PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1925593
PUBLISHER: The Business Research Company | PRODUCT CODE: 1925593
3D printing plastic refers to a plastic filament employed in the 3D printing process, typically a thermoplastic with a base of elastomers based on polybutadiene, imparting greater flexibility to the material. This versatile material finds applications in various uses, including prototyping, manufacturing, anatomical models, and more.
The primary types of 3D printing plastics include photopolymers, ABS, PLA, polyamide, and others. Photopolymers, for instance, enhance flexibility, durability, chemical, optical, and mechanical resistance of the material while also contributing to reduced production costs. The use of photopolymers in 3D printing involves laser sintering technology to solidify the printed material during the manufacturing process. These 3D printing plastics are available in different forms such as powder, filament, and ink, and they serve purposes in prototyping and manufacturing across sectors such as aerospace and defense, healthcare, automotive, electronics and consumer goods, and more.
Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report's Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.
Tariffs are impacting the 3D printing plastics market by increasing costs of imported polymer resins, specialty additives, compounding equipment, and filament extrusion machinery. Asia-Pacific and Europe are most affected due to reliance on cross-border polymer supply chains, while North America faces higher input costs for advanced materials used in aerospace and healthcare. These tariffs elevate material prices and slow adoption in cost-sensitive applications. At the same time, they are supporting domestic resin compounding, local filament production, and innovation in alternative and recycled plastic materials.
The 3d printing plastics market research report is one of a series of new reports from The Business Research Company that provides 3d printing plastics market statistics, including 3d printing plastics industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with a 3d printing plastics market share, detailed 3d printing plastics market segments, market trends and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the 3d printing plastics industry. This 3d printing plastics market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenario of the industry.
The 3D printing plastics market size has grown exponentially in recent years. It will grow from $2.18 billion in 2025 to $2.7 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.6%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to expansion of rapid prototyping applications, growth of desktop and industrial 3D printers, increasing accessibility of filament materials, adoption by educational institutions, rising use in product design.
The 3D printing plastics market size is expected to see exponential growth in the next few years. It will grow to $6.13 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.8%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to increasing demand for lightweight functional parts, expansion of additive manufacturing in automotive and aerospace, rising focus on bio-based filaments, growing medical and healthcare printing applications, continuous material innovation. Major trends in the forecast period include growing adoption of high-performance printing materials, rising demand for sustainable and recyclable plastics, expansion of multi-material printing capabilities, increasing use in end-use manufacturing, enhanced material customization.
The rising number of dental procedures is expected to drive the growth of the 3D printing plastics market. Dental procedures include a variety of treatments performed by dentists and dental hygienists to diagnose, prevent, or treat oral health conditions. 3D printing plastics are used to produce custom dental implants, crowns, bridges, and orthodontic devices with high precision and patient-specific designs. For example, in August 2024, the National Health Service reported that in England, dental treatment courses reached 34 million in 2023/24, marking a 4.3% increase compared to 2022/23. Therefore, the growth in dental procedures is fueling demand for 3D printing plastics.
Leading companies in the 3D printing plastics market are focusing on developing innovative materials to enhance the versatility and performance of additive manufacturing. 3D printing materials consist of specially designed substances that enable the layer-by-layer creation of three-dimensional objects. For example, in August 2024, Jamplast, a US-based engineering polymer manufacturer, launched 3DSHQ, a dedicated business unit for additive manufacturing and 3D printing materials. Established in late 2023, 3DSHQ aims to serve multiple sectors by offering a wide range of 3D printing materials, including sample sizes for consumers and research centers. The unit provides both fused deposition modeling (FDM) filaments and pellets, along with a selection of 3D printing machines suitable for hobbyists and industrial professionals.
In April 2023, Stratasys, a US-based additive manufacturing company, acquired Covestro's additive manufacturing materials business for €43 million. This acquisition is intended to strengthen Stratasys's capabilities in creating next-generation materials for 3D printing. Covestro AG, a manufacturer based in Germany, specializes in high-quality polymer materials, including those used for 3D printing.
Major companies operating in the 3D printing plastics market are BASF SE, Evonik Industries AG, Arkema S.A., Covestro AG, SABIC, Solvay S.A., DuPont de Nemours, Inc., DSM Engineering Materials (Royal DSM), Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation, Toray Industries, Inc., Celanese Corporation, Kuraray Co., Ltd., LG Chem Ltd., ExxonMobil Chemical, Eastman Chemical Company, Formlabs Inc., Stratasys Ltd., 3D Systems Corporation, Arkema (Bostik is excluded as subsidiary), Henkel AG & Co. KGaA, Polymaker LLC, NatureWorks LLC
North America was the largest region in the 3D printing plastics market in 2025. Asia-Pacific is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the 3D printing plastic market share during the forecast period. The regions covered in the 3D printing plastics market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa
The countries covered in the 3D printing plastics market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain
The 3D printing plastic market consists of sales of acrylonitrile styrene acrylate, polyethylene terephthalate and polycarbonate. Values in this market are 'factory gate' values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.
The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).
The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.
3D Printing Plastics Market Global Report 2026 from The Business Research Company provides strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the market.
This report focuses 3d printing plastics market which is experiencing strong growth. The report gives a guide to the trends which will be shaping the market over the next ten years and beyond.
Where is the largest and fastest growing market for 3d printing plastics ? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward, including technological disruption, regulatory shifts, and changing consumer preferences? The 3d printing plastics market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.
The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, total addressable market (TAM), market attractiveness score (MAS), competitive landscape, market shares, company scoring matrix, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the market's historic and forecast market growth by geography.
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