Epoxy resins: Overview
From ship primers to circuit boards and wind blades
What this tab covers What the chemical is, how big its market is, what it is used for (with shares, volumes, why it wins and what could replace it), and its chain from raw material to end user. Ends with three things to remember.Epoxy resins are made by reacting bisphenol A (BPA) with epichlorohydrin (ECH) and caustic soda, then curing the resin with amine or anhydride hardeners into a hard, chemical-resistant solid. World demand was about 3.2 Mt in 2023 against capacity of about 6.5 Mt, half of it in China (PRChem via GII). Over 40% goes into paints and coatings. Epoxy is the main resin in wind blades and printed circuit boards, so it sits inside two energy-transition supply chains. In 2025 the US, EU and India all imposed anti-dumping duties on imports, and India's Aditya Birla is a major Asian producer.
Volume about 3.2 Mt demand and 3.27 Mt production (2023) Market value about $8 billion for basic resins (2023-2025, indicative, basis: 3.2 Mt x about $2,500/t blended Asian, US and European prices) Growth about 3.5% a year over the past seven years (PRChem); similar to 2030 (indicative) PRChem global epoxy resin capacity, production and demand report via GII, 2025 (volumes, growth); value indicative using Intratec Nov 2025 pricesKey uses
| Use | Share | Annual volume | Why this commodity | Alternatives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paints and coatings (marine, protective, can and coil, powder, floors) | 41% | about 1.3 Mtbasis | Epoxy films stick to steel and concrete and resist water, salt and chemicals, so they are the default primer for ships, pipelines, tanks and bridges. Powder coatings and can linings also use them. PRChem via GII, 2025 | polyurethane and polyaspartic coatings zinc-rich and inorganic primers acrylics and polyesters (can coatings after the EU BPA ban) |
| Electrical and electronics (copper-clad laminates, PCBs, encapsulation, insulators) | 22% | about 0.70 Mtbasis | Brominated and novolac epoxies with glass fabric make FR-4 laminates for circuit boards; epoxy also pots transformers, switchgear and chips. Dimensional stability and insulation are hard to match. PRChem via GII (E&E plus construction about 40%); split indicative | polyimide and BT resins (high end) phenolic laminates (low end) silicones for potting |
| Construction (flooring, grouts, anchors, concrete repair) | 18% | about 0.58 Mtbasis | Two-part epoxy systems bond to concrete, carry load and resist chemicals, so they are used for industrial floors, chemical anchors and structural repairs. PRChem via GII (E&E plus construction about 40%); split indicative | polyurethane and PMMA floors cementitious grouts vinyl ester anchors |
| Composites (wind blades, aerospace, pressure vessels, sports goods) | 10% | about 0.32 Mtbasis | Epoxy gives the best fatigue strength with glass and carbon fibre, which is why most wind blades use it. China had about 510 GW of installed wind at end-2024, and resin is about 36% of blade cost (Chyxx). PRChem via GII (adhesives plus composites about 15%); Chyxx 2025; split indicative | unsaturated polyester and vinyl ester thermoplastic resins (Arkema Elium) polyurethane infusion resins |
| Adhesives | 5% | about 0.16 Mtbasis | Structural epoxy adhesives bond metal and composites in cars, aircraft and blades, replacing rivets and welds. PRChem via GII (adhesives plus composites about 15%); split indicative | polyurethane acrylic and cyanoacrylate adhesives |
| Other (tooling, inks, 3D printing, civil engineering) | 4% | about 0.13 Mtbasis | Small specialist uses where cure without shrinkage matters. indicative remainder | varies |
From raw material to user
- Benzene and propylene to phenol and acetone Cumene process; BPA is made from 2 phenol plus 1 acetone (BPA tile).
- Bisphenol A About 0.67 t BPA per t of liquid epoxy resin (stoichiometric, DGEBA).
- Epichlorohydrin From propylene via allyl chloride and chlorine, or from glycerine and HCl; about 0.54 t ECH per t resin (stoichiometric).
- Condensation and dehydrochlorination BPA and excess ECH react with about 0.24 t NaOH per t, forming about 0.34 t salt (stoichiometric).
- Formulation and cure Resin is mixed with amine, anhydride or phenolic hardeners, fillers and fibres by formulators such as Huntsman, Sika and Hilti.
Made from (commodity table)
Oil Crude oilNaCl SaltThree things to know
- World capacity of about 6.5 Mt in 2023 was double the 3.27 Mt produced, so the industry ran at about 50% (PRChem, derived).
- In 2025 the US (May), EU (July) and India (November) imposed anti-dumping duties on Asian epoxy, India's ranging from $37 to $483/t (Indian Chemical News).
- Aditya Birla is doubling epoxy capacity from 123 kt/yr to 246 kt/yr (Grasim, Q3 FY2025).