Market Challenges And Opportunities

Drivers

Environmental concerns are increasing across the globe, the demand for sustainable environment-friendly products is also increasing. Conventional crude oil-based products tend to release relatively high amount of VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) as compared to some other bio-based alternatives. In recent years, market players are focusing on research & development of sustainable and eco-friendly for the production of bio-based products with same properties as conventional. This is expected to boost the demand for microfibrillated cellulose, which in turn is expected to boost the market.

The use of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous air pollutants (HAPs) is regulated by governments and environmental agencies. The U.S. Environment Protection Agency (US EPA), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), and European Commission are some of the major organizations that control emissions of air and water pollution and hazardous waste for environmental welfare.

Global Microfibrillated Cellulose (MFC) Market: Restraints

There are two major steps involved in manufacturing microfibrillated cellulose, namely pretreatment and nanofibrilation. In nanofibrilation, equipment such as high pressure homogenizers or micro fluidizers is used which consume excessive energy. Various physical, chemical, biological pretreatment processes are used to reduce energy consumption and improve process ability. Globally, companies are focusing on research and development of manufacturing processes to limit energy consumption and eliminate high production cost of microfibrillated cellulose. High energy requirements for production and high prices of raw materials increase the overall cost of production of microfibrillated cellulose and are expected to restrain the growth of the global microfibrillated cellulose market during the forecast period.