FLOCCULANT AND COAGULANT MARKET ANALYSIS

Flocculants and Coagulants are chemicals used for the treatment of water, water clarification, solids removal, solid dewatering, and sludge thickening. Coagulants are positively charged molecules, which are either organic or inorganic that are typically used to neutralizing negatively charged particles for water treatment. Cationic ion in the inorganic coagulants neutralize the negatively charged colloids, when added to water. Flocculants are hydrocarbon with long chains that is used to bring the coagulated particles into larger particles so as to settle them. Flocculation is mainly effected by the ionic strength, PH level, molecular weight, and process conditions among others.

Growing industrialization has fuelled demand for the treatment of water resources. This in turn, poses as a major factor boosting growth of the global flocculant and coagulant market. Moreover, increase in demand for chemicals in municipal water treatment and stringent government regulations regarding usage of water for public health are expected to drive growth of the market for flocculant and coagulant over the forecast period. However, increasing demand for alternate water treatment processes such as RO filtration and UV disinfection are expected to hinder growth of the global flocculant and coagulant market.

Flocculants and Coagulant Market Taxonomy:

On the basis of product type, the global flocculant and coagulant market is segmented into:

• Flocculant
• Anionic Flocculant
• Amphoteric Flocculant
• Non-ionic Flocculant
• Cationic Flocculant
• Coagulant
• Organic Coagulant
• PolyDADMAC
• Polyamine
• Inorganic coagulant
• Aluminum Chloride
• Aluminum Sulfate
• Ferric Chloride
• Others

On the basis of end-use, the global flocculants and coagulants market is segmented into:

• Power Generation
• Chemical Processing
• Municipal Water Treatment
• Pulp and Paper
• Oil and Gas
• Others

PolyDADMAC and polyamine are most commonly used coagulants in various water treatment plants. The inorganic segment is expected to lead the global market for flocculants and coagulant during the forecast period. Growth of inorganic segment is attributed to its low cost and high applicability across end use industries. Among end users, the pulp and paper segment is expected to witness maximum demand for flocculants and coagulants over the forecast period due to the high dependency of water in this industry.

Flocculant and Coagulant Market Outlook:

Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing market over the forecast period. The demand for flocculants and coagulants from the municipal and industrial sectors has been increasing, owing to growth of industries and demand for fresh water reserves. Additionally, rapid industrialization has surged the consumption of municipal water, which in turn, has boosted growth of the market for flocculants and coagulants in the region. Furthermore, Asia Pacific holds the dominant market for the pulp and paper industry, with countries such as China and Indonesia leading the market. Asia Pulp & Paper is one of the largest companies throughout the globe with two of its main subsidiaries located in Indah Kiat and Tjiwi Kimia, generating revenue of US$ 2.7 billion and US$ 0.9 billion, respectively, in 2016.

The North American market for flocculants and coagulants is considered to be the largest market and is expected to sustain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Stringent government regulation for clean water supply coupled with huge industrial infrastructure in countries such as the U.S and Canada are expected to drive growth of the market in the region. Moreover, the discovery of shale gas in the region has further propelled the demand for flocculants and coagulants, owing to increasing demand for these products in the oil and gas industry.

BASF SE, Ecolab Inc., Solvay SA, SNF Ltd, Cytec Industries Inc., Akferal, Kemira Oyj, Jayem Engineers, and TRIO Chemicals & Allied Products are some of the major players in the global flocculants and coagulant market.

Flocculant and Coagulant Market Key Developments:

• Companies operating in flocculants and coagulants markets are focused on product development and launching new products in order to strengthen their market presence.
• For instance, in 2014, BASF announced to launch a new ultra-high molecular weight cationic powder flocculant range ‘Zetag Ultra’ with advanced dewatering performance. It will be used for solid/liquid separation in industrial as well as municipal waste water treatment.
• Moreover, according to article, ‘Product Development: Intelligent Flocculants Adjusting To Individual Conditions’ published in 2018 by ACAT International Group (Europe based market leader in chemical service industry), company is focused on developing new flocculant ‘FlocStar Giga 1970 L’. Development of this flocculant is aimed at efficient treatment of increased hydraulic loads in the primary and secondary clarifiers used in municipal and industrial waste water treatment processes
• Furthermore, environmentally friendly flocculants and coagulants are being developed owing to increased awareness regarding adverse effects of synthetic flocculants and coagulants.
• For instance, a research article, ‘Environmentally friendly cellulose-based polyelectrolytes in wastewater treatment’ was published by IWA Publishing (Water Science & Technology) in 2017. In this study, biodegradable water-soluble cationic cellulose was synthesized from bleached Eucalyptus kraft pulp fibres. It was claimed that this ecofriendly polymer was successfully used as flocculant for dye removal.