Email
Print
Ball Clay Market Overview
Ball
clay market size is forecast to reach US$585.2 million by 2027 after growing at
a CAGR of 5.5% during 2022-2027. The rapidly rising building & construction
sector, particularly in developing regions of the world, is expected to drive
the growth of the global ball clay market in the upcoming years. Controlled
organic content, unfired strength, high elasticity, ideal workability, and
favorable rheological properties are some of the characteristics of ball clay. Ball
clay also known as plastic clay is
one of the major components used for ceramic development. It is made by the mixture of quartz or silica,
talc, kaolinite, and includes the major minerals, such as accessory minerals
and carbonaceous materials such as lignite, excessively being used in
the ceramic industry. Furthermore, ball clay is also applied in the manufacturing
of ceramics, such as wall & floor tiles, sanitary ware, tableware, and
electrical porcelains.
COVID-19 Impact
The COVID-19 outbreak widely affected the ball
clay market over the year 2020. Owing to the nationwide lockdown, the
production process of various goods in the end-use industry declined due to the
non-functioning of the manufacturing plants. The domestic sales and export of
different raw materials also witnessed a halt during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Economies of each sector got affected and resulted in stagnation of activities
across the industries that uses ball clay. For instance, according to Eurostat,
In April 2021, construction production decreased by 1.6% in the E.U. compared
with March 2021; in the euro area, the decrease amounted to 2.2%. Additionally,
after an unprecedented decline in March and April (-25.4%), construction in the
E.U. region increased dynamically in May 2020 (21.6%). Thus, once the manufacturing
activities will get back on track in the building & construction, and
transportation industries, the market for ball clay will incline in the
upcoming years.
Ball Clay Market Report Coverage
The
report: “Ball Clay Market – Forecast
(2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following
segments of the ball clay industry.
By Form: Stone, Powder,
Shredded, Noodled, and Others
By
Application: Ceramics (Sanitary ware, Wall and Floor Tiles,
Tableware, Bricks, Refractories, and Others), Non-ceramic (Adhesives and
Sealants, Paints, Rubbers and Plastics, Fertilizers and
Insecticides and Others)
By End-Use
Industry: Building
& Construction (Residential
Construction, Commercial Construction, Industrial, and Infrastructure), Agriculture,
Electrical & Electronics, Transportation
(Aerospace, Marine, Automotive, and Others), and Others
By
Geography: North America
(USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands,
Spain, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India,
South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest
of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South
America), Rest of the World (Middle East and Africa)
Key Takeaways
- The Asia Pacific dominates the ball clay market owing to the rising growth and increasing investments in the building & construction industry. For instance, according to International Trade Administration, in China, construction industry revenue was reported to increase from US$ 968 billion in 2019 to US$ 1.1 trillion in 2021.
- Rapidly rising demand for ball clay in the transportation industry, to achieve lightweight vehicles, will be a critical factor driving the growth of the ball clay market in the upcoming years.
- The growing demand for ball clay in the agriculture industry for the production of insecticides and fertilizers is estimated to drive the ball clay market growth.
- However, the availability of substitutes for ball clay at lower costs and products with a cleaner look is hindering the growth of the ball clay market over the forecast period.
Figure: Asia-Pacific Ball Clay Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)
For More Details on This Report - Request for Sample
Ball Clay Market Segment Analysis – By Form
The powder segment
held the largest share in the ball clay market in 2021. The ball clay in powder
form consists of fine particle size, which is required in ceramics due to its
water-resistant property. Therefore, the demand for ball clay in powder form is
increasing in industrial applications, to make ceramics, such as in refractory
material for furnaces, glazes, casting slips, engobes, and pottery. The demand
for powder form of ball clay is high as compared to other forms, due to its
requirement as a binder for fertilizer binding. With the rising demand for ball
clay in powder form for several applications, the market is expected to grow in
the forecast period.
Ball Clay Market Segment Analysis – By Application
The ceramics segment
held the largest share with 26% in the ball
clay market in 2021. In the
construction industry, ceramics made of ball clay is used due to its property
of increasing plasticity, and bonding with base materials. Ball clay consists
of a mixture of silica, talc, kaolinite, including the necessary minerals such
as accessory minerals and carbonaceous materials such as lignite, which provides
rheological stability and plasticity to ceramics, made from them. In industrial
or commercial sectors, for ceramics applications, ball clay can also be used in tiling over concrete
floors & walls such as in manufacturing plants, airplane hangars, hospitals,
commercial and retail stores, showrooms, garages, and others. The increasing investments
in residential, commercial, industrial, and
infrastructure construction, will drive the demand for ceramics which would further raise the growth
of the market. For instance, Larsen & Toubro, in India, in 2019, won
contracts for building hospitals, commercial complexes, and manufacturing
capacity. The orders range between 2,500 crores (US$ 336.6 million) to 5000
crores (US$ 673.2 million), falling under the large category.
Ball Clay Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry
Building and construction industry held the
largest share in the ball clay market in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a
CAGR of 6.1% during 2022-2027. In the building and construction industry ball
clay finds usage in numerous applications such as in ceramics including,
sanitary ware, wall and floor tiles, bricks, paints, and others. The rising
growth in building and construction activities is further increasing the demand
for ball clay. The building and construction activities are increasing rapidly
in emerging economies such as India, the United States, China, and other
countries. For instance, according to the Department for Promotion of Industry
and Internal Trade (DPIIT), till December 2020, foreign direct investment (FDI)
in the construction industry stood at US$ 23.99 billion. Furthermore, according
to Invest India, by 2025, the building and construction industry is expected to
reach US$ 1.4 Tn. Thus, with the growth of the construction sector, the market
for ball clay will further rise over the forecast period.
