Surfactants Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Surfactants Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The surfactants market was estimated at over USD 36 billion in 2020, and the market is projected to register a CAGR of over 4% in terms of revenue during the forecast period (2021-2026).

The market was negatively impacted by COVID-19 in 2020. Several countries were forced to go in lockdown owing to the pandemic scenario, which led people to minimize the usage of personal vehicles, thus, creating a negative impact on the lubricant and fuel demand and, in turn, decreasing the demand for fuel additives and surfactants. However, the consciousness regarding personal hygiene and clean surrounding has increased in the current situation, which has stimulated the demand for personal and household cleaning products, thus, enhancing the market growth of surfactants.

Key Highlights

• Over the short term, the growing personal care industry in Asia-Pacific and the growing demand for oleochemicals are driving the growth of the surfactants market.
• Household soap and detergent is the largest application for surfactants in terms of volume. Surfactants are used as ingredients in a variety of products in the personal care segment, such as foaming agents, dispersants, emulsifiers, solubilizing agents, cleansers, and conditioners, among others. The personal care industry accounted for a healthy share of the global market, thereby augmenting the growth of the market.
• Environmental issues address certain key concerns that include toxicity, biodegradability, eutrophication, and lifecycle analysis. One of the biggest challenges faced by the surfactants industry is the level of the environmental effect caused by the use of its various products, like detergents. This is likely to hinder the market growth.
• As the demand for specialty surfactants is growing rapidly in various applications, the market for specialty surfactants is projected to increase drastically during the forecast period, thus, providing opportunities for innovations in application-specific products.
• The Asia-Pacific region is expected to dominate the market and is also likely to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period.

Key Market TrendsAnionic Surfactants to Dominate the Market

• Anionic surfactant belongs to the class of surface-active reagents, in which the head of the surfactant macromolecule remains negatively charged. This allows it to bind to impurities and particles suspended in the liquid.
• Anionic surfactants account for approximately half of the total share of the surfactants market. A growing focus on environmental regulations is expected to increase the demand for anionic surfactants.
• These surfactants are the most common type of surfactants found in low-moisture carpet cleaners, including encapsulation products and traditional shampoos, as they make a lot of foam when agitated, thus driving the product demand.
• Anionic surfactants are also used in removing dirt and sebum, as they are characterized by a negatively charged hydrophilic polar group and enhances frizz and friction. This negative charge helps the surfactant molecules to interact with both the soil particles and carbon fiber, which, in turn, lifts and suspends the soil in bubble-like arrangements known as micelles.
• In terms of volume, the three most-used anionic surfactants are alpha-olefin sulfonates, linear alkylbenzene sulfonates, and alcohol ether sulfates.
• High price and supply fluctuations of petrochemical products and reducing dependence on crude oil are likely to drive the demand for anionic surfactants.
• Increasing demand for anionic surfactants in cosmetic products, such as skin care and hair care products in personal care application, owing to its superior characteristics, such as foaming, cleansing, thickening, solubilizing, emulsifying, antimicrobial effects, penetration enhancement, and other special effects, is expected to boost the market demand.
• The current market demand for environment-friendly alternatives has led to a boost in demand for bio-based anionic surfactants.

Asia-Pacific to Dominate the Market

• In Asia-Pacific, China was the largest consumer of surfactants, and the country is likely to continue its dominance during the forecast period.
• The market for soap, washing powder, and synthetic detergent in China has grown at an average annual rate of 13.2% in the past five years due to increasing awareness about hygiene and development in liquid soap.
• In October 2019, BASF SE positioned to increase the annual production capacity of alkyl polyglucosides (APG), a non-ionic surfactant, from 20 kiloton to 30 kiloton at its Jinshan site in China to fulfill the strong demand in the surfactant-based home and personal care market, which, in turn, stimulates the market growth.
• China is becoming the largest market in terms of cosmetics and skincare products globally. The beauty sector in the country witnessed a growth of around 5% in the past ten years.
• Moreover, India is one of the largest producers of soaps in the world. The per capita consumption of toilet/bathing soap in the country is around 800 grams. Around 65% of the Indian population resides in rural areas, and the increasing disposable incomes and growth in rural markets are making the consumers shift to premium products. This shift is expected to drive the market for surfactants in the country.
• Due to all such factors, the market for surfactants in the region is expected to have a steady growth during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The surfactants market is highly fragmented, with the top five companies accounting for almost 15% of the market. Some of the major players in the market include Nouryon, Evonik Industries AG, Kao Corporation, BASF SE, and Stepan Company, among others.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

3M
Arkema
Ashland
BASF SE
Bayer AG
Clariant
Croda International PLC
Deten Quimica SA
Dow
Emery Oleochemicals
Evonik Industries AG
Galaxy
Geo Specialty Chemicals
Godrej Industries Limited
Huntsman International LLC
Innospec
Kao Corporation
Kemipex
KLK Oleo
Lankem
Lonza
Nouryon
Oxiteno
P&G Chemicals
Reliance Industries Ltd
Sanyo Chemical Industries Ltd
Sasol
Sinarmas Cepsa Pte Ltd
Sinopec Jinling Petrochemical Co. Ltd
Solvay
Stepan Company
SulfaTrade SA
Sumitomo Chemical Co. Ltd
Taiwan NJC Corporation Ltd
TENSAC
YPF

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