Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Overview

The industrial sludge treatment chemicals market globally is forecast to reach US$8.4 billion by 2027 after growing at a CAGR of 5.1% during 2022-2027. Rapid industrialization globally is leading to massive production of sludge and treatment of this harmful agent becomes a necessity before releasing it into the environment. The automobile and personal care industry are the key consumers of sludge treatment chemicals owing to the massive production of sludge during manufacturing. The automobile paint process is the main source of sludge production and the growing automobile sector globally will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period. For instance, as per the August 2020 report by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, the automobile sector is projected to be on a progressive track with high production expected to happen in the electric vehicle segment. Furthermore, the personal care formulation process which involves various ingredients and chemical preservatives is the primary source of sludge production and the expanding personal care sector globally will drive the market’s growth in the forecast period. For instance, according to the data by Cosmetics Europe, in 2020, the European personal care and cosmetics market stood at US$ 88.91 billion at retail price, making it the world’s largest market. Flocculants will witness the highest demand in the forecast period followed by coagulants and disinfectants. The high cost involved in the treatment of sludge might hamper the growth of the market.

COVID-19 Impact

The industrial sludge treatment chemicals market was hit badly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Idling of factories and lack of raw materials are some of the major challenges faced by the market amid the pandemic. The market players took necessary steps to avoid business loss but it wasn’t enough as the COVD-19 continued to spread and evolve for a longer period. As per the April 2020 update report by Ovivo Inc., the business of the company got impacted from January 2020 as its operation in China required employees to work remotely as the virus was spreading from Wuhan to other parts of China. The company also faced challenges in resuming the business in the second half of 2020. Furthermore, industries like automotive and personal care which are the major industries with the highest demand for sludge treatment chemicals plunged during the pandemic. However, these markets have bounced back post-COVID-19 market opening, and going forward, the market will witness a massive boost owing to the development taking place in the automotive and personal care industries.

Report Coverage

The report: “Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Industry. 

By Type: Activated, Primary, Tertiary, Others

By Process Chemicals: Flocculants, Coagulants, pH Adjustment, Disinfectants, Others

By End Use Industry: Automobile, Oil and Gas, Metal Processing, Municipal Waste Water, Food and Beverages, Pulp and Paper, Personal Care, Pharmaceuticals, Aerospace, Textile, Others

By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, Rest of Europe), Asia Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Rest of Asia Pacific), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Rest of South America), and RoW (Middle East and Africa).

Key Takeaways:

• Activated sludge is leading the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market. It provides high efficiency owing to which it is widely used in multiple end-use industries such as automotive, municipal water treatment, and many more.
• The automobile industry will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period. As per the data by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, registration in the passenger car segment jumped by +10.4% in June 2021 compared to June 2020.
• The Asia-Pacific region is projected to witness the highest demand for sludge treatment chemicals in the forecast period. As per the data by the India Brand Equity Foundation, exports of Indian automobiles were 1419430 units between April 2021 to June 2021 compared to 436500 units between April 2020 to June 2020.

Figure: Asia Pacific Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market - By Type

Activated sludge type dominated the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market in 2021 and is growing at a CAGR of 5.3% in the forecast period. This type of sludge is extensively used in wastewater treatment in several industries. It is one of the most efficient, and cost-effective sludge for wastewater treatment. Accordingly, market players and research organizations are focusing on the higher implementation of this type of sludge. For instance, as per the January 2020 journal by the Public Library of Science (PLOS), activated sludge was able to tolerate oxidative stress by activating their antioxidant system under continuous dosage of ibuprofen (IBU) and triclosan (TCS). This treatment process was carried out in an activated sludge reactor which operated for two weeks under continuous dosage of pollutants. Such high implementation of activated sludge will increase its usage in the forecast period.

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market - By Process Chemicals

Flocculants dominated the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market in 2021. This type of process chemical is used in a wide range of industries to remove suspended solids from wastewater, sludge thickening, lime softening, and solids dehydration. Both natural and synthetic-based flocculants are used in the wastewater treatment process. However, the demand for natural-based flocculant is gaining traction in the market. For instance, as per the September 2020 journal by Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), demand for bio-based flocculants is increasing owing to their superior advantages over conventional synthetic flocculants. New developments related to flocculants based on cellulose, starch, chitosan are on the rise as these are low-cost and ecological materials. Such bio-based advancement will further increase the demand for flocculants in the forecast period. Coagulants and disinfectants chemicals will witness significant demand in the forecast period.

