Investing in plastics firms has the potential to provide enormous rewards.
Many firms with a strong presence in public have installed plexiglass barriers to safeguard their employees and comply with social distancing regulations.
Manufacturers have seen a large increase in demand for acrylic barriers, which include sneeze and cough guards, cubicle extenders, and personal face shields.
What is Plexiglass?
Plexiglass is a transparent, lightweight plastic that is readily molded into a variety of forms. It is utilized for a variety of functions, from skyscraper windows to household tabletops and beyond.
What is the composition of Plexiglass?
Plexiglas is a kind of plastic material composed of methyl methacrylate polymers, esters of methacrylic acid.
Plexiglass was created in 1928 by scientist Dr. Otto Rohm when he was researching novel plastics derived from coal tar, but it was not commercialized until 1933 by the business Rohm & Haas under this trade name. Plexiglass derives its name from the combination of the terms "plastic" and "acrylic," which signify "acrylic plastic."
This is a sort of plastic that is readily available at home improvement shops. It is utilized in the manufacture of a variety of products, ranging from shower doors and storm windows to frames for pictures and coffee tables. It is lightweight, strong, adaptable, and simple to deal with. You may cut it, drill it, sand it, paint it, and connect things to it with an adhesive! There are several ways to incorporate Plexiglass into your house.
Plexiglass is a versatile material with a wide variety of uses. Although it is often employed in buildings, it is also found in household appliances and furnishings. Previously, Who mainly used the material in industrial applications. Additionally, Plexiglass is an energy-efficient material that decreases sound transmission, allowing you to enjoy uninterrupted peace of mind at home or in business.
Maintenance advantages
Plexiglass sheets provide a sparkling, clear surface that is necessary for creating a range of artworks.
Polishing: Depending on the purpose and structure of the work, Plexiglass may sustain minor scratches as a result of the use of non-recommended cleaning products and the action of time, such as in instances of public involvement. On the other hand, Plexiglass has a unique property: it can be easily scratched, returning the object to its original look and assuring a flawless finish every time. Manual polishing using a clean flannel or with furniture, plastics, or even automotive wax polishing chemicals are all acceptable methods of polishing the material.
Advantages relating to the material's construction
A plexiglass panel has up to five times the impact resistance of equivalent-thickness flat glass. Additionally, it has superior shatter resistance. Unlike glass, Plexiglass shatters into large fragments, making it a safer alternative as well.
Plexiglass sheets are available in thicknesses ranging from 1 mm to 60mm, allowing them to be utilized in constructing aquariums and yet resist hydrostatic pressure. When reduced to a thin layer, this material transforms into very light bits, simplifying their transportation.
Plexiglass sheets typically have a life expectancy of up to ten years and are resistant to all types of climatic activity. They are shielded from the UV rays of the sun, which also ensures that they will not yellow with age.
Advantages in relation to glass
Plexiglass sheets provide a number of benefits over the glass when used in lieu of it. They are:
Resistance to impact is tenfold that of glass.
Twice the density of glass.
The weight of the identical thing is halved.
When it breaks, it does not injure anybody.
Transparency is superior to that of glass.
Plexiglass sheets are more resistant to sunlight, which results in a longer life for the material.
More texture and color options
Thus, this material may be preferable to glass in many plexiglass sheet applications.
Several instances include the following:
Houseware Windows in children's schools Building security windows Counters at stores Countertops for refrigerators.
Numerous applications for Plexiglass
There seems to be no place where Plexiglass will not be present: Offices are considering incorporating translucent barriers between workstations and maybe even between sinks incorporating restrooms (as Toyota is planning to install). Plexiglass is being installed between booths in eateries, between nail technicians and their customers in nail shops, and in certain reopened movie theaters next month. Plexiglass may ultimately find its way into the skies: One Italian design team redesigned aircraft seats by separating people with transparent panels. And we may even get used to it on the beach: One firm has designed translucent enclosures that are supposed to protect sunbathers.
Plexiglass was one of the most often utilized alternatives because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the necessity to segregate certain surroundings. Nonetheless, the material is extensively employed in a variety of situations and goods.
Due to the pandemic, many firms made a killing selling and manufacturing Plexiglass for a virus defense partnership. Due to an unclear future, plastic manufacturing will continue to be required. There are some other advantages to investing in Plexiglass.
Plexiglass has been a highly sought-after commodity in recent years, owing to the increased need for protection and social segregation. Additionally, hospitals need face shields immediately when the coronavirus pandemic hits its thousandth case in the United States. As a consequence, Plaskolite grew to become the biggest maker of thermoplastic sheets, often known as Plexiglass, in the United States. The firm has outgrown the $4 billion acrylic sheet sector, which supplies the requisite glass-like material for the manufacture of face shields.
