Global Market Analysis Report of Chemicals and Materials Industry

LightBlog

Breaking

Monday, 13 April 2020

08:03

How is Increasing Horticulture Driving Biodegradable Mulch Film Market?


In 2019, there were 7.7 billion people on this earth, and this number is on path to increasing to 9.7 billion by 2050, as per the latest World Population Prospects report published by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. More people mean more mouths to feed, because of which the population boom is putting immense pressure on farmlands, which are now expected to drastically increase their productivity. With time and repeated sowing and reaping cycles, the top soil erodes. Additionally, weed can also grow on the soil, and it might start losing nutrients.

Thus, to protect the soil for maximum agricultural yield, mulching is being practiced. It is a simple process, in which a film is applied over the soil to reduce erosion, weed growth, and nutrient loss. Therefore, with the increasing demand for food, the biodegradable mulch film market is expected to grow from $34,145.1 thousand in 2016 to $64,039.0 thousand by 2023, at a CAGR of 9.4% during 2017–2023 (forecast period). Earlier plastic was the film material of choice, but since it itself causes pollution, the use of eco-friendly variants is being promoted.






























Biodegradable mulch films are made from starch, polylactic acid, and polyhydroxyalkanoate. Among these raw materials, films made from starch have found the widest application till now, on account of the low cost of the raw material, along with its numerous advantages, such as environment sustainability and compatibility with different types of soil. In addition, starch is easily available, which makes it extremely easy to make mulch films out of it. Further, with starch-based mulch films, the growth of weeds can be better controlled, the structure of the soil can be improved, and soil can be protected from becoming contaminated.

These films are used for the farming of flower & plants, grains & cereals, and fruits & vegetables, among which the cultivation of fruits And vegetables accounts for the highest mulching usage, owing to their high consumption. As per Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare of India, horticulture production in India, which includes the cultivation of vegetables and fruits, increased by 4.8% during 2017–18. Thus, with the growing production of fruits and vegetables, the demand for biodegradable mulch films will increase too.

Much of the population rise is being witnessed in emerging economies, which means that the demand for food will also rise the sharpest in these countries. This is why companies providing mulch films can increase their presence in these nations to make quick money. Except the U.S., all the top 10 most populated countries are in the developing phase: China, India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Brazil, Nigeria, Bangladesh, Russia, and Mexico. Being emerging economies, a lot of these countries are also predominantly agrarian, which means that for anyone who wants to invest in the agricultural sector, opportunities in developing countries are aplenty.

Not surprisingly, the largest biodegradable mulch film market is Asia-Pacific (APAC), which is the most populated region on earth; it is home to India and China, the only two countries with over a billion people! It is easy to imagine, but difficult to gauge, the actual demand for food products in these nations and the rising expectations from farmlands, in terms of high productivity and quality produce. Within APAC, China is the largest user of the mulching technique, owing to its vast agricultural landscape and huge population.

Thus, with the need for increasing the yield from farmlands, the use of biodegradable mulch films will keep growing.

Friday, 10 April 2020

04:13

How is Thriving Construction Sector Powering Growth in Global Sodium Sulphate Market?


One of the biggest factors responsible for the growth in the demand for sodium sulphate (Na2SO4) across the globe is the rising consumption of powdered detergents, especially in the various emerging economies of Asia-Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), and Africa, such as India, China, Colombia, Chile, Brazil, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Moreover, the increasing shift toward machine-based washing of clothes has boosted the demand for sodium sulphate, for use in various soap and detergent formulations, across the world.

The other major factor fuelling the rise in the demand for the salt is the ballooning need for glass in various construction activities. Glass is increasingly being preferred over bricks and cement in the construction of modern buildings, which is powering the surge in its demand. Furthermore, Na2SO4 is used as a fining agent in glass manufacturing, which helps in reducing small air bubbles from molten glass. In addition to this, the rising customer preference for artificial facades is another factor responsible for the burgeoning demand for the chemical.


Due to these factors, the global sodium sulphate market is expected to advance at a CAGR of 2.6% during the forecast period (2019–2024) and witness an increase in its revenue from $2,019.3 million in 2018 to more than $2,109.4 million by 2024. The salt is widely used in the manufacturing of soaps and detergents, pulp and paper, glass, and textiles. Amongst these, the highest usage of sodium sulphate was observed in the manufacturing of soaps and detergents in 2018, mainly due to the material’s ability to be used as a filler in detergent powder, which helps in the effective retention of moisture.

