Top 10 Companies in the Plastic Explosive Industry (2025): Market Leaders Powering Global Demolition & Defense

In Business Insights
November 24, 2025


The Global Plastic Explosive Market was valued at USD 2.4 Billion in 2023 and is projected to reach USD 3.3 Billion by 2030, growing at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 4.1% during the forecast period (2024–2030). This growth is being driven by increasing defense budgets, infrastructure development projects requiring advanced demolition, and the rising demand for high-performance, moldable explosives in specialized applications across military and civilian sectors.

As the global security and construction landscapes evolve, the focus intensifies on the key manufacturers who are driving innovation, safety, and reliability in the production of plastic explosives. In this blog, we profile the Top 10 Companies in the Plastic Explosive Industry—a group of established chemical giants and specialized defense contractors shaping the future of high-energy materials.

Download FREE Sample Report: Plastic Explosive Market – View in Detailed Research Report


🔟 1. Orica Limited

Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia
Key Offering: Bulk Emulsion Explosives, Packaged Explosives (including plastic-bonded explosives)

Orica is the world’s largest provider of commercial explosives and innovative blasting systems to the mining, quarrying, and construction sectors. Their extensive portfolio includes specialized, moldable plastic explosives designed for precise demolition and controlled fragmentation in complex environments.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Global leader in commercial blasting solutions

  • Heavy investment in R&D for safer, more efficient explosive formulations

  • Strategic partnerships with mining giants and defense contractors


9️⃣ 2. Dyno Nobel (A subsidiary of Incitec Pivot Limited)

Headquarters: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Key Offering: DynoFlex™ emulsifiers, packaged explosives, specialty products including plastic explosives

Dyno Nobel is a major global explosives manufacturer serving both mining and defense markets. The company provides a range of high-performance plastic explosives known for their stability, water resistance, and reliability in demanding conditions from deep-sea operations to arctic environments.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Leading supplier to North American and Asian markets

  • Focus on developing environmentally sensitized explosives

  • Integrated supply chain from manufacturing to on-site delivery


8️⃣ 3. MAXAM Corp.

Headquarters: Madrid, Spain
Key Offering: High-energy plastic explosives, industrial explosives, initiating systems

MAXAM is a Spanish multinational with a long history in the explosives industry, specializing in civil explosives and defense products. Their expertise in plastic explosives is critical for applications in demolition, seismic exploration, and specialized military engineering tasks.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Strong presence in Europe, Latin America, and Africa

  • Vertically integrated operations from raw materials to finished products

  • Commitment to sustainable practices and safety innovation


7️⃣ 4. Poly Permanent Union Holding Group

Headquarters: Beijing, China
Key Offering: Industrial explosives, explosive materials, specialized plastic explosives

Poly Technologies, a subsidiary of China Poly Group, is a dominant force in China’s defense and security sector. It is a key manufacturer and supplier of advanced plastic explosives, playing a vital role in supporting both domestic infrastructure projects and international defense collaborations.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Central role in China’s domestic defense industrial base

  • Expansion into international markets through strategic exports

  • Integrated production capabilities for military-grade explosives

Download FREE Sample Report: Plastic Explosive Market – View in Detailed Research Report


6️⃣ 5. African Explosives Limited (AEL) (A subsidiary of AECI Group)

Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa
Key Offering: Commercial explosives, packaged products, specialty explosives including plastic types

AEL is a leading explosives and initiating systems company with a strong footprint across Africa. The company provides tailored explosive solutions for mining and construction, with capabilities in producing plastic explosives for specialized blasting and demolition work.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Market leadership in the African continent

  • Focus on developing continent-specific solutions for diverse mining conditions

  • Investment in digital blasting and safety technologies


5️⃣ 6. ENAEX S.A.

Headquarters: Santiago, Chile
Key Offering: Ammonium nitrate, emulsion explosives, specialized plastic explosives for mining

ENAEX is a leading Latin American company in the production and distribution of industrial explosives. It is a key supplier to the region’s massive mining industry, offering advanced plastic explosive products designed for the challenging geological conditions of the Andes.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Dominant player in the South American mining sector

  • Strategic joint ventures with global players like Orica

  • Expansion of production capacity to meet regional demand


4️⃣ 7. Chemring Group PLC

Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
Key Offering: Countermeasure flares, pyrotechnics, and high-specification plastic explosives for defense

Chemring is a global defense technology company specializing in countermeasures and energetic materials. Its expertise in formulating and manufacturing advanced plastic explosives is critical for military applications, including demolition, ordnance disposal, and specialized munitions.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Specialization in high-value defense and security markets

  • Focus on R&D for next-generation insensitive munitions

  • Strong relationships with NATO and allied defense forces


3️⃣ 8. Sasol Limited

Headquarters: Johannesburg, South Africa
Key Offering: Ammonium nitrate, explosives precursors, specialty chemicals

While primarily an energy and chemicals company, Sasol is a major supplier of key raw materials, like ammonia, used in the production of industrial explosives. Its integrated chemical operations support the broader explosives market, including the supply chain for plastic explosive manufacturers.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Backward integration into explosives feedstock production

  • Strategic supply agreements with major explosive manufacturers

  • Focus on safe and sustainable chemical production


2️⃣ 9. Yunnan Civil Explosive Group

Headquarters: Kunming, Yunnan, China
Key Offering: Industrial explosives, detonators, and specialized explosive products

As one of China’s leading civil explosive enterprises, this group plays a significant role in supplying the domestic market for mining and infrastructure. Their production capabilities include various forms of explosives necessary for large-scale national projects.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Strong regional dominance within China

  • Supporting China’s Belt and Road Initiative through infrastructure development

  • Modernization of manufacturing facilities for improved safety and output


1️⃣ 10. NOF Corporation

Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Key Offering: Specialty chemicals, propellants, and high-performance plastic explosives

NOF Corporation is a Japanese chemical company with a specialized division for energetic materials. It is known for its high-purity chemical compounds and advanced formulations used in plastic explosives, particularly for precision applications in both defense and aerospace industries.

Key Market Strategies:

  • Focus on high-purity, high-value specialty chemicals

  • R&D-driven approach to developing advanced energetic materials

  • Strategic supplier to Japan’s defense and technology sectors

Get Full Report Here: Plastic Explosive Market – View in Detailed Research Report


🌍 Outlook: The Future of Plastic Explosives Is Smarter and More Regulated

The plastic explosives market is evolving rapidly, influenced by technological innovation and stringent global security protocols. While traditional formulations like Composition C-4 and Semtex remain in use, the industry is increasingly focused on developing insensitive munitions (IM) that are safer to handle, store, and transport.

📈 Key Trends Shaping the Market:

  • Stringent international regulations and tagging requirements (e.g., ICAO’s conventions on plastic explosives)

  • R&D into “Insensitive High Explosives” (IHE) to enhance soldier and civilian safety

  • Growing demand from emerging economies for infrastructure development and defense modernization

  • Digital integration for traceability and supply chain security

Get Full Report Here: Plastic Explosive Market – View in Detailed Research Report

The companies listed above are at the forefront of ensuring that the power of plastic explosives is harnessed safely and effectively—powering progress in mining, shaping skylines through demolition, and providing critical capabilities for national defense.