Global Surfactants Market Research Report 2023-Competitive Analysis, Status and Outlook by Type, Downstream Industry, and Geography, Forecast to 2029

Global Surfactants Market Research Report 2023-Competitive Analysis, Status and Outlook by Type, Downstream Industry, and Geography, Forecast to 2029

A surfactant is a surface active agent that changes a liquid’s surface tension. Surfactants are the basic cleaning agent in consumer and industrial cleaning products such as detergents for washing clothes, dishes, carpets, floors, walls, as well as shampoos, lotions, toothpastes and cosmetics. Other applications include fabric softeners, lubricating ingredients, emulsifiers for spreading agricultural products, and industrial applications such as latex systems, plastics and composites.

Market Overview:

The latest research study on the global Surfactants market finds that the global Surfactants market reached a value of USD 36221.84 million in 2022. It’s expected that the market will achieve USD 45498.18 million by 2028, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.87% during the forecast period.

The Green Development Trend of Surfactants

The green development of surfactants includes two levels: one is the greening of the production process of surfactants. The voice of social and environmental protection is rising day by day, and the requirements of governments for environmental protection are becoming more and more stringent. Energy conservation, emission reduction, and clean production have become the development direction of surfactants manufacturers. Some small-scale manufacturers of surfactants with backward production technology and high energy consumption and pollution in the production process are gradually eliminated, the market space is gradually concentrated in leading enterprises with advanced technology and strong strength, and the manufacturing process is developed in the direction of low toxic residues and zero emissions. The second is the greening of surfactants product materials. Compared with petrochemical raw materials, surfactants produced from natural oils, starches, amino acids, sugars, etc. have good biodegradability, low environmental toxicity, small skin irritation, and high compatibility. A series of characteristics, in the future, the market share of green surfactants such as natural oil base will gradually increase.

Wide range of downstream applications

The downstream applications of surfactants cover detergents, cosmetics, textile printing and dyeing, food processing, agricultural auxiliaries, building materials, mineral flotation, oil extraction, oil treatment, etc., with a wide range of applications. About half of the surfactant products are used in the civilian field, mainly used in the production of laundry detergent, washing powder, detergent, shower gel, shampoo, cosmetics and other daily chemical cleaning and care products. Element. In the field of industrial use, textile printing and dyeing, food processing, agricultural auxiliaries, etc. are currently the main application directions. In addition, surfactants are also widely used in construction materials, pharmaceutical biology, oilfield chemicals and other fields. Hence, a wide range of downstream applications is driving the growth of the Surfactants industry.

Development of washing products, personal care and other industries

Washing products and personal care are the main application fields of surfactants. With the development of the global economy, population growth and continuous improvement of living standards, detergents and cosmetics that are closely related to people's lives will develop rapidly, which will surely promote the rapid development of their main active components, surfactants. According to data published by the World Bank, approximately 56% of the world's population (4.4 billion inhabitants) lives in cities. This trend is expected to continue, with urban populations more than doubling by 2050, with nearly 7 in 10 people living in cities by then. With the advancement of urbanization, people's awareness of hygiene and hygiene habits are increasing, the emergence of individual needs for personal care, and the growth of consumer demand in the tourism and hotel industry have promoted the development of washing products, personal care and other industries. In addition, due to the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the demand for personal care and disinfection products such as hand sanitizers has increased significantly. With the globalization and long-term evolution of the epidemic, the vigilance and emphasis on personal hygiene protection has accelerated, driving the long-term growth in demand for toiletries. In the medium and long term, the hygiene and consumption habits formed under the epidemic will drive the long-term stable growth of Surfactants in the laundry and personal care fields.

Region Overview:

In 2021, the share of the Surfactants market in Asia Pacific stood at 30.77%.

