Kapok Fiber Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Kapok Fiber Market Overview

The kapok fiber market size is forecast to reach US$975.2 million by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 4.2% during 2022-2027. Globally, the rising need of kapok fiber or ceiba pentandra in the furniture industry for cushioning and filling purposes, is driving the market growth. Kapok fiber exhibits good anti-microbial characteristics, it is hydrophobic, and have an excellent thermal and acoustic insulating properties, good oil and other non-polar liquids absorbency, and high buoyancy. New potentials of this cellulosic fiber have been in the field of technical textiles, yachts and boats furnishing, electronics sector, acoustic insulation, industrial wastewaters filtration, insulating materials in refrigeration systems, removal of spilled oil from water surfaces, and reinforcement components in polymer composites. Moreover, the rising requirement of kapok fiber in textile and apparel industry for making natural fabrics, by blending with other fibers such as cotton in order to save water, is surging the demand for kapok fiber market in the forecast period.

Report Coverage

The report: “Kapok Fiber Market Report – Forecast (2022 - 2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the global kapok fiber industry.

Key Takeaways

• The Asia Pacific region dominates the kapok fiber market owing to the rising growth and increasing investments in the building & construction industry. For instance, according to the Government of Canada, in 2020, the government announced the contribution of more than US$ 22.6million for community infrastructure for the benefit of central interior communities.
• Rapidly rising demand for the global kapok fiber in the electrical and electronics industry for insulation application has driven the growth of the kapok fiber market.
• The increasing demand for the global kapok fiber in the pulp & paper industry, due to its usage in the pulping, papermaking, and especially for packaging paper, has been a critical factor driving the growth of the kapok fiber market in the upcoming years.
• However, the problems associated with the kapok fiber and availability of synthetic substitute, can hinder the growth of the kapok fiber market.

Figure: Asia-Pacific Kapok Fiber Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Million)

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Kapok Fiber Market Segment Analysis – By Type

The natural segment held the largest share in the kapok fiber market in 2021. Natural kapok fibers are those which are found naturally in plants, it is a cellulosic fiber which is obtained from the seed hair of kapok trees. The natural kapok fiber comprises properties such as it is silky soft, dry to the touch, antimoth, antimite and provides insulation from sound and heat. The advantages of natural kapok fiber over the synthetic and the man-made fibers are low density, sustainability, specific mechanical strength, biodegradable, and recyclable. Kapok fiber is found in the dried fruit of the kapok tree and is the most sustainable fibre in the market nowadays, which leaves no human footprint behind. Thus, the rising need for natural fibers such as kapok fiber due to the enhanced properties, is estimated to further drive the kapok fiber market over the forecast period. 

Kapok Fiber Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry

The textile and apparel industry held the largest share in the kapok fiber market in 2021 and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.7% during 2022-2027. In textile & apparel industry kapok fiber, also known as ceiba pentandra, is being utilized as a sustainable alternative fibre to process and petroleum-based fibres like acrylic, polyester, nylon and spandex, which are not environmentally friendly. For instance, Flocus, a Shanghai-based textile brand, produces sustainable yarns blends, fillings and fabrics made with kapok fibre. It exhibits characteristics such as silky soft texture, dry to the touch, antimoth, and insulation properties. The increasing investments in textile and apparel industry is driving the kapok fiber market growth. For instance, in 2021, Ghanaian businesswoman and entrepreneur Roberta Annan launched a €100 million (US$110.15 million) fund to channel investment into small and medium African creative and fashion enterprises. Additionally, according to the report 'Technical Textiles: Emerging Opportunities and Investments' released by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (F.I.C.C.), the Indian technical textile market is expected to expand by US$ 23.3 billion by 2027. Thus, the rising growth and increasing investment in the textile and apparel industry is estimated to drive the growth of the kapok fiber market. 

