Feb 10 2011
Application areas of defoamers are varied and include the paints and coatings, paper and pulp, inks, and laundry detergents industries among various others. The pulp and paper industry is the largest consumers of defoamers.
The paper recycling industry uses a greater proportion of defoamers as compared to the overall pulp and paper industry. A spur in demand for silicone defoamers in the papermaking sector is expected to drive defoamers market in the future. Dioxin-free defoamers too are in great demand, following a decline in demand for polysilicone defoamers. Recycled fiber usage too has contributed to the increased demand for defoamers in the pulp and paper mills. Paper mills worldwide are switching their operations from acid to alkaline papermaking process. This augurs well for the defoamers market. Alkaline operations function under closed-loop water systems, requiring large volumes of water. This necessitates greater usage of defoamers. However, the pulp and paper industry, is facing challenges in the form of enhanced environmental regulations and decreased demand. Factors such as globalization, cutthroat competition and ever-changing customer requirements forced chemical manufacturers to consider merger & acquisitions as an opportunity to reinforce their position in the marketplace. Chemical manufacturing companies all over the world are adopting cost curtailment measures to survive and thrive in the intensely competitive environment.
Amendments in the federal regulations have made it mandatory to use defoamers that do not discharge volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and air pollutants. This has forced the end-use industries to consider the environmental impact of defoamers that are low-volume additives. Environment friendly, water-based defoamers are therefore gaining immense popularity. Blended products comprising several active ingredients such as fatty acids, esters, oils, and silica in a water base, are witnessing steady gains primarily since they are environmentally friendly and have a reduced impact on finished products. The US and the Europe represent the two largest markets for defoamers used in the water treatment industry. Growth in water treatment chemicals is likely to be spurred by rapid growth in industrialization and population in these countries. Paper and metal manufacturing represent two key growth areas that account for a greater share of these chemicals. Demand for paints and coatings is increasing as manufacturers are developing new techniques and reformulating the product to meet federal regulations. The paints & coatings industry is increasingly adapting water-based formulations for industrial and architectural coatings. Defoamers, wetting agents and dispersants are widely used in the printing and inks industry. A shift towards water-borne inks has led to a greater demand for defoamers.
The Defoamers market is currently in a slowdown stage, wherein the overall growth rate of about 3-4% sustained upto 2006 has been decreasing over the last few years. Factors such as fewer pulp mills, intense pricing pressures, recycling, slowdown in the de-icing industry, new regulatory issues adversely affected the fast-paced market growth. In addition, the recent global recession also played havoc with the defoamer industry prospects, pulling down the overall growth rate.
Europe, closely followed by the US constitutes two of the largest markets for defoamers, as stated by the new research report on Defoamers. The demand for defoamers in the developed markets of the US and Europe is anticipated to receive an impetus due to thriving end-use markets, stringent environmental regulations, advanced infrastructure and expectation of enhanced performance levels. In growth terms, Asia-Pacific market powered by China and India is forecast to forge ahead of the other regional markets at the overall fastest compounded annual growth rate of 2.6% over the analysis period. The Pulp & Paper industry represents the largest end-use segment. The Petroleum end-use segment is projected to sail ahead at the fastest CAGR of 2.6% through 2015.
Key participants profiled in the report include Air Products & Chemicals, Ashland Chemical, Ashland Hercules Water Technologies, BASF SE, Buckman Laboratories International Inc., Burlington Chemical Co Inc, Cognis Corp, Cognis UK Ltd, Crusader Chemical Co. Inc, Dow Chemical Co, Dow Corning Corp, Innospec Inc, Kemira Group, Kemira Chemicals Inc, King Industries Inc, Munzing Chemie GmbH, Ultra Additives LLC, Nalco Co., and The Lubrizol Corporation.
The research report titled “Defoamers: A Global Strategic Business Report” announced by Global Industry Analysts, Inc., provides a comprehensive review of current market trends, product overview, end-use markets, product innovations, recent industry activity and profiles of market players worldwide. Analysis and overview is provided for major geographic markets such as the United States, Canada, Japan, France, Germany, United Kingdom, Italy, Spain, Russia, Rest of Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East. Market analytics are provided in value (US$) terms for end-use segments including Pulp and Paper, Petroleum, Water Treatment, Paints and Coatings and Miscellaneous Applications. The study also provides historic data for an insight into market evolution over the period 2000 through 2006.