Catalyst Carriers Market

Catalyst Carriers Market Outlook (2022-2032)

The global catalyst carriers market stands at US$ 414.1 million in 2022 and is predicted to evolve at a CAGR of 3.9% to reach US$ 608.9 million by the end of 2032.

Sales of catalyst carriers accounted for around 1.1% share of the global catalyst market at the end of 2021. Customization through R&D will create immense growth opportunities for market players.

Report Attributes	Details
Catalyst Carriers Market Size (2021A)	US$ 400.5 Million
Catalyst Market (Parent)	US$ 38.9 Billion
Estimated Market Value (2022E)	US$ 414.1 Million
Forecasted Market Value (2032F)	US$ 608.9 Million
Global Market Growth Rate (2022-2032)	3.9% CAGR
North America Market Share (2021)	~22.5%
East Asia Market Growth Rate (2022-2032)	~4.8% CAGR
United States Market Growth Rate (2022-2032)	~5.1% CAGR
Market Share of Top 5 Companies	~24%
Key Companies Profiled	Almatis Evonik Industries BASF Cabot Corporation Magma Catalysts Noritake Co. Limited CeramTec CoorsTek SASOL W.R.Grace

Market’s Buoyancy Analysis

Growing demand across end-use industries has induced a potential for customized catalyst carriers among manufacturers producing them. Nowadays, these catalysts are widely available based on the demand and specific requirements of end-use industries.

Based on demand, catalyst carriers are made available to end users with added properties and chemical compositions to suit the specific conditions required during catalytic reactions. These are offered in different material forms, including powdered and extrudate, among others. Carriers for activated carbon also offer special features in carrying precious metals with customized characteristics and structures based on requirements.

The surplus presence of catalysts in industries, ranging from chemicals, plastics, oil & gas, and others, is leading to the development of customized solutions for end-use industries based on their requirements. The presence of innovative solutions in the market and the need to reduce hazardous emissions are also important aspects of this market.

• Short-Term Analysis: Customization and global expansion are key trends that will drive the market outlook from 2022 to 2025.
• Medium-Term Analysis: Market to witness newer applications that will supplement its growth from 2025 to 2028.
• Long-Term Analysis: R&D coupled with innovation and adoption of advancing technologies will enhance production capacity and drive market growth.

The global market for catalyst carriers registered 2.5% CAGR from 2017 to 2021, according to Fact.MR, a market research and competitive intelligence provider. The market is forecasted to expand at 3.9% CAGR through 2032.

Market share analysis of catalyst carriers based on form and region. The sphere form of catalyst carriers currently dominates with 35.3% market share.

What are the Factors Shaping the Market for Catalyst Carriers?

“Government Regulations Regarding Petroleum Treatment”

The International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts that global vehicle fuel consumption and CO2 emissions will nearly double between 2000 and 2050. CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels will increase by 45% from 2006 to 2030, with 97% of this increase emerging in non-OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries. One-fifth of this increase is the result of global transport-related greenhouse gas emissions, 98% of which occur in non-OECD countries.

Technological innovation must be accompanied by supportive measures to help reduce CO2 emissions from the global transport sector. New environmental regulations to reduce air pollution by reducing sulfur in gasoline and ultra-low sulfur diesel (ULSD) have necessitated petroleum processing processes. This depends on the type of catalyst and support material used for purification. Catalysis is a key factor in petroleum refining as the process runs after the crude unit has been catalyzed.

For instance, the alkylation of light olefins utilizing isobutane in the existence of hydrogen and a metal catalyst creates gasoline with low aromatic content (benzene/naphthalene). Therefore, the use of supported catalysts is essential for efficient conversions to achieve high product yields, which will increase the demand for catalyst supports.

“Paramount Demand for Catalyst Carriers in Pharmaceutical & Petrochemical Industries”

Growing versatility and applicability of catalyst carriers have opened new doors in the pharmaceutical and petrochemical industries. Increased spending by governments on the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries has stimulated the growth of the market. Carriers are used as a prominent element during the catalytic reaction in the petrochemical industry to refine crude-based products.

Catalyst carriers enable manufacturers to refine mixtures into highly pure substances. The need for highly pure grades of substances in the pharmaceutical industry has driven the market. Pharmaceutical applications in the industry have remained a steady growth factor for the market over the last few years. Continuous demand from the pharmaceutical industry is likely to boost the market over the coming years.

“Scarcity of Raw Material Sources Exposes Market to Risk”

Catalyst carrier manufacturing facilities have not witnessed large-scale Greenfield investments, resulting in selected, clustered growth of production bases around the world. For industry leaders, the market has remained a small contributor to its revenue, and no specific expansion strategies for the market have been reported by companies.

Over the last decade, manufacturers have been dependent on a handful of suppliers to fulfill their raw material demand, and have rarely acquired new supply partners. This has exposed them to procurement risk, which was evident in recent years when global trade was muted due to Russia's Ukraine invasion, the COVID pandemic, and inflation.

