Calcite Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Calcite Market Overview

Calcite market size is estimated to reach US$16.3 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 5.3% from 2022-2027. Calcite is a colorless rock-forming mineral consisting of calcium carbonate and is a major constituent of sedimentary rocks like limestone. The mineral is commonly formed on the shell of dead marine organisms by a chemical process like anaerobic oxidation of methane and in plane-polarized light, it is almost indistinguishable from other minerals. Hence, the stable strontium isotope fractioning of the calcite makes it consistent towards precipitation and changes in climatic conditions. Calcite has various applications like fillers it is used in the paper, plastic, and paints sector for improving the quality and brightness of the products, in the construction sector it is used for cement production, as additives in medicines, and as soil neutralizer in agriculture. The factors like, growing construction activities, increase in consumption of paper and growing demand for plastics are driving the growth of the calcite industry. However, sometimes calcium carbonate additives used in medicine can have side effects like constipation, diarrhea, abdominal pain. Hence, to avoid these side effects, the regulation laid down by governments will restrict the use of calcium carbonate in certain products like medicine. This can hamper the growth of the calcite market in that sector. 

COVID-19 Impact

COVID-19 left a negative impact on the major end-users of calcite such as the construction, paper, plastic, paints & coatings sector. Necessary measures are taken by countries like nationwide lockdown, regulation on public movement, and restriction on import/exports led to lack of availability of labor force and raw material supplies in these sectors. Hence, this disrupted the functionality of these sectors and decreased their productivity. For instance, as per the 2021 report of the Confederation of European Paper Industries, the production of graphical grades in newsprint and commercial printing declined 19% in 2020. Also, as per PlasticEurope, in 2020, the production of new plastics was down by 51% at 55 million tons. Moreover, as per, International Construction and Infrastructure Surveys, the construction and infrastructure activities across all regions went down in Q1 of 2020 with China in the Asia-Pacific region having the sharpest workload contraction. Calcite is used as fillers in plastics and paints to improve their quality and in the construction sector, it is used as calcium carbonate for concrete/ cement making. Hence, the decrease in activities and production output of such sectors led to less usage of calcite in them, thereby harming the growth of the calcite industry.

Report Coverage

The report: “Calcite Market Report – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segment of the Calcite Industry.

By Form – Powder, Granules, Slurry.
By Application – Fillers (Plastic filler, Paints filler, Paper filler), Concrete/ Cement Production, Soil Neutralizer, Pharmaceutical additive.
By End-User-Industry – Construction (Residential, Commercial), Paper (Printed Paper, Decorative Paper, Laminated Paper), Agriculture, Pharmaceuticals, Paints & Coatings, Plastics (PVC Pipes, Power Cables, Ceiling Sheets, Plastic films, Others), Others.
By Geography – North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherland, Spain, Russia, Belgium, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Rest of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Rest of South America), Rest of the World (Middle East, Africa).

Key Takeaways

• Asia-Pacific dominates the calcite industry, as the region consists of major end-users of calcite like paper, plastics, paints, and the construction sector in major economies like China, India, and Japan.
• The anaerobic oxidation of calcite provides it good hydration rate which makes it an essential raw material for concrete production and cement additive, as high hydration provides more hardness in cement. 
• In the agriculture sector, the calcium carbonate powder is used as a cheap method for neutralizing acidic soil which makes plantation and growing of crops easy thereby giving effective crop yield 

Figure: Asia-Pacific Calcite Market Revenue, 2021-2027

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Calcite Market Segment Analysis – By Form

Powder held a significant share in the calcite market in 2021, with a share of over 35%. Calcite powder has various applications like it is used as extenders in paints industries as well as fillers for plastics, and also the calcite powder is used in concrete production in the construction sector. The growing production output in these sectors on account of rapid urbanization and growing advancements has positively impacted the usage of calcite in them. For instance, as per China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation, the paints and coating production in China in April 2021 was 27 million tons which were forty times more than the amount produced in 2002. Also, as per the 2021 report of PlasticEurope, plastic production in Europe increased by 11.3% compared to 2020. Moreover, in June 2021, Saudi Arabia tendered new construction projects valuing up to US$58 billion, showing a rapid acceleration in project undertaking. Such, rapid development in these sectors will lead to more usage of calcite in them as fillers and concrete additives. Hence, this will positively impact the growth rate of the calcite industry.

Calcite Market Segment Analysis – By End User

Construction held a significant share in the calcite market in 2021, with a share of over 30%. Calcite containing calcium carbonate is used as an additive in cement which reduces the carbon footprint of cement, and due to stable strontium isotope, it increases the hydration rate which hardens the cement in a much quicker manner. The rapid development in the construction sector in countries has increased the scale of construction activities and the undertaking of new infrastructure projects. For instance, as per the 2021 report of the U.S Census Bureau, construction activities in the U.S have steadily increased, with residential construction showing an increase of 4.1% in November, up by 1% from 2020 same month. In the December 2021 report of the European Union, building construction increased by 4.6% from last year and civil engineering by 3.3%. Moreover, Abu Dhabi’s government announced in 2020 an ambitious plan to procure over US$ 2.72 billion worth of infrastructure partnership projects. Hence such an increase in the construction and infrastructure development activities will lead to more usage of cement in them, increasing consumption of calcium carbonate additives in the cement. Hence, this will have a positive impact on the growth of the calcite industry.