Geographically, the highest demand for sodium sulphate was observed in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in 2018, and this trend is expected to continue during the forecast period. This is mainly attributed to the wide-scale utilization of the chemical in various processes, such as soap, detergent, and textile manufacturing, in China. In addition to this, the Chinese personal care sector has witnessed massive growth in the recent years, which is further contributing to the increasing utilization of sodium sulphate in the production of shampoos, body washes, soap bars, and many other personal care and hygiene products.

Because of the above-mentioned reasons, in APAC, China is expected to record the highest usage of Na2SO4 in the coming years. Additionally, the country is also predicted to record the highest production of sodium sulphate in future, primarily due to the rising exports of this chemical from the country to the U.S. and numerous European and LATAM countries. The popularity of China-made salt in other Asian countries, such as Vietnam, Cambodia, the Philippines, Thailand, and South Korea, is also fuelling the surge in the sodium sulphate market of the country.

Therefore, due to the rising need for sodium sulphate in the manufacturing of glass and soaps and detergents, on account of its numerous advantages, the demand for it is set to witness tremendous growth in the coming years.

Wednesday, 8 April 2020

05:33

What is Current Trend in Asia-Pacific (APAC) Printing Inks Market?

Around 4.3 billion, or 60% of the global population, is concentrated in Asia-Pacific (APAC), says the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA). This number is increasing rapidly, especially in China, India, South Korea, Japan, and Thailand. With population boom, the demand for food and beverages, pharmaceutical products, electronic gadgets, and everything else is surging. This is why the requirement for various packaging materials and products is consistently high at manufacturing plants. Now, an important aspect of packaging is the labels, which carry the product information, such as the manufacturing and expiry dates, batch number, ingredients, net quantity or weight, and price.

 

Hence, with the increasing demand for packaging, the APAC printing inks market is expected to grow from $5,344.1 million in 2017, to $7,000.2 million by 2023, at a CAGR of 4.6% during 2018–2023 (forecast period). This is also why among commercial printing, labels and packaging, and publication, labels and packaging has witness the heaviest consumption of printing inks. A key trend in the packaging niche these days is the usage of flexible packaging, majorly for processed food and beverages and pharmaceutical items. Such packaging includes pouches, bags, liners, paper, film, plastic, and aluminum foil, the shape of which can be readily change.

With the increasing popularity of this technique, the consumption of flexographic inks is rising faster than lithographic, gravure, digital, letterpress, fluorescent, magnetic, and metallic inks. This is because flexographic inks offer a large number of advantages over other materials, such as the ability to print in a wider range of colors and convenience of being used as oil-based as well as water-based formulations. Additionally, with these inks, the printing process becomes faster and non-absorbent material can be printed on. Oil is already the most popular formulation of these inks, which also includes solvent and water formulations, thereby further resulting in the preference for the flexography variants.

China is currently the largest APAC printing inks market, owing to its heavy usage of such materials, with the growth in the paper media and packaging sectors. Further, with the increasing literacy rate and urbanization levels, the demand for printing inks is rising further in the country. Another reason, perhaps the most important one, behind the high demand for such materials in China is the fact that it is the most-populated country in the APAC region, which naturally leads to a high requirement for various products.

In the coming years, the demand for packing solutions, and, in turn, inks, is expected to surge considerably in Indonesia and India, apart from China. This would be a result of the increasing number of people from rural areas making their way to cities in search of employment and a better life. The World Bank says that compared to 17.924% in 1960, 34.03% people in India were city dwellers in 2018. Echoing this finding, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs estimates the level of urbanization in Delhi at 97.5%.

Therefore, as more people move to the cities and their disposable income increases, so will the requirement for packaged products, which would drive the consumption of printing inks in APAC.

Tuesday, 7 April 2020

03:13

How are Stringent Fuel Policies Boosting the Growth of Asia-Pacific (APAC) Automotive Adhesives and Sealants Market?


Due to the surging adoption of lightweight materials in the manufacturing of vehicles by various automobile manufacturing companies, the demand for adhesives and sealants is expected to observe significant growth in Asia-Pacific (APAC) in the coming years. Since the last few years, automobile manufacturers have been increasingly adopting lightweight materials, such as aluminum and plastic composites, in place of steel, in order to enhance the speed and power of the vehicle and reduce its weight. This is predicated to push the demand for adhesives and sealants, as these materials are required for maintaining the integrity of the vehicles.


The other major factor responsible for the surge in the demand for adhesives and sealants in the APAC region is the booming automobile manufacturing sector in various countries, such as India and China, which are among the top five automobile producers on earth. Due to these factors, the APAC automotive adhesives and sealants market is expected to progress at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period (2018–2023), at which it would ultimately grow from $3,403.6 million in 2017 to $4,938.0 million by 2023.