Grindley believes that demand for face shields will peak by the end of this year, and he does, however, expect that the market for acrylic barriers will continue to grow. Grindley believes that new use cases and prospective customers are developing as non-essential businesses reopen around the nation, along with the gradual growth in demand from restaurants, retailers, and workplaces.
"I come in every day and hear about fresh applications," he says. Plaskolite, for example, already manufactures transparent barriers between tables and restaurant booths, shatterproof walls to keep bus drivers and passengers apart, and "barrier stations" that employers use to check workers' temperatures at the start of their shifts. Grindley said that he had been contacted multiple times about barriers between movie theater seats, airline seats, dentist offices, and bus drivers. Employers also use the devices to take temperature readings from workers at the start of shifts.
However, experts in the industry believe that the plexiglass boom is unsustainable. For instance, Altuglas, a subsidiary of Arkema's specialty chemicals provider, asserts that increased demand for acrylic sheets is assisting in offsetting reductions in other segments. Additionally, it adds that it is working at maximum capacity for these items but does not feel the market is robust enough to support additional investment in new lines.
For many years, Plaskolite's CEO has been less concerned about demand. Plaskolite, according to Grindley, is developing a second-generation antibacterial and scratch-resistant barrier. It is a desire shared by all frontline employees and a need of clients, and individuals should grow acclimated to it since it is here to stay.
1. Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM)
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is a multinational oil and gas business operating in the United States, the United Kingdom, Russia, Nigeria, and Malaysia. It is involved in a variety of exploration initiatives across the globe.
Exxon and Mobil merged to establish the firm in 1999. Exxon Mobil is also one of the major 'big oil' corporations in the world. With 37 refineries in 21 countries, they are the world's seventh-biggest refiner. Exxon Mobil has a market capitalization of $410.16 billion and employs around 86,500 people globally.
The company's oil is used to manufacture a variety of plastics goods, including Plexiglass. Exxon Mobil has fought mightily to reclaim its pre-COVID market share. This investment may be ideal for investors with the fortitude to ride out the slump. At the time of writing, this stock is trading at $46 per share.
Exxon Mobil will continue to do well as long as our economy is still dependent on oil, at least for a few more decades.
2. Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLKP)
Westlake Chemical Corporation (WLKP) is a global chemical and plastics service provider that received a multi-million dollar contract in June 2018 to provide Westlake Ace with its range of carbon fiber textiles and resin systems. The new arrangement, which has a five-year starting duration, will provide ACE clients in the aerospace and automotive industries with access to cutting-edge engineering innovations from a single source.
Westlake, a subsidiary of Fiber Materials Inc, now makes carbon fiber textiles for commercial and defense organizations worldwide. WLKP will serve as ACE's sole supplier of aerospace-grade Carbon Fiber Prepregs (CFP) utilized to fabricate bus bar assemblies under the terms of the new arrangement.
3. LyondellBasell Industries N.V. (NYSE: LYB)
Plexiglass accounts for more than 90% of LyondellBasell Industries NV (NYSE: LYB) manufacturing! This company was founded in 1883 and currently manufactures compounds used in plastics, polymers, paints, solvents, medicines, and textiles, among other products.
LyondellBasell Industries is a global petrochemical business with operations in over 100 countries. For almost 50 years, this firm has used Plexiglass goods. Plexiglass was used to construct some of LyondellBasell Industries' most recognizable buildings, including the Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. They continue to collaborate on cutting-edge sustainability technology today.
In the early twentieth century, J.A. Lyondell and H.O. Lyondell created the firm, providing oilfield equipment like pumps and valves for drilling rigs and pipelines. Today, it is one of the world's biggest chemical corporations, with over 240 manufacturing facilities in 37 different countries.
Lyondellbasell Industries NV (NYSE: LYBprimary )'s market segments at the end of 2015 were refining and trading, which accounted for 36% of total revenue; polymer products, which accounted for 27%; plastics and packaging, which accounted for 25%; and other specialty chemicals, which accounted for 8%. The firm operates on three continents and employs roughly 20 people in 14 countries.
This sector has established long-term relationships with firms such as ExxonMobil Chemical Company (Exxon Mobil), Dow Chemical Company (Dow), BASF SE (BASF), and INEOS Group Limited (INEOS) (INEOS). As a consequence, LyondellBasell has established itself as a market leader in a consolidating industry.
4. Berry Global Group
Berry Global Group is a market leader in the packaging sector. Among their products are fruit punnets, which are marketed under prominent brand names such as Nature's Best and Deli-Fresh. They have recently come under fire for the way these items handle migrant labor.
While these incidents happened in 2009 and 2012, Berry Global Group has previously refused to accept responsibility for them. This is unexpected in light of the fact that they were fined twice by The Fair Work Ombudsman after investigations into significant worker maltreatment. Who showed workers to be substantially underpaid, raising worries about their ethical approach to the business of purposefully turning a blind eye.