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market - By End Use Industry

The personal care industry dominated the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market in 2021 and is growing at a CAGR of 5.6% in the forecast period. Sludge treatment chemicals are utilized in the personal care sector as the formulation of personal care products involves several ingredients and chemical preservatives which leads to the formation of harmful sludge. The personal care industry globally is booming and this will drive the market’s growth in the forecast period.  For instance, as per the Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), Japan’s personal care and cosmetics market was the world’s third-largest market in 2019 with a market value of US$ 35 billion. Similarly, according to the statistics by the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Perfumery Association, the European cosmetics market stood at US$ 92.58, making it the largest cosmetics market in 2019. Such a massive boost in the personal care sector will increase the utilization of sludge treatment chemicals for treating sludge generated through the formulation process which will ultimately drive the growth market’s growth in the forecast period. The automotive industry will drive the growth of the market significantly in the forecast period owing to the rising demand for personal care and cosmetic product globally.

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market - By Geography

The Asia-Pacific region held the largest market share in the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market in 2021 with a market share of up to 34%. The high demand for sludge treatment chemicals in the region is attributed to the paint sludge produced during the automotive manufacturing process in countries like China, Japan, and India. As per the data by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, in September 2021, production in the commercial vehicles segment stood at 310000 units in China, increasing 35.5% month on month. Similarly, as per the statistics by the India Brand Equity Foundation, sales in the Indian passenger vehicles segment increased in April 2021 as 261,633 units sold with a market share of 12.9%. Such expansion in the automotive sector will form harmful paint sludge which will increase the demand for sludge treatment chemicals in the Asia-Pacific region during the forecast period. The European region is projected to witness significant demand for sludge treatment chemicals owing to the expansion of the personal care and cosmetic sector in the region.

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Drivers

• The rising personal care and cosmetics sector will drive the market’s growth

Sludge treatment chemicals are used in large quantities in the personal care and cosmetics sector as the formulation process involves chemical preservatives and ingredients, leading to the production of harmful sludge. The personal care and cosmetics industry is rising globally and this will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period. For instance, according to the February 2021 data by India Brand Equity Foundation, the personal care and cosmetics market in India is anticipated to become a US$ 15.17 billion market by 2024, which was US$ 9.98 billion in 2019. Similarly, as per the report by the Cosmetics, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA), in 2020, the highest demand for cosmetics was registered in the European region globally with Germany (US$ 16.25 billion) dominating the region followed by France (US$ 13.35 billion) and the UK (US$ 11.37 billion) in 2020. Such a rise in the personal care and cosmetics sector globally will require higher uses of sludge treatment chemicals, ultimately driving the market’s growth in the forecast period.

• Expanding automotive sector will drive the market’s growth

The global automotive sector is expanding with an increase in production and sales. This sector is one of the biggest consumers of sludge treatment chemicals owing to the harmful paint sludge produced during the automobile manufacturing process and the expansion in this sector will drive the growth of the market. For instance, according to the report by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the new energy vehicles (NEVs) segment will dominate the Chinese automotive market in the forecast period where the annual sales volume in this segment is likely to reach 3 million units which were 1.2-million-unit in 2019. Similarly, according to the data by the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, in April 2021, the EU commercial vehicle segment witnessed a surge in new registrations of 179.2%, totaling 171,283 units. Such expanding automotive sector will create more paint sludge which will increase the demand for sludge treatment chemicals, and this will drive the growth of the market in the forecast period.

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Challenges

• High cost for sludge treatment might hamper the market’s growth

The treatment of sludge requires high cost and this has been a key challenge in the market. Sludge treatment is carried out in stages comprising of a sequence of operations like thickening, stabilization, and dewatering with chemicals like flocculants, coagulants, and disinfectants. Typically, the organic polymer is utilized to support the water release performance of the sludge. Using inorganic coagulants in the wastewater treatment upstream offers an additional benefit during the final sludge dewatering process as less organic polymer is required and improved dewatering results can be acquired. However, the entire sludge treatment is a costly process. As per the January 2020 report by Kemira, 40–60% of the total costs of a wastewater treatment plant go toward sludge treatment even when the volume of sludge is around only 1% of that of the influent wastewater. Owing to this reason, players in the industrial Sludge treatment chemicals market are focusing on the development of cost-effective ways for the treatment of sludge. This costly sludge treatment process might hamper the growth of the market in the forecast period.

Industrial Sludge Treatment Chemicals Market Industry Outlook

Investment in R&D activities, acquisitions, product and technology launches are key strategies adopted by players in the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market. Major players in the industrial sludge treatment chemicals market are:

1. Kemira
2. BASF SE
3. General Electric
4. Kurita Water Industries Ltd.
5. Akzonobel N.V
6. Ovivo Inc
7. SNF UK
8. Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation
9. Accepta Water Treatment
10. Ecolab Incorporated
11. Beckart Environmental Inc
12. Hubbard-Hall
13. Others 

Recent Developments

In July 2021, Kurita Water Industries Ltd. announced its plan to collaborate with Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions Corporation for wastewater treatment for power plants and optimize the chemicals injected into the wastewater treatment facilities of power producers and companies. This collaboration will help expand the industrial sludge treatment process which will contribute to the growth of the market in the forecast period.

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