‘The price for propylene, the key raw material in the manufacture of acrylates, has increased by more than 30% in the past 12 months, while acrylic acids are now 55% more expensive. In the medium term there is no obvious cost relief on the raw material side,’ says Bianca Verstegen, Global Product Management Finishing in the Leather business unit.
The need for acrylates has surged in the industry owing to increased global demand for coatings, water treatment chemicals and superabsorbent polymers.
In the leather sector, acrylate binders or polyacrylate emulsions are used, for example, in the manufacture of automotive leather.
