Super Absorbent Polymer Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Type (Natural, Synthetic), Application (Personal Hygiene, Medical/Healthcare, Automotive), and By Geography

Super Absorbent Polymer Market Forecasts to 2028 – Global Analysis By Type (Natural, Synthetic), Application (Personal Hygiene, Medical/Healthcare, Automotive), and By Geography

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Super Absorbent Polymer Market is accounted for $9.86 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $16.78 billion by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 7.9% during the forecast period. Superabsorbent polymer (SAP) is a material that has a high liquid-absorbing capacity. The superabsorbent polymer can absorb and retain extremely large amounts of a liquid compared with its mass. These types of polymers can absorb liquid up to 100 times its own weight.

The growth of the personal hygiene market is driven by increasing awareness regarding the benefits of maintaining cleanliness and personal hygiene. The rising demand for products such as sanitary pads, and wipes, among others, will subsequently drive the demand for personal hygiene products over the coming years. In 2010, the Government of India initiated Menstrual Hygiene Scheme, providing subsidized sanitary pads to rural women living below the poverty line. According to The World Bank, it is projected that the world’s population will continue to grow and will reach nearly 10 billion by 2050. An increase in population has led to a rise in birth rates. This has propelled the usage of baby diapers, which, in turn, is likely to boost the demand for superabsorbent polymers across the globe.

Market Dynamics:

Driver:

Increasing demand from personal hygiene

In the personal hygiene application, super absorbent polymers are utilized in baby diapers, adult incontinence products, and sanitary napkins. Among these, the utilization of super absorbent polymers is the highest in the baby diapers segment. Also, the rising geriatric population and increasing awareness about the benefits and comfort of adult incontinence products are increasing the use of super absorbent polymers. With cases of adult incontinence on the rise, governments of different countries are focusing on the manufacturing of incontinence products through collaborative efforts with manufacturers and medical professionals. Countries such as the US, the UK, Germany, and Australia have government initiatives that support the use of adult incontinence products.

Restraint:

Water absorption property

Super absorbent polymers are known for their water absorption property, but in contact with ions, this property decreases. This gradually hinders the utilization of agricultural super absorbent polymer attributable to high ion content in the soil because of the presence of fertilizers and irrigation techniques, which is restraining the growth of the market.

Opportunity:

Advancements in the bio-based super absorbent polymers

Conventional super absorbent polymers utilized are non-biodegradable and account for a huge share of landfills globally. Subsequently, investments in the advancement of super absorbent polymers because of on renewable materials are probably going to create new avenues for the global market. Super absorbent polymers based on renewable materials are also a suitable alternative to the petrochemical-based polymers, which are presently utilized in the absorbent core of disposable diapers, among other personal hygiene products.

Threat:

Volatile price of raw materials

Acrylic acid is utilized for the manufacturing of super absorbent polymers. The costs of acrylic acid have been unpredictable because of fluctuations in crude oil prices as well as the tight supply in the market. Crude oil prices are recovering gradually, which will affect the costs of acrylic acid. Environmental regulations in China have resulted in acrylic acid manufacturing plants working at lower rates, thereby limiting the supply-demand gap. This has impacted the prices of super absorbent polymers.

The sodium polyacrylate segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period

The sodium polyacrylate segment is estimated to have a lucrative growth because of the increasing utilization of sodium polyacrylate in personal hygiene applications, attributable to its high liquid absorption capacity. Sodium polyacrylate act as an effective agent in increasing the biomass efficiency in grasslands, and improving the organic matter content and soil fertility in forestry. Sodium polyacrylate is mostly preferred because of its high absorption control and accessibility in manufacturing hygiene products such as disposable diapers to reduce infection and the unpleasant smell of chemicals.

Region with highest share:

Asia Pacific is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period due to the rising population coupled with the increasing demand for personal hygiene care products. Additionally, growing awareness about hygiene products is escalating the demand for feminine hygiene products. In addition, rising per capita disposable income in developing nations encourages individuals to spend on their health and access better healthcare, which will raise the market value of superabsorbent polymers in the near future.

Region with highest CAGR:

North America is projected to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period owing to the rising awareness regarding personal hygiene along with the increasing demand for personal care products. Countries of North America such as the U.S. and Canada are among the major contributors to the regional market growth and are likely to see a significant regional market growth due to the continuous expansion of the personal care sector.

Key players in the market

Some of the key players profiled in the Super Absorbent Polymer Market include Shandong Nuoer Biological Technology Co., Ltd., Zhejiang Weilong Polymer Material Co., Ltd, Formosa Plastic Corporation, Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co. Ltd., Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd, Kao Corporation, Sinofloc Chemical Ltd., Quan Zhou Banglida Technology Industry Co., Ltd., LG Chemicals Ltd, Sanyo Chemicals Industries, Ltd., Wanhua Chemical Group Co., Ltd, Evonik Industries AG, Songwon Industrial Co. Ltd., BASF SE., Yixing Danson Technology and SNF (U.K.) Limited.

Key Developments:

In November 2020, Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd joint ventured with LiveDo Corporation, and Total Care System for developing various technologies to promote systems that recycle disposable diapers, the use of which continues to increase. These three companies have recently developed new recycling technologies for super absorbent polymers in used diapers. The technology can be applied to a wide variety of super absorbent polymers distributed worldwide.

In March 2021, BASF expanded by opening a state-of-the-art Superabsorbents Excellence Center at the Verbund site in Antwerp, Belgium to increase innovation capabilities for its superabsorbent polymer business.

Types Covered:
• Natural (Non-Petroleum-based)
• Synthetic (Petrochemical based)
• Other Types

Grades Covered:
• Industrial Grade
• Hygiene Grade
• Food/Agricultural Grade
• Standard Grade
• Medical Grade

Production Methods Covered:
• Solution Polymerization
• Inverse suspension Polymerization
• Continuous Gel Polymerization

Applications Covered:
• Medical/Healthcare
• Personal Hygiene
• Industrial
• Agriculture & Horticulture
• Building & Construction
• Thickening Agent
• Oil & Gas
• Manufacturing Industries
• Food Packaging
• Cables and Wires Industry
• Automotive
• Other Applications

Regions Covered:
• North America
US
Canada
Mexico
• Europe
Germany
UK
Italy
France
Spain
Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
Japan
China
India
Australia
New Zealand
South Korea
Rest of Asia Pacific
• South America
Argentina
Brazil
Chile
Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa
Saudi Arabia
UAE
Qatar
South Africa
Rest of Middle East & Africa

What our report offers:
- Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments
- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
- Covers Market data for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2028
- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Free Customization Offerings:
All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options:
• Company Profiling
Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3)
SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3)
• Regional Segmentation
Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the client's interest (Note: Depends on feasibility check)
• Competitive Benchmarking
Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances