Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Overview

Biodegradable superabsorbent materials market size is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 5.4% during 2022-2027. The global population has been increasing at a considerable rate, which is driving the requirement for biodegradable superabsorbent materials in personal hygiene products. Biodegradable superabsorbent materials such as polyitaconic acid, polysaccharides, polypeptide, and polyvinyl alcohol are excessively utilized in baby diapers, water treatment, agriculture, and sanitary napkins due to their beneficial characteristics, which is driving the growth of the market. The high population growth rate has increased the pressure on the environment, by threatening environmental sustainability and food security. Therefore, rise in environmental awareness has encouraged manufacturers to produce sustainable and bio-based superabsorbent materials. Thus, driving the demand for biodegradable superabsorbent materials market growth in the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID 19 outbreak widely affected the building and construction, agriculture, and medical and healthcare industries over 2020. The manufacturing process of various products in these end use industries reduced due to the nationwide lockdown. Economies of each sector got affected and resulted in stagnation of activities across the sectors that use biodegradable superabsorbent materials. For instance, according to Eurostat, as compared with March 2021, construction production decreased by 1.6% in the E.U. in April 2021. Also, in May 2021 construction in the E.U. region increased dynamically by 21.6% but has since remained stable. Thus, once the building and construction activities get back on track and start functioning with total capacity, the market for biodegradable superabsorbent materials is estimated to incline in the upcoming years.

Report Coverage

The report: “Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the biodegradable superabsorbent materials industry.

By Product Type: Polyvinyl Alcohol, Polyacrylamide, Polysaccharides, Polyitaconic Acid, Polypeptide, and Others

By Application: Personal Care and Hygiene (Baby Diapers, Adult Incontinence Products, Feminine Hygiene, Others), Agriculture, Water Treatment, Building and Construction (Fire Protection, Self-Healing, Others), Medical and Healthcare (Functional Wound Dressings, Drapes and Cover Cloths, Drug Administration, Tissue Engineering, Others), and Others

By Geography: North America (U.S.A., 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 region dominates the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market owing to the rising growth and increasing investments in the building & construction industry. For instance, till December 2020, FDI in the construction industry was at US$ 23.99 billion, according to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
• Rapidly rising demand for biodegradable superabsorbent materials in the personal care and hygiene sector for baby diapers and sanitary napkins has driven the growth of the market.
• The rising demand for biodegradable superabsorbent materials in agriculture sector, due to their water absorbing and water retention characteristics, has been a critical factor driving the growth of the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market in the upcoming years.
• However, high-cost production of biodegradable superabsorbent materials can hinder the growth of the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market.
  
  

Figure: Asia-Pacific Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

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Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Segment Analysis – By Product Type

The polyvinyl alcohol segment held the largest share in the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market in 2021. Polyvinyl alcohol exhibits good water retention characteristic, as compared to other biodegradable superabsorbent products such as polysaccharides and polypeptide. Therefore, polyvinyl alcohol has more usage in baby diapers, adult incontinence products, and other liquid absorption applications. Thus, with the rising demand of the polyvinyl alcohol product, the market for biodegradable superabsorbent materials will further rise over the forecast period.

Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Segment Analysis – By Application

The personal care and hygiene industry held the largest share in the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1% during 2022-2027. In the personal care and hygiene industry, biodegradable superabsorbent materials are used in numerous applications such as baby diapers, sanitary napkins, protective apparel for medical activities, sanitary towels, and others. Currently, with the rising awareness regarding health & hygiene, the demand for biodegradable superabsorbent materials is also rising. Also, the need for biodegradable superabsorbent materials is increasing rapidly in emerging economies with growing health concerns among people and the rise in hospitals in India, the United States, China, and other countries. Additionally, the rising need for disposable hygiene products and the growing adoption of female hygienic products in developing countries will drive the need for premium hygiene products. For instance, in 2020 the government passed a law for providing free sanitary materials in schools through the Education Amendment Act. In addition, the Minister of Finance made a budgetary allocation for hygienic materials for girls, according to United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). Thus, with the growth of the personal care and hygiene sector, the market for biodegradable superabsorbent materials will further rise over the forecast period.

Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

The Asia-Pacific region dominated the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market with a share of 38% in 2021. APAC region is one of the leading biodegradable superabsorbent materials manufacturers, with China and India being the key consumers and suppliers of biodegradable superabsorbent materials. Biodegradable superabsorbent materials are made up of products such as polysaccharides, polyitaconic acid, polypeptide, polyvinyl alcohol and others, and are used in adult incontinence products, female hygiene, water treatment, agriculture, and other applications. The rising growth of several end-use industries such as building & construction, personal care & hygiene, medical & healthcare and others, has uplifted the development of the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market. For instance, according to Invest India, the Indian healthcare market is expected to reach US$ 372 Bn by 2022 from US$190 bn in 2020. Additionally, according to the World Bank, in 2020, the building and construction industry reached about US$ 11.9 trillion, with an increase of about 4.2% from 2019. In the APAC region, demand for biodegradable superabsorbent materials with added value is growing substantially. Thus, the rising usage of biodegradable superabsorbent materials in various end-use industries will drive the market growth in the forecast period. 

Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Drivers

High Growth Rate of Building & Construction Industry

In the building and construction industry, biodegradable superabsorbent materials find usage in numerous applications such as in fire protection, to strengthen cement, to create self-healing, and other applications. Modern biodegradable superabsorbent materials are produced using either acrylic acid or acrylamide. With the rising building and construction activities, the demand for biodegradable superabsorbent materials is also rising. The building and construction activities are increasing rapidly in emerging economies such as in India, United States, China, and other countries. For instance, in China, according to International Trade Administration, construction industry revenue was increased to US$ 1.1 trillion in 2021, from US$ 968 billion in 2019. Furthermore, the building and construction industry is expected to reach US$ 1.4 trillion by 2025, according to Invest India. Thus, with the construction sector's growth, the market for biodegradable superabsorbent materials will further rise over the forecast period. 

Surging Demand for Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials in the Agriculture Sector

Biodegradable superabsorbent materials are used in the agricultural industry due to their water absorbing and water retention characteristics, especially in water scarce regions. These superabsorbent materials are used to increase water use efficiency and crop yield. The increasing government investments in agriculture sector, is driving the market growth. For instance, according to Indian Brand Equity Foundation, India received funding of US$ 1 billion in agritech, from 2017 - 2020. Indian agritech companies are likely to witness fundings of US$ 30-35 billion by 2025. Also, according to the government of Canada, in 2021, the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, invested a sum of US$4.3 million, in order to support special crop and pulse crops farmers to meet the increasing demand for high-quality and sustainable plant-based protein. Thus, with the rising investments in the agriculture industry, the market for biodegradable superabsorbent materials will further rise over the forecast period. 

Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Challenges

High-Cost Production of Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Will Hamper the Market Growth

Manufacturers of biodegradable superabsorbent materials are raising awareness on producing products having less impact on the environment. However, high cost of equipment, high power utilization, and difficultly in maintenance creates the production of biodegradable superabsorbent materials difficult. Also, upgradation and construction of a biodegradable superabsorbent material production plant includes high capital expenditure. Thus, high-cost associated with the production of biodegradable superabsorbent materials will create hurdles for the market's growth. 

Biodegradable Superabsorbent Materials Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies players adopt in the biodegradable superabsorbent materials markets. Major players in the biodegradable superabsorbent materials market are:

1. Zeel Product
2. Lubrizol
3. CP Kelco
4. SNF Group
5. Chinafloc
6. LG Chem
7. Nuoer Chemical Australia Pty Ltd
8. JRM Chemical Inc
9. Exotech Bio Solutions Ltd.
10. Itaconix Corporation and Others 

Recent Developments

In September 2019, LG Chem and Archer Daniels Midland Company announced a joint agreement for development, in order to produce bio based acrylic acid for the production of superabsorbent polymers (SAP), which is used in hygiene products such as diapers.

In May 2021, Pampers launched a new Pampers Pure Protection Hybrid Diapers. These diapers are manufactured by the combination of reusable cloth and plant-based liner, which is estimated to increase the demand for disposable and eco-friendly diapers. 

Relevant Reports

Biodegradable Plastic Market – Forecast (2021 - 2026)
Report Code: CMR 0308

Biodegradable Packaging Market – Forecast (2021 - 2026)
Report Code: CMR 0116

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