Environmental protection has an increasingly noticeable impact on consumer products. One major change has been both the makeup of available products in the marketplace and the composition of chemicals used, with producers gradually shifting to more environmentally friendly options. While this transformation is due in large part to regulations and environmental laws, consumer preference is undoubtedly shaping the industry from the front end.

Consumers prefer green products because they are seen as safer and cleaner than traditionally manufactured alternatives. From organic shampoos and lotions to bio-based cleaning products to natural paints and coatings, green products are becoming increasingly prevalent in the modern marketplace.

Both residential and nonresidential construction markets are on solid footing, and steady gains can be expected over the next 12 to 18 months. In 2016, year-to-date new home sales are up 9 percent and existing home sales are up about 5.5 percent, according the latest US Census and National Realtors Association.

Furthermore, housing prices are trending upwards and have increased 5 to 6 percent compared to the same period the year before.[1] The US Census indicated in May that the residential housing market was on pace for about 1.164 million starts for 2016, while Freedonia anticipates new residential housing starts will ultimately reach above 1.2 million for the year. In addition, home builder confidence has remained positive throughout all of 2016.[2]

U.S. sales for natural polymers will exceed $5 billion in 2020. Natural polymers are polymeric products derived from plant and/or animal sources, including copolymers containing synthetic compounds such as cellulose ethers, starch and fermentation products, exudate and vegetable gums, protein-based polymers, marine polymers, and others.   

These natural ingredients are used extensively in the large food and beverage industry. However, the medical market will take over as the largest outlet for natural polymers by 2020. A slowdown in oil and gas drilling activity will restrain growth for natural polymer use in this industry, especially for gums and other polymers that are used as additives in drilling and fracturing fluids. Read on to see how the many and varied natural polymers are used, and learn how the demand is shifting.

As of 2015, the global market for graphene remained in its infancy, with approximately three-fourths of spending dedicated to R&D activities. Challenges related to manufacturing processes and methods of modifying graphene have prevented wider adoption of the material and limited commercialization to just a handful of graphene-based products. As manufacturing technologies advance and prices fall, more and more products are expected to reach market readiness, boosting commercial graphene demand relative to R&D spending across several segments.

Soaring demand growth and skyrocketing prices are making 2016 a very exciting year for lithium — the highly reactive, silvery white metal that has revolutionized the rechargeable battery industry. Portable electronics, including everything from smartphones to laptops, rely on lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries. But it will be electric vehicles (EVs) that drive lithium sales going forward, boosting prices while placing increasing pressure on global supplies. 

Though construction activity in China and some other developing countries has slowed since the 2009 to 2014 period, global demand for steel pipe is projected to advance 3.5 percent annually through 2019 to 79.7 million metric tons, according to a recent industry study from the Freedonia Group. Steel pipe sales are driven by the industries that use it. Read below as analyst Mariel Behnke explains.

“A number of different factors influence demand in each market. For instance, the oil and gas market is driven by energy demand, as well as oil prices and global political concerns,” notes Ms. Behnke.

In this series, we spotlight specific publishers on Profound and MarketResearch.com. Through Q&A discussions, we highlight each publisher's unique expertise and how they help businesses get the insights they need to achieve mission-critical objectives. Today, we’re interviewing the Freedonia Group, a leading international market research company that publishes more than 400 studies annually. Learn more about them in the post below.

Metals firm Alcoa Inc. will separate into two standalone, publicly traded companies.  

"In the last few years, we have successfully transformed Alcoa to create two strong value engines that are now ready to pursue their own distinctive strategic directions,” Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld said in a news release.

Alcoa’s upstream company, which will keep the Alcoa name, will focus on bauxite, alumina and aluminum, casting and energy. The value-add company, which has not yet been named, will include global rolled products, engineered products, and transportation and construction solutions.

As the market has developed and grown, the Advanced Materials and Chemicals sectors of the manufacturing industry have been two of the fastest growing sectors. Chemicals is one of the oldest industries within manufacturing and has continued to play an important role in the day-to-day needs of the population as well as the industrial and economic needs. Trends in new technology, emerging markets, and the need to “go green” have transformed the chemical and advanced materials market.

MarketResearch.com partners with over 700 publishers to offer customers the most comprehensive collection of diverse business intelligence. Each publisher has its own story and offers unique and insightful perspective into the industries they cover. This week, MarketResearch.com is spotlighting global, multi-industry information provider MarketsandMarkets. Read on to learn more about MarketsandMarkets and their products.