Bisphenol-A (BPA) occurs as white crystals or flakes with a slightly phenolic odour. It is soluble in ether, ethyl alcohol, acetone and slightly soluble in water.
The main outlet for BPA is in the manufacture of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is used in a variety of applications such as optical media industry, electrical and electronic, construction, automotive and packaging.
BPA is driven primarily by increasingly strong demand for polycarbonate resins.
The second largest end use of BPA is epoxy resins. There are several types of epoxy resins but those based on BPA and epichlorohydrin account for the majority. High performance coatings are one of the primary applications followed by electrical/electronic laminates, adhesives, flooring and paving applications, mainly in the automotive, construction and aerospace industries.
Other key uses of BPA include flame retardants (mainly tetrabromobisphenol A), unsaturated polyester resins and polyacrylate, polyetherimide and polysulphone resins.