Ball Clay Market Segment Analysis – By Geography
Asia-Pacific region dominated the ball clay market with a share of 38.2% in the year 2021. APAC region is one of the leading ball clay manufacturers globally, with China and India being the key consumers and suppliers of ball clay. Ball clay is used in tableware, electrical porcelains refractories, adhesives and sealants, rubbers and plastics, fertilizers and insecticides, and other applications. Moreover, the rising growth of several end-use industries such as building & construction, electrical & electronics, transportation, and others, has uplifted the development of the ball clay market. For instance, according to the World Bank, in 2020, the building and construction industry reached US$ 11.9 trillion, with an increase of about 4.2% from 2019. Additionally, according to Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), in Austria, motor vehicle production increased from 1,64,900 units in 2018 to 1,79,400 units in the year 2019. Similarly, in Vietnam, the production of motor vehicles increased from 2,37,000 units in 2018 to 2,50,000 units in the year 2019. With the increasing production of automobiles, it is estimated that in the upcoming years the requirement for ball clay will rise. Thus, the rising usage of ball clay in various end-use industries will drive market growth in the forecast period.
Ball Clay Market Drivers
Increasing Demand for Ball Clay in Transportation Industry
Ball clay in the transportation industry provides great advantages in preventing rust and corrosion on automotive body parts. In automotive parts, ceramics are utilized primarily because they are lightweight, thermally and electrically insulating, can endure high temperatures, and are safe and reliable. Ball clay finds application in ceramic cam rollers, valve discs for high-pressure injection systems, fuel injector pumps, modules for thermal insulation, fuel pump rollers, particulate filters, and catalytic converters, in the engine compartment. Also, ball clay is used in thermal barrier coatings, intake manifolds, pistons, and cylinder heads, for components inside and outside the engine, to improve horsepower, fuel efficiency, general engine performance, and to reduce exhaust emissions. In addition, ceramics are being used in gas turbines, electric vehicles, and fuel cells, since, the transportation industry is developing towards the need for power sources that are more environmentally friendly. Growing demand for electric vehicles in emerging economies such as China, India, Germany, and others is further anticipated to drive the market growth. For instance, according to Invest India, the electric vehicle market in India is estimated to be at US$2 billion by 2023. The number of electric vehicles operating in the medium and heavy passenger vehicle category increased to 1,356 units, in 2021 from 124 units, in 2018. Thus, the increasing application of ball clay in the transportation industry will drive the growth of the market.
Increasing Demand for Fertilizers and Insecticides Made from Ball Clay in Agriculture Industry
In the agriculture
industry, ball clay finds usage in numerous applications such as in fertilizers,
like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK), di-ammonium phosphate (DAP),
and other granular fertilizers. Also, it works as a soil binder, being
essential for all living tissues and average growth of plants, as insecticides
for plant protection from insects, for soil treatments, and many more. In
recent years, rising investments in the chemical & fertilizer sector have
raised the demand for the ball clay market. For instance, according to the Ministry
of Chemicals and Fertilizers, in 2020, the government-provided nutrient-based
subsidy of Rs. 15801.96 crores (US$
2,123.6 million) and urea subsidy of Rs. 53950.75 (US$ 7,251
million) crores on fertilizers. Thus, with the growth
of the chemical & fertilizer sector, the market for ball clay will further
rise over the forecast period.
Ball Clay Market – Challenges
Availability of Substitutes will Hamper the Market Growth
The substitutes for ball clay floor tile are other floor covering materials such as hardwood, laminate, vinyl sheet & floor tile, stone, carpet, and other strong floorings. Among the different types of substitutes for ball clay, vinyl sheet & floor tile, laminates, and others have less prices compared than that of the ball clay tiles. Also, household utensils made up of porcelains and bentonites instead of ball clays, have a better clean and white look, hence, are more adopted. Thus, the availability of substitutes for ball clay at lower prices and products with a cleaner look will create hurdles for the market's growth over the forecast period.
Ball Clay Industry Outlook
Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in this market. Ball clay top 10 companies include:
1) Amarnath Industries
2) Ashapura Group
3) Ashok Alco-Chem Limited (AACL)
4) Finore Minerals LLP
5) G&W Mineral Resources
6) IMERYS Ceramics
7) Kothari Minerals
8) Modkha Marine Sdn Bhd
9) Old Hickory Clay Co.
10) Sibelco
Acquisitions/Technology Launches
In May 2020, Sibelco completed the acquisition of Ukraine-based clay manufacturers Euromineral LLC and Kurdyumovsky Plant PrJSC, located in the Donetsk region. The acquisition strengthened the company’s market position in terms of Ukrainian clay, an important raw material for the production of porcelain tiles, globally.
Relevant Reports
Bleaching Clay Market -Forecast 2021 - 2026
Report Code: CMR 82298
Geosynthetic Clay Liner Market - Forecast 2021 -
2026
Report Code: CMR 68201
Kaolin
Market - Forecast 2021 - 2026
Report Code: CMR 85535
APAC Kaolin Market – Forecast (2021 - 2026)
Report Code:
CMR 1365
For more Chemicals and Materials Market reports, please click here