Berry Global Group has concentrated on goods that aid in the social elements of the pandemic since the pandemic – such as protective sheets for business usage, face shields, and more.
Berry Global Group's 'Worker Protection Sleeve' is intended to be worn by plant employees when they are exposed to hazardous chemicals, referring to the potentially deadly nature of subcontract manufacturing.
5. Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW)
Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW) is storied agriculture, materials, and chemicals firm. It was created in 1898 by Herbert Henry Dow with the goal of increasing the utility of coal. Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) is a worldwide leader in the development, manufacture, and use of breakthrough chemical materials, technologies, and solutions.
Dow Inc. (NYSE: DOW) has a significant presence in North America, Europe, and Asia, employing roughly 8,000 people across more than 70 manufacturing facilities and affiliate offices. The company's products are used to make plastics, packaging, adhesives, paints, coatings, and a variety of other commodities that we take for granted on a daily basis. With a single firm having such a profound influence on the globe, it's unsurprising that it must adhere to laws established by many international organizations.
Dow manufactures acrylic sheets and resins, which are both utilized in the manufacture of Plexiglass for use in face shields, health security, and other applications. The firm adds value-added, customized services to its goods, guaranteeing that the unique demands of each client are addressed.
This stock may be an excellent long-term investment. This firm went public in 2019 and has fared well since. They now have a market capitalization of 41.65 billion and pay dividends yielding roughly 5%.
6. Hexpol AB (OTCMKTS: HXPLF)
Hexpol AB is an adhesives, coatings, and color masterbatches company. They have a fascinating website that has a wealth of useful information regarding plastic additives, and their work is based on polymer science research.
Most significantly, HEXPOL AB (HXPLF) has a proven business plan that secures the company's long-term prosperity. Second, HEXPOL AB (HXPLF) is one of the few firms in its area that consistently pays dividends to investors.
Hexpol manufactures both standard/commodity items and custom products for specialized uses; they are the market leader in many of their product categories in Europe, which means they provide products that are not accessible elsewhere. Hexpol's product line covers the majority of the functional needs necessary for the production of plastics with unique features (e.g., barriers, high-temperature stability, rigid & transparent). This is critical since the majority of basic polymers do not exhibit the appropriate final qualities on their own, owing to inadequate adhesion between the resin and additives or poor surface compatibility due to chemical resistance.
Hexpol is a publicly-traded company on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm platform. Hexpol was listed on the Nasdaq OMX Stockholm Exchange for the first time in 1988. Since then, the enterprise has grown to become a leading worldwide provider of additives to the plastics sector. Hexpol is a leading provider of specialty polymers to a variety of sectors, including packaging (bottles), food & beverage (cans), and automotive (tires).
The Group's clients are major multinational polymer material processors that use additives to enhance or change qualities that cannot be reached solely via polymer.
Hexpol's share price is at 99.24, after a wild rollercoaster from the start of 2018. Hexpol has a market capitalization of about 3,8 billion SEK and is not listed on any other stock exchange other than the Stockholm Stock Exchange.
Finally, our analysis indicates that HEXPOL AB (HXPLF) is in a strong position in terms of market share growth.
Conclusion
Plastic is a necessary component of modern life. While environmental concerns are valid, these firms will need to continue developing technology such as bioplastics in order to be commercially and morally viable.
Plexiglass manufacturers are an excellent investment due to the strong demand and scarcity of the material. Apart from Hexpol AB, they are also relatively stable businesses that earn a healthy profit, pay a healthy dividend, and have lots of space for future expansion.
When the World Health Organization designated COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, several firms forced employees to wear masks and utilize plastic shields. As a result, plexiglass stocks performed very well in 2020 and 2021. Plexiglass has proven essential in slowing the spread of Coronavirus, and early stock investors with hopeful long-term outlooks on Plexiglass have been rewarded.
FAQs
Is Plexiglass more resistant to breakage than glass?
While Plexiglass is a strong material, it is also very flexible and lighter than glass. Plexiglass's advantages over glass include its greater strength, shatter resistance, and resistance to the weather and corrosion.
What is the reason behind the high cost of Plexiglass?
Plexiglass is more resistant to shattering than regular glass. However, solvents and other cleaning chemicals react with the Plexiglass, causing scratches. Plexiglass is Expensive for a Reason, and the technique of making acrylic plastics is often cited as the cause for the high price of Plexiglas sheets.
What is a suitable substitute for Plexiglass?
Due to its hardness and visual clarity, Plexiglass is a popular option for social distance. However, if you're searching for a more affordable option with a shorter turnaround time and the same amount of transparency, clear vinyl is ideal due to its ease of cleaning, display, and storage.
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