Jan 16 2011
Calcium Carbonate is the principal inorganic mineral, which is primarily used as commercial and functional filler in paper, rubber, plastic, architectural materials, coatings and light chemicals. Along with talc and kaolin, the mineral (known as filler or body pigment) finds extensive usage in metalloid mineral applications. In addition, calcium carbonate has long been recognized as a useful additive for thermoplastics and in PVC for many applications.
Asia-Pacific represents the largest regional market for calcium carbonate worldwide, as stated by the new market research report on Calcium Carbonate. Europe trails behind Asia-Pacific. Future growth in the market is expected to be driven by regional markets such as Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East. Latin American market for calcium carbonate alone is expected to post a CAGR of 3.6% over the analysis period. Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC) represents the largest type of calcium carbonate, while Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is projected to witness fastest gains through 2015.
Paper industry constitutes the largest market for GCC, followed by the plastics industry. GCC continues to enjoy increasing demand from the paper industry in paper coating applications as well as fillers. In the paper industry, GCC competes with precipitated calcium carbonate and Kaolin, which are also used in coating applications. However, the brightness conferred by GCC and its high-quality performance in high-speed paper machines makes it superior to kaolin. Increasing use of GCC as a functional additive and process aid, in addition to its use as a filler, is expected to drive the demand for the much finely ground calcium carbonate. In the plastics industry, GCC is the most common filler used, although Alumina Trihydrate and Talc are the preferred minerals in the more demanding applications. Consumption is likely to increase considerably in Asia, while North America and Europe would register a lackluster growth. In Latin America, the GCC industry witnessed scarcity in the supply of raw materials, however, demand is likely to sustain owing to the imports of raw materials, such as limestone.
The global consumption of Precipitated Calcium Carbonate is largely concentrated in Asia. Other major regions include Europe and North America, placed at distant second and third positions, respectively. Going forwards, Asia is expected to spearhead growth in the consumption of PCC worldwide, fuelled by the significant rise in number of paper mills and growth in plastics sector in the region over the recent years. Within Asia, the largest production capacity of more than 70% of the total is concentrated in China. Meanwhile, growth in PCC consumption across Europe and North America is expected to be sluggish, largely due to the closure of paper mills as a result of plummeting demand due to economic recession, and intensifying competition among domestic producers. Paper industry represents the largest end-use sector for PCC worldwide.
Major players profiled in the report include Excalibar Minerals LLC, Huber Engineered Materials, Imerys, Minerals Technologies Inc., Mississippi Lime Company, Okutama Kogyo Co. Ltd., Omya AG, Schaefer Kalk GMBH & Co. KG, Shiraishi Kogyo Kaisha, Ltd. and Solvay S.A.
The research report titled "Calcium Carbonate: A Global Strategic Business Report" announced by Global Industry Analysts Inc., provides a comprehensive review of the calcium carbonate markets, impact of the recession on the market, current market trends, key growth drivers, overview of nano calcium carbonate market, recent product introductions, recent industry activity, and profiles of major/niche global as well as regional market participants. The report provides annual sales estimates and projections for calcium carbonate market for the years 2007 through 2015 for the following geographic markets - US, Canada, Japan, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America. Key product segments analyzed include Ground Calcium Carbonate (GCC), and Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC). End-use applications analyzed for PCC include Paper, Paints and Coatings, Adhesives and Sealants, Plastics, and Others. Also, a seven-year (2000-2006) historic analysis is provided for additional perspective.