Conductive polymers will provide a 370 mln lbs market for base resins, driven by their unique combination of processability, dimensional stability and conductivity, as well as optical and mechanical properties. Rapid growth is expected for new technologies such as carbon nanotubes and inherently conductive polymers (ICPs), although volumes will remain low. Further conductive polymer growth will be moderated by continued offshore electronics production as per a study by The Freedonia Group. The six leading polymers ABS, PVC, PC, PPO, PET & PP - together accounted for over 75% of all conductive polymers used in 2005. ABS will remain dominant based on the material's high impact strength. PVC, however, will expand at a more rapid pace, based on its lower cost, performance enhancements, and design and processing ease. PPPO will experience greater use in high temperature and chemical resistance applications, such as under-the-hood motor vehicle components. Conductive PC demand will be fueled by its high impact strength, toughness, dimensional stability, and good mechanical and electrical properties.
Product components, the largest conductive polymer application, accounted for 57% of all conductive polymer applications in 2005. It will continue to grow through 2010 due to rebounding electrical and electronic product shipments and greater use of conductive polymers in housings, rollers, trays and other products. Gains will be fueled by the need to control high levels of static electricity developed by moving parts, as well as EMI/RFI emissions. Slower growth is anticipated in other applications due to market saturation and the durability of many material handling system and worksurface and flooring products.
Antistatic packaging uses for conductive polymers will be stimulated by the cost effectiveness of conductive bags, pouches, clamshells and other configurations in protecting sensitive electronic devices from static discharges.
Slower growth is anticipated in other applications due to market saturation and the durability of many material handling system and worksurface and flooring products. Among conductive technologies, carbon black will remain dominant and be mainly used in electrostatic discharge protection. Other leading conductive technologies include metallization and paint-coated. However, best prospects are expected in conductive fibers due to better EMI/ RFI shielding properties and surface appearance.
Emerging technologies include ICPs and carbon nanotubes. Potentially sizable applications for ICPs include organic light emitting diodes for use in flat screens and other flexible displays, and bipolar plates and end plates for use in fuel cells. Carbon nanotubes can be used at lower loadings than other additives, maintain a resin's key properties, and are not subject to static build-up. ICPs are still in their nascent stage with uses including ESD protected material handling products such as tote bins, boxes and circuit board racks. Carbon nanotubes impart high strength and light weight to polymeric matrixes. However, their high cost will continue to relegate them to specialized uses.

Need for inexpensive protection against electrostatic and electromagnetic interferences drives innovations in conductive polymers as per a study by Frost & Sullivan. Electronic devices are becoming increasingly sensitive to electrostatic discharge and electromagnetic or radio frequency interference, prompting frenzied activities in electrically conductive polymers. These polymers, which are obtained from thermoplastics and conductive fillers, are an inexpensive solution to such disturbances, and scientists are working on expanding their range of applications. For instance, there are substantial developments in thermoplastics and thermosets filled with nanotubes, which cater to a wider variety of products. Simultaneously, polymers that conduct electricity without using fillers are being touted as the solution for next-generation devices. Some of its applications include inexpensive radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, electronic paper (e-paper), portable solar cells, sensors, smart materials, actuators, and artificial muscles. Plastics have begun to replace metals in structural applications, as they are being engineered to outperform steel and other structural metals by providing the strength or stiffness necessary, at lower weight and cost. Plastics also score over steel due to their extraordinary electrical insulative properties. Advances in inherently conductive polymers (ICPs) are rapidly creating new application areas for plastics, especially in the microelectronics area. There are two main groups of applications for these unique polymers � the first makes use of ICPs� conductivity as its main property and the second makes extensive use of their electroactivity.
Advanced implantable biomaterials that are fitted with biocompatible conducting polymers can be a huge help to medicinal research. These polymers can make the materials interactive and programmable, enabling seamless communication with surrounding tissues. Biocompatible polymers will make it possible to insert tiny plastic-chip equipped sensors into the bloodstream and also aid artificial retina construction or �epiretinal prosthesis�, as well as nerve repair. Conductive polymers and cost-effective, ubiquitous plastic chips will be at the heart of an always-on connectivity that could soon transform the way people interact. For instance, in the consumer segment, everything from talking cereal boxes to solar power windows is already available. Companies are working on �e-paper,� flexible screens with electrically charged black-and-white particles that can form words, and techniques for ink-jet-printing plastic microchips. Other innovations in conductive polymers include melt processable polyaniline, an implantable tube that expands or contracts on demand to simplify small blood vessel reconnection during surgery, and a lightweight, mechanically robust, conductive polymer wire that replaces thin copper and aluminum braid signal cable.

Fujitsu Laboratories Ltd. and Fujitsu Component Ltd. announced the joint development of the world's first resistive touch panel that uses a conductive polymer film, a transparent conductive film that offers durability 10 times that of the conventional ITO film and succeeds in reducing production costs to less than half. Volume production capabilities for this breakthrough technology have been confirmed. The new technology is applicable not only to mobile devices such as mobile phones, PDAs and tablet PCs, but enables applications for which use of touch panels was not conventionally possible from a cost perspective, opening up new markets in the move toward a ubiquitous information era. The new technology incorporates the use of conductive polymer, an organic material that is just as pliable as plastic film, as the transparent electrode film for touch panels. By evenly layering with nanometer precision, a low resistance conductive polymer, as a transparent electrode film on to a plastic film, Fujitsu has succeeded in developing the world's first application of a conductive polymer for touch panels.