Chemical, Plastic and Rubber

The Chemical, Plastic and Rubber sector is a sector that uses natural or synthetic raw materials to produce and exchange to meet the needs of other manufacturing sectors and the consumer.

The chemical sector is a key sector for the development of the industries of the countries, providing input to almost every sector by converting raw materials such as oil, natural gas, air, water, minerals and metals into over 70,000 different products. Approximately 77 percent of the production of the chemical industry is used as raw materials in chemistry and other industries, but 23 percent of it consists of final products that can be sold to consumers. In addition, the chemical industry has a dragging effect on other industries. The developments in the chemical industry and newly developed products have a positive and sometimes revolutionary effect on other industries.

Plastics and Rubber Industry, Plastic Industry is a sector that provides input to industries of many different structures, from agriculture to defense industry, from clothing to automotive, and produces intermediate goods in general. It plays a role that facilitates daily life with the final products it produces as well as intermediate goods. In addition to the manufacturing industry, especially durable consumer goods, automotive and electronics, packaging materials etc. It is also a very important supplier to the service sector with its products.

R&D investments are of great importance in the Chemistry, Plastic and Rubber industry. In particular, the articulation of nanotechnology and electronics (circuit design and construction) techniques with plastic materials and production processes can lead to groundbreaking new product innovations. For example, the use of plastic derivatives in nano chips instead of silicon, and the coating of smartphone screens with plastic derivatives are among the innovations that have already been implemented. Thermoplastics developed with nanotechnology can be used in many areas from hard disks to automotive components. Again, nano-composite plastic foams can be evaluated in a wide range from insulation materials to coffee and tea cups, from diapers to packaging materials.

The primary problem of the sector, which makes a significant contribution to our economy and other sectors, is the insufficient domestic production in raw materials. The chemical industry is heavily dependent on imports, both in terms of raw materials and technology. New and modern technology and capital-intensive production and thus large-scale investments are needed for the development of the sector. The Turkish petrochemical market is one of the fastest growing markets in the world after China and India. The plastics industry, as a sub-group of the petrochemical industry, provides 90% of its input from this sector. However, domestic production of plastic raw materials is insufficient in our country. For this reason, the sector is 87% foreign-dependent in terms of raw materials. Domestic production is at a level to meet only 13% of the need.