Procurement managers associated with industry leaders in the global catalyst carriers market have plans to diversify the sources of raw materials, and thus balance the potential exposure to risk.

Country-wise Insights

What’s Influencing the U.S. Market for Catalyst Carriers?

Over the years, catalyst carrier production in North America, especially in the U.S., has substantially increased with expanded production facilities, research laboratories, and ease of local raw material sourcing. Governments have increased spending on chemical synthesis and related processes.

In addition, a major demand driving factor for the market is the increasing usage of chemicals and petrochemicals across the U.S. Further, the presence of prominent market players in the US, with timely value addition and advancements, is augmenting the U.S. market.

The United States market is currently estimated at US$ 77.3 million and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.1% through 2032.

How is the O&G Sector in GCC Making it a Market-Friendly Region?

GCC countries such as the UAE, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and others are hubs for oil & gas and petrochemical production. In addition, GCC continues to portray enormous demand for petroleum refining, since Russia's Ukraine invasion and Iran facing sanctions have declined demand in the Russian and Iranian O&G market, and, as such, pressure is there on the GCC market to meet demand.

Further, China's 2022 lockdown also created pressure on GCC countries to meet high oil & gas requirements. Hence, this increasing demand has opened the door for catalysts with widened application offerings. Catalyst carriers have direct application in the refinement of oil, petrol, and others through catalyst induction.

GCC holds a commanding position at the country level, accounting for 62.9% share of MEA’s catalyst carrier production in 2021. The GCC market is valued at US$ 48.8 million in 2022.

Category-wise Insights

Why Do Ceramics Catalyst Carriers Rule the Landscape?

Ceramics are referred to as non-metallic inorganic solid compounds that are generally made up of either metal or sometimes nonmetals. These compounds are made strong and hard through intensive heating by high-temperature applications. Ceramic properties are observed as hard and brittle and offer corrosion resistance with a wide application offerings. There exist three ceramics - stoneware, earthenware, and porcelain.

Ceramic catalyst carriers are expected to be the swiftest-growing segment in the market over the projected period. Growth of this segment is mainly due to the surging consumption of petroleum in hydrotreating, catalytic cracking, and catalytic reforming as support materials containing catalysts. They are also used in the chemical synthesis of various hydrocarbons and the Haber process.

Demand for ceramics catalyst carriers has increased steadily in the recent past, touching a market valuation of US$ 278.4 million in 2021. The segment is predicted to expand 1.5X by the end of 2032.

What’s Determining the Uptrend of the Sphere Form of Catalyst Carriers?

Spherical shape carriers are porous catalyst carriers that offer wide applications in catalyst supports and find prominence with their structure during catalysis. These have a spherical structure with pores engraved over the surface to offer a large surface area to the catalyst and help in speeding up the rate of reaction.

Sphere-form catalyst carriers are anticipated to be the rapidly-growing sub-segment over the coming years. Segment growth is due to their advanced properties, including lower thermal expansion, higher stiffness, increased corrosion resistance, higher electrical resistance, and lighter weight as compared to others.

The sphere form segment is expected to create an absolute $ opportunity of US$ 74.8 million between 2022 and 2032.

Manufacturers’ Key Strategy Analysis

Prominent catalyst carrier manufacturers are Almatis, Evonik Industries, BASF, Cabot Corporation, Magma Catalysts, Noritake Co. Limited, CeramTec, CoorsTek, SASOL, and W.R.Grace.

The market for catalyst carriers is growing with increased applications and use cases in end-use industries globally. Catalyst carrier demand and supply across the globe are well-maintained by the presence of active suppliers and local sourcing available in surplus. Burgeoning demand for active applications of catalyst carriers, ranging from pharmaceutical to oil & gas, will induce the need for a strong supply chain and procurement sources.

Key end-use industries, to avoid extra tariffs and taxes on imports, are now looking to local sourcing for the procurement of catalyst carriers. The value-added applications and penetration of catalyst carriers have now opened the doors for existing local sources that were earlier suppressed by the chain of strong exporters and importers.

Fact.MR has provided detailed information about the price points of key manufacturers of catalyst carriers positioned across regions, sales growth, production capacity, and speculative technological expansion, in the recently published report.

Segmentation of Catalyst Carriers Industry Research

• By Type :

  • Ceramic
    • Alumina
    • Titania
    • Magnesia
    • Silicon Carbide
    • Silica
    • Others
  • Activated Carbon
  • Zeolite
  • Others

• By Form :

  • Sphere
  • Extrudate
  • Powder
  • Honeycomb
  • Others

• By Surface Area :

  • Low (0-10 m2/g)
  • Intermediate (10 - 120 m2/g)
  • High (>120 m2/g)

• By Pore Volume :

  • 0-0.3 cm3/g
  • 0.3-0.7 cm3/g
  • >0.7 cm3/g

• By End-use Industry :

  • Chemicals
  • Petrochemicals
  • Oil & Gas
  • Automotive
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Agrochemicals
  • Others

• By Region :

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Europe
  • East Asia
  • South Asia & Oceania
  • MEA