CLEVELAND - U.S. solvents demand will continue to rebound from its recessionary lows, rising 1.5 percent per year in volume terms through 2016 to 10.9 billion pounds. A strong rebound in construction activity will drive strong increases in solvent demand in the construction and coatings markets. Above-average growth in consumer-oriented markets such as cleaning products, cosmetics and toiletries will stimulate demand for “green” solvents, particularly butanediol derivatives, terpenes and alcohols. These and other trends are presented in Solvents, a new study from The Freedonia Group Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.

Demand growth for green solvents will significantly outpace that for conventional types, rising nearly four-times faster than conventional solvents. The rising use of green solvents, especially in cleaning products and cosmetics and toiletries, will reflect increasing consumer demand for environmentally friendly products. Government regulations are also driving the shift, both at the state and federal levels. In particular, the need to meet VOC regulations has helped demand for glycol solvents in coatings. Chemical processors looking to comply with VOC regulations are increasingly turning toward butanediol and its derivatives to lower VOC content while continuing to use solvents. While complying with local, state and federal regulations, the construction market is turning towards alcohols and ketones like MEK for solvent uses.

For more information about this report, e-mail pr@freedoniagroup.com.