Calcite Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

Asia-pacific held the largest share in the calcite market in 2021, with a share of over 45%. The region consists of major end-users of calcite like construction, agriculture, plastic, paper, paints sector in major countries like China, India, Japan, etc. with China being the largest plastic and paper producer. The economic development in these nations has led to an increase in the industrial output of their sectors including end-users of calcite. For instance, as per Plastic Export Promotion Council, India’s plastic exports grew by 60% in June 2021. Also, as per the State Council for the People’s Republic of China, in July 2021 China approved projects related to the development of affordable rental homes. Moreover, as per the 2021 report of the United States Department of Agriculture, China and India were the largest producers of crops like wheat, rice, milled and Thailand saw an increase of 2% in its rice production from last year. The growing development and the increasing rate of exports and production output in the construction, agriculture, and plastics sector in these countries will increase demand for calcite to be used in them for soil neutralizer in agriculture, cement/ concrete additive in construction, and as fillers for plastics. Hence, this will increase the growth rate of the calcite industry in the Asia-Pacific region. 

Calcite Market Drivers

Increase in Consumption of Paper

Calcite made by anaerobic oxidation and stable fractioning of strontium isotopes is used as paper filler in the paper and pulp industry to improve the brightness and opacity of the paper, hence acting as an effective optical brightener. The precipitated calcium carbonate is also used as a white pigment in printing ink. The increase in consumption of paper especially in developed nations has positively impacted the demand for calcite in the paper industry. For instance, as per the 2021 report of the American Forest & Paper Association, U.S. purchases of total printing-writing papers increased six percent in May compared to the same month last year, and Uncoated Free Sheet imports and exports both increased compared to April 2020, up 10% and 25% respectively. Moreover, as per the China National Bureau of Statistics, paper production in China increased by 8% in 2020 compared to last year. Hence, such an increase in the consumption of paper will increase the demand for calcite in the paper industry for paper brightening. This will have a positive impact on the growth rate of the calcite industry 

Growing Scale of Construction Activities

Emerging economies, rapid urbanization, and various infrastructural developments undertaken by countries have increased the scale of construction activity. For instance, in preparation for the 2021 Expo, Dubai awarded about 47 construction contracts with a total value of US$ 3 billion to local and foreign companies. In 2019 National Development and Reform Commission of China approved 26 infrastructure projects estimated to be completed by 2023. Also, in 2021, Oman’s Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning five new integrated projects that would provide 4800 housing units. Calcium carbonate powder is used in concrete production and as an additive in cement, as the calcite having stable strontium isotopes provides better strength and durability to cement in high temperatures. Hence, the increase in construction activities will lead to more usage of calcite-based calcium carbonate powder for concrete and cement. This will have a positive impact on the growth of the calcite industry.

Calcite Market Challenges

Stringent Government Regulation

Calcium carbonate additives are used in drugs to make medicines like antacids to relieve heartburn, acid indigestion, and upset stomach. Hence, the excessive usage of these tablets can cause gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Hence to prevent such health problems, certain regulation is established by the government relating to calcium carbonate usage in drugs. For instance, as per the Code of Federal Regulation, Title 21, of Food and Drugs Administration, the color additives made by calcium carbonate for drugs, should contain those diluents which are specified under the regulation. Hence, such regulation will restrict the usage of calcium carbonate additives for drugs, thereby harming the growth of the calcite industry in the pharmaceutical sector.

Calcite Industry Outlook

The companies to develop a strong regional presence and strengthen their market position, continuously engage in mergers and acquisitions. In the calcite market report, the calcite top 10 companies are:

1. Imerys
2. Huber Engineered Materials
3. Wolkem India Ltd.
4. Nordkalk Corporation
5. Omya AG
6. Shandong Citic Calcium Industry
7. Sibelco
8. Maruo Calcium Co. Ltd
9. Fitz Chem LLC
10. Okutama Kogya Co. Ltd

Recent Developments

• In 2021, Omya AG, a leading producer of industrial minerals and worldwide distributor of specialty chemicals acquired Mexico based Accimin, and through this acquisition, the company will expand its existing perlite business in Mexico and overseas 
• In 2019, Huber Engineered Material acquired the nutritional agrochemical business of Miller Chemicals and Fertilizer, and such acquisition will expand the company’s portfolio in the chemicals and minerals market 
•  In 2020, NY Chemicals and Illinois Fitz Chem LLC merged to form Nagase Specialty Material LLC and the merger will increase the distribution network of specialty chemicals for consumers and industrial products like paints, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, etc.

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