Company Overview

BASF SE engages in the provision of chemical products. It operates through the following segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition and Care, Agricultural Solutions, and Other. The Chemicals segment supplies petrochemicals and intermediates. The Materials segment includes isocyanates and polyamides as well as inorganic basic products and specialties for the plastics and plastics processing industries. The Industrial Solutions segment develops and markets ingredients and additives for industrial applications such as polymer dispersions, pigments, resins, electronic materials, antioxidants, and additives. The Surface Technologies segment bundles chemical solutions for surfaces with the catalysts and coating divisions. The Nutrition and Care segment consists of ingredients and solutions for consumer applications in the areas of nutrition, home, and personal care. The Agricultural Solutions segment comprises fungicides, herbicides, insecticides, and biological crop protection products, as well as seeds and seed treatment products. The Other segment focuses on the commodity trading, engineering and other services, as well as rental income and leases.

Stepan Company is a major manufacturer of specialty and intermediate chemicals used in a broad range of industries. Stepan is a leading merchant producer of surfactants, which are the key ingredients in consumer and industrial cleaning and disinfection products and in agricultural and oilfield solutions. The Company is also a leading supplier of polyurethane polyols used in the expanding thermal insulation market, and CASE (Coatings, Adhesives, Sealants, and Elastomers) industries.

Evonik Industries AG is a holding company, which engages in the manufacture of specialty chemical products. It operates through the following segments: Nutrition and Care, Resource Efficiency, Performance Materials, Services, and Other Operations. The Nutrition and Care segment produces specialty chemicals, principally for use in consumer goods for daily needs, and in animal nutrition and healthcare products. The Resource Efficiency segment supplies materials and specialty additives for environment-friendly and energy-efficient system solutions for the automotive, paints, coatings, adhesives, construction industries, and other sectors. The Performance Materials segment manufacture polymer materials and intermediates, mainly for the rubber, plastics, and agriculture industries. The Services segment comprises site management, utilities, waste management, technical, process technology, engineering, and logistics services for the chemical segments and external customers.

BASF, Stepan, Evonik were the top 3 players in the Surfactants market in 2022, taking up a market share of 14.32% together.

Segmentation Overview:

Petroleum-based Surfactants
Petroleum is also known as crude oil and is naturally occurring, formed in geological deposits when large quantities of dead organisms are subjected to intense heat and pressure beneath the earth’s surface. Petroleum is a non-renewable source as it takes many thousands of years for this transformation of organic matter. The raw materials for Petroleum-based Surfactants are derived from petrochemicals.

Bio-based Surfactants

Bio-based surfactants are derived from whole or a significant part from biological products or renewable agricultural materials (including plant, animal, and marine materials) or forestry materials.

Biosurfactant

The term biosurfactant refers specifically to those surfactants containing bio-based feedstocks and that are also produced by sustainable and non-chemical means. Biosurfactants are biologically produced, meaning they are produced directly from microorganisms comprising of lipid, protein, and/or carbohydrate moieties that are frequently associated with cell walls or membranes. Biosurfactants include molecules with varying complex chemical structures, which play different roles in the life cycle of each of these microorganisms. The production process uses fully renewable raw materials with no traditional chemical reactions.

By type, Petroleum-based Surfactants segment accounted for the largest share of market in 2021.

Application Overview:

By application, the Detergent segment occupied the biggest share from 2017 to 2022.

Key Companies in the global Surfactants market covered in Chapter 3:

Innospec
Indorama
Evonik
BASF
Resun
SINOLIGHT-CHEM
Nouryon
Solvay
Galaxy Surfactants
Croda
Stepan
Zanyu Technology Group
Sasol
Clariant
Dow
Kao

In Chapter 4 and Chapter 14.2, on the basis of types, the Surfactants market from 2018 to 2029 is primarily split into:

Petroleum-based Surfactants
Bio-based Surfactants
Biosurfactant

In Chapter 5 and Chapter 14.3, on the basis of Downstream Industry, the Surfactants market from 2018 to 2029 covers:

Detergent
Textile
Personal Care
Petrochemical
Paint and Coating
Others

Geographically, the detailed analysis of consumption, revenue, market share and growth rate, historic and forecast (2018-2029) of the following regions are covered in Chapter 8 to Chapter 14:

North America (United States, Canada)
Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Netherlands, Turkey, Switzerland, Sweden)
Asia Pacific (China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia)
Latin America (Brazil, Mexico, Argentina)
Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa)