AWA Alexander Watson Associates has released the latest addition to its portfolio of release liner market reports, focusing this time on South America. Today representing 4% of the overall global market for release liners, the continent nevertheless represents – alongside Asia — one of the leading regional opportunities for future market growth in release liner usage.  

AWA South American Release Liner Market Study 2015 provides insights of value to all involved in, or seeking to explore, the complex release liner supply chain in the region, in terms of current and forecast future status.  

In terms of end-use markets, South America’s release liner usage is dominated by pressure sensitive labelstock applications, which currently claim over 60% of usage.  Other segments for growth are said to be graphic arts applications and medical and hygiene products.  

Overall annual growth in the medium term is predicted to be 4%.

The report explores the South American profile of a product employing release liner.   In terms of release liner substrate, it documents a preference for glassine/SCK paper, which accounts for over 50% of current usage.   (Film release base still claims a minor share of the market at less than 10%.)   Solventless silicone adhesives dominate, but cost-effective UV-cured adhesives are experiencing the fastest growth from their current small base, driven by the hygiene market and today’s developing opportunities for inline coating and conversion.  

AWA South American Release Liner Market Study 2015 also documents the South American market structure in terms of raw material suppliers and silicone coating companies, examines the value chain and market segmentation across all the major uses, and concludes with a valuable directory providing individual company profiles.

The study is available to order now via the AWA Alexander Watson Associates’ website, www.awa-bv.com, where details of all the company’s publications and events for the specialty paper, film, packaging, coating and converting sectors are also available.