Automotive adhesives and sealants refer to substances used in various bonding and sealing processes in the automotive industry, primarily due to their ability to provide enhanced driving comfort, safety, and performance to vehicles. Although adhesives and sealants are chemically similar substances, their functions are quite different. These substances are used in various vehicle production processes, such as under-the-hood (UTH) and power train manufacturing, body-in-white (BIW), assembly, and painting. Amongst these, the assembly stage is expected to record the fastest growth in the consumption of these materials in the near future.

The APAC automotive adhesives and sealants market is currently subject to the automotive fuel economy policies being implemented in various countries. For instance, various fuel economy standards are being adopted in several countries, such as the light-duty vehicles (LDV) standards in Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, and Indonesia and high-duty vehicles (HDV) standards in China and Japan. Due to the ability of the adhesives and sealants to improve the fuel economy of vehicles, these materials are being increasingly adopted by the manufacturers for meeting these strict regulatory standards. 

In APAC, the Chinese automotive sector recorded the highest demand for adhesives and sealants in 2017. This is primarily attributed to the fact that China is an emerging economy and has the largest purchasing power parity in the region. In addition to this, nearly all the major automotive adhesive and sealant companies have their manufacturing plants in China, which significantly increases the adoption these materials in the country. However, the single biggest reason behind this is that China is the global leader in automobile production, which naturally creates a heavy demand for different materials that go into vehicle production.

Therefore, due to the rising need for lighter materials in the automobile manufacturing process, in order to produce fuel-efficient and faster vehicles, and the presence of major adhesive and sealant manufacturing factories, the demand for these products is expected to register huge growth in APAC in future.

Monday, 6 April 2020

02:54

Growing Usage by Food & Beverages Industry Driving Control Valves Market


In 2017, the control valves market generated $11,137.0 million and is expected to attain $16,057.5 million in 2023, advancing at a 6.3% CAGR during the forecast period (2018–2023). The market is growing due to the high energy demand ascribed to the rising population, increasing need for wireless infrastructure to monitor and control equipment, rise in infrastructure projects, and surging use by the food and beverage industry. A physical device which is utilized to control the flow of fluid by varying the size of the flow passage using a controller is called a control valve. 

In terms of type, the control valves market is categorized into butterfly valve, globe valve, ball valve, cryogenic valve, and others (which include gate valve, diaphragm valve, and plug valve). Out of these, the butterfly valve dominated the market during the historical period (2013–2017), holding a share of more than 30.0% in 2017, in terms of volume. This was because the butterfly valve is small and when it is actuated pneumatically, it opens and closes quickly. The fastest CAGR is projected to be registered by ball valve during the forecast period.



When application is taken into consideration, the control valves market is divided into oil & gas, food & beverages, pharmaceuticals, power generation, chemicals, automotive, wastewater management, and others (which include marine, mining, and agriculture). Among these, the power generation application accounted for the major share of the market during the historical period, in terms of volume. The pharmaceuticals application is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Pharmaceutical industries need a lot of safety standards, which is why valves are made with special specifications for this industry. 

A primary driving factor of the control valves market is the growing demand for energy due to the rapidly increasing population, especially in countries such as Indonesia and India. This is resulting in an increased number of power plants for generating energy to meet its demand. Pneumatic actuators are utilized extensively in power plants for driving the control valves in different facilities. In addition to this, butterfly valves are used in firefighting pipelines and treatment plants. Thus, the rising requirement for energy is expected to lead to the increasing requirement for control valves. 

Another factor leading to the growth of the control valves market is the increasing usage by the food & beverages industry. Due to the rising disposable income, people are increasingly purchasing processed foods, which, in turn, is leading to the rise in the number of food processing plants. These plants need control valves in different units. Globe, check, and gate valves are some of the most commonly utilized control valves in food processing plants. In addition to this, butterfly and ball valves are utilized by the dairy processing industry for preventing contamination and leakage.

The development of new valve technology is a key trend in the control valves market. Conventionally, control valves were used mechanically without any chips or processors embedded in them. However, now manufacturers have started focusing on the development of new valve technologies, which have processors embedded inside the valves. This will allow the valves to deliver real-time data on flow rates and operating conditions and help during unplanned shutdowns and predictive maintenance.
Hence, the market is witnessing growth due to the rising usage by the food & beverages industry and surging demand for energy because of increasing population.