Kapok Fiber Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

Asia-Pacific region dominated the kapok fiber market with a share of more than 35% in the year 2021. The Asia Pacific region is predicted to continue its dominance in the market during the forecast period due to the increasing requirement for global kapok fiber in developing countries such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea. China is expected to continue its dominance in the kapok fiber market during the forecast period. This is due to the growth of the electrical & electronics and construction industries in the country. 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. India and Taiwan are also predicted to grow their kapok fiber market during the forecast period, with increased investments by the government in electrical & electronics, pulp & paper, building & construction, and other end-use industry. For instance, according to the Invest India, domestic production of electronics hardware reached US$76 bn in 2019-20, with a CAGR of around 23%, and production linked incentives of INR 40,951 crores (US$5544 million) is funded for over a period of 5 years. Kapok is used as stuffing for mattresses, pillows, and upholstery, as insulation material, and as a substitute for absorbent cotton in surgery. Thus, the rising usage of kapok fiber in various end-use industries will drive the market growth in the forecast period.

Kapok Fiber Market Drivers

Increasing Electrical & Electronics Industry is Driving the Kapok Fiber Market Growth

The electrical and electronics industry uses kapok fiber, a cellulosic fiber, which is obtained from the seed hairs of kapok trees, for providing insulation to wires and cables, utilized in various electrical and electronics circuits and devices. Kapok is also known as silk cotton and java cotton and is smooth, unicellular, twist less, cylindrically shaped, lightweight, provides insulation to heat and sound, hollow body, and very buoyant fiber. The rising growth of the electrical and electronics industry is surging the demand for kapok fiber. For instance, according to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the Indian electronics manufacturing industry is projected to reach US$520 billion by 2025. Thus, the growing electrical and electronics industry will require more kapok fiber, which will drive the kapok fiber market growth during the forecast period.

Surging Demand for Kapok Fiber in the Pulp & Paper Industry

The pulp & paper industry utilizes kapok fiber for addition to the mixed pulps, in order to improve the tensile and burst strengths of the sheets. Water repellency or hydrophobic nature of the sheets made from the kapok pulp mixed with the commercial pulps was also enhanced. Therefore, kapok fiber is an improved pulp source for papermaking, especially for packaging paper needed strength and water repellency. The rising growth and increasing investments in the pulp and paper industry by the governments, have elevated the growth of the market. For instance, according to the government of Canada, in 2021, Minister of Natural Resources, announced an investment of US$3.8 million in Kelowna-based Red Leaf Pulp through Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). Additionally, according to Invest India, India’s paper and paperboards market are estimated to grow at 6-7% per annum. The per capita consumption of paper in India is 15 kgs. The India packaging market was valued at US$50.5 billion in 2019, and it is expected to reach US$204.81 billion by 2025, registering a CAGR of 26.7% during the period of 2020-2025. Thus, the growing pulp & paper industry will require more kapok fiber, which will drive the kapok fiber market growth during the forecast period.

Kapok Fiber Market Challenges

Problems Associated with the Kapok Fiber Will Hamper the Market Growth

The drawbacks that are associated with the kapok fiber is that though the fibre can be woven into fabric, but it quickly breaks down. Kapok fiber is not suitable for spinning into yarn on its own. Since, it is very slippery, brittle, and smooth. Therefore, kapok fiber is difficult to spin into yarns. Kapok is mainly used in the form of stuffing and nonwovens, generally due to its resilience, brittleness, low strength, and low cohesivity of its fibres. However, blending it with other materials such as cotton, makes it possible to produce a fabric and can also save tremendous amounts of water. Additionally, substitute such as synthetic fiber including rayon, polyester, and nylon, have low prices and are easily accessible to consumers, creating a higher shift towards synthetic fiber. Thus, the problems associated with the kapok fiber and availability of synthetic substitute, will create hurdles for the growth of the market. 

Kapok Fiber Market Industry Outlook

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies players adopt in the kapok fiber markets. Global kapok fiber top 10 companies include:

1. Daiwabo
2. Randu Indo Prima Company
3. Agro Raya
4. Vignesh Dhanabalan
5. CV. Persada
6. Candra Kapok Factory
7. PT. RajoJavaKapok
8. Yunnan Honghe Panda
9. Flocus
10. Hi-tech Fibre World

Recent Developments

• In 2021, Shanghai based start-up, named Flocus transforms the dried fruit of the kapok tree into sustainable yarns, fabrics and fillings. The company thinks that the kapok tree holds enormous potential to disrupt the textile industry.

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