new materials feature high technical barriers, high profits and high growth and deserve constant attention.

Plastic modification and processing is the most convenient and most rapid way to get new polymer materials (compounds) with unique functions and achieving cost-effectiveness. To solve problems faced in making high performance plastic products and parts, the engineering of conventional plastics, the making of high performance engineering plastics and the processability of specialty engineering plastics is the key to narrowing the gap between China and advanced countries in plastic modification and processing.

Nonmetal materials, especially new chemical materials, are key materials urgently needed in high-performance products and parts used in automobile, aviation/aerospace, communication/transportation and electronic/electric sectors and also major items defined in the National Medium and Long-term Science and Technology Development Plan Outline (2006-2020)”. Industrial policies and five-year plans in China all vigorously encourage the development of high-end polyolefin plastics, high-performance rubbers, engineering plastics, polyurethane materials and elastomers, fluorosilicon materials, degradable plastics, high-performance fibers and functional membrane materials.