Ball Clay Market is Estimated to Witness Growth Due to Increasing Usage Across Construction Industry and Development of New Applications
The ball clay market is estimated to be valued at USD 419.3 Mn in 2024, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.2% over the forecast period (2024-2031). Ball clay is widely used in the manufacturing of floor and wall tiles, sanitary wares, and table wares applications due to its plasticity, bonding, and whitening properties. Furthermore, new product development in line with changing consumer preference will boost the market growth during the forecast period.
Market Dynamics:
Increasing construction activities: The growing construction industry, especially in developing nations such as India, China, and other Southeast Asian countries is driving the demand for ceramic and floor tiles, which significantly use ball clay. Furthermore, rapid urbanization and rising disposable income are leading more people to build new homes or renovate existing ones. This is augmenting construction activities and subsequently increasing ball clay consumption.
Rising usage in sanitary ware applications: Ball clay finds extensive usage in manufacturing various sanitary ware products like wash basins, toilet bowls, and cisterns owing to its plasticity and ability to retain shapes after molding and firing. With growing awareness about hygiene and sanitation, the demand for premium sanitary ware is increasing globally. This rising demand from the sanitary ware industry acts as a major driver for the ball clay market.
Market drivers, restraints, & opportunity of the ball clay market:
Increasing Demand from the Ceramic Industry
One of the major drivers for the ball clay market is the rise in demand from the global ceramic industry. Ball clay is one of the primary raw materials used in the manufacturing of ceramic tiles, sanitaryware, and tableware. The global ceramic industry has been growing at a steady pace over the past few years led by construction activities and rising income levels in developing countries. This increase in ceramic production has boosted the consumption of ball clay substantially. As long as construction activities continue to grow globally and demand for ceramic products rise, it will drive the ball clay market upwards.
Growth of Paints and Coatings Industry
Another key factor driving the ball clay market is the paints and coatings industry which utilizes ball clay as a key ingredient in manufacturing of various paints and coatings. Ball clay imparts properties like smoothness, workability and durability to paints and coatings. The global paints and coatings industry has witnessed significant rise in recent years due to growing infrastructure, automotive and consumer goods sector. Emerging economies with their focus on infrastructure development projects have further augmented the paints and coatings consumption which directly impacts the ball clay market positively. Expanding applications of paints and coatings are expected to propel the ball clay market during the forecast period.
Availability of Substitute Materials
One of the major challenges for the ball clay market is availability of substitute materials which can replace ball clay in certain end-use applications. Materials like kaolin clay, attapulgite, sepiolite and palygorskite are being increasingly used as alternatives to ball clay in some areas. For example, attapulgite and sepiolite are replacing ball clay in extruded ceramics and molded products owing to properties like low price and high structural stability. In paints and coatings industry as well, alternatives like pyrogenic silica and precipitated silica are gaining traction. This substitutability poses a threat to the ball clay market.
Growth of Digital Media Impacting Ceramic Demand
Reduced demand from the ceramic industry can negatively impact the ball clay market. Factors like rising popularity of digital media are affecting the ceramic tile demand in some regions. With digitalization taking over, demand for ceramic tiles from construction industry may reduce in the coming years. Also trend of minimalistic interiors, shift towards rapid construction, availability of new flooring solutions are some other aspects challenging traditional ceramic demand. Since ceramic industry is the core end-use sector for ball clay, any fall in ceramic production can hamper the ball clay market.
Increasing Infrastructure Development in Developing Nations
Growing construction activities in developing economies of Asia Pacific and Middle East present new areas for ball clay market to expand. Mega infrastructure projects for roads, railways, housing and commercial buildings underway in countries like India, China, Indonesia etc.
are propelling the demand for ball clays. These regions accounted for over 60% of the global ball clay consumption in recent past. As infrastructure spending rises, facilitated by public-private partnerships, ball clay requirement from local ceramic and paint industries will amplify providing significant opportunities.
Rising Demand for Special-Purpose Ball Clays
With evolving application areas, demand for ball clays with specialized properties is on the rise. Clay varieties with attributes like high plasticity, whiteness, fine particle size and firing temperature are gaining traction. Areas like sanitaryware manufacturing, porcelain tableware and specialized ceramics offer scope for premium ball clays. Market players focusing on extraction of special-purpose ball clays suited for novel applications can gain competitive advantage. Also, opportunities lie in export of high-quality ball clays to ball clay deficit regions. Technological advancements for improving ball clay characteristics further open up new avenues.
Link - https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/ball-clay-market-5104
Key Developments:
- IMERYS Ceramics announced in May 2021 the opening of a new performance mineral facility at its European Technology Center. This new facility, which is roughly 2,500 square meters in size, will focus on research and development for important markets while also enabling information sharing with their facilities in the U.S., Asia pacific, and Europe. IMERYS Ceramics is a world-leading supplier of premium materials for ceramics, ready to press bodies, powders and glazes as well as kiln furniture for ceramic producers
- In May 2020, Sibelco acquired Euro Mineral L.L.C., a clay producer located in Ukraine, along with the Kurdyumovsky Plant PrJSC in the Donetsk region. These companies will operate under Sibelco's divisions for Tiles, Engobes, and Engineered Stone. This acquisition enhanced the company's market presence in Ukrainian clay, a crucial raw material for the global production of porcelain stoneware. Sibelco is a global material solutions company. We mine, process and sell industrial minerals at locations worldwide, focused primarily on silica, clays.
Key Player:
Marnath Industries, Ashok Alco - chem Limited (AACL), IMERYS Ceramics, Ashapura Group, Finore Minerals LLP, Kothari Minerals, Old Hickery Clay Co., Modkha Marine SDN Bhd, Sibelco, ayesh Mineral Industries, JLD Minerals, Garg Minerals and Chemicals, Intercity Enterprises, and Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation Ltd.
