Mono Methyl Ether of Hydroquinone (MEHQ) Market

Market Outlook for Mono Methyl Ether of Hydroquinone

The utilization of MEHQ in dermatology can be the leading driver for its significant growth in the market. MEHQ is usually added as an inhibitor to acrylonitrile in the monomer and needs to be regulated to avoid spontaneous polymerization. As MeHQ has a distinct UV absorbance curve allowing the OMA system to easily monitor its real-time concentration, its demand is expected to boost.

Monomethyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) is also known by names such as mequinole, 4-hydroxy anisole, para-guaiacol, etc. MEHQ is commercially manufactured by the hydroxylation of anisole or by a free radical reaction between p-benzoquinone and methanol. MEHQ is widely used in dermatology. MEHQ is the main ingredient in topical drugs which are used for skin depigmentation.

The worldwide size of the Monomethyl ether of hydroquinone market is USD 4.10 Billion in 2022. The market is estimated to cross a valuation of USD 6.74 Billion by end of 2032. The market is likely to grow with a CAGR of 5.1% for the forecast period.

Report Attributes	Details
Monomethyl ether of hydroquinone market Size (2022 A)	USD 4.10 Billion
Base Year for Estimation	2022
Forecast duration for this research	2022-2032
Forecasted Market value (2032 F)	USD 6.74 Billion
Global Market Growth rate (2022-2032 E)	CAGR of 5.1%
Key Companies Profiled	Solvay Clean Science Alfa Aesar A.B Enterprises TCI Chemicals

Market dynamics

The drug is commonly formulated by the addition of an ethanolic solution of 2% MEHQ and 0.01% of tretinoin by mass. The drug is generally prescribed by dermatologists for the treatment of solar liver spots, age spots, or solar lentigines. The low dosage of MEHQ can be used in combination with Q- switched laser to de-pigment the skin of patients having disseminated idiopathic vitiligo. MEHQ is also widely used as a polymerization inhibitor in the manufacturing of various monomers such as acrylics monomers, methacrylic, and other acrylates, vinyl acetate monomers, etc., along with unsaturated polyesters.

Polymers are finding new applications, due to which, their demand is increasing day by day. This increasing demand for polymers is leading to the growth of the MEHQ industry. The growing population and changing fashion trends are boosting the textile and leather industries, owing to which, the MEHQ market is also escalating. MEHQ is mainly used as an intermediate in agrochemicals and organic chemical industries. Increasing consumption of agrochemicals and organic chemicals is boosting the MEHQ market.

MEHQ also finds application in petrochemical industries, and the growth of the petrochemical industries is leading to an increase in the demand for MEHQ in the market. Developments in medical science are generating new applications for MEHQ in the medical field. MEHQ is also used in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries, and the increased demand for pharmaceutical and cosmetic products will lead to an increase in the consumption of MEHQ.

Besides these applications, MEHQ is also used as an additive in ink, adhesives, tonners, sealants, liquid detergents, etc. The increasing production of these products will increase the demand for MEHQ. In certain regions, there are regulations being imposed on the exposure limit of MEHQ. Companies are also searching for alternatives for MEHQ. These factors can dent the MEHQ market.

“Impact of Covid-19: sluggish supply chain Network”

The recent pandemic of covid-19 has affected severely the supply chain network of firms across all industries. The management of operations was disrupted due to lockdowns and restrictions. The accelerated transportation costs and higher distribution costs associated with the products declined sales during the period.

There were limitations imposed by governments on non-essential imports and exports which resulted in border closures globally. While global lockdowns made people stay locked in their homes for months which affected demand during the period. The cosmetic and pharma industry markets started to work on the recovery of sales and demand-supply post-covid-19 pandemic. This is expected to mark an upward growth trajectory for product sales in the mono methyl ether of hydroquinone market in the forecast period.

Regional Insights

Pharmaceutical and polymer industries are rapidly growing in regions such as the Asia Pacific and Latin America. Apart from the pharmaceutical and polymer industries, the agrochemical industry is also showing good growth, which makes these prominent markets for mono methyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ). The cosmetics and personal care industry has shown good growth in the Middle East.

Petrochemical industries are also growing in this region. The agrochemical industry is growing at a good pace in regions such as Africa. Due to these factors, MEA is expected to be a potential market region for MEHQ. Regions such as North America and Western Europe are matured markets as compared to others, owing to which, these regions can be considered steady markets for MEHQ.

Segment wise Insights

Based on the usage of mono methyl ether hydroquinone is dominantly used as a polymer or polymerization inhibitor in the monomers-making process. These are used along with other polyesters. MEHQ usage in the cosmetic industry is second dominating after polymer making. The material is used in cosmetic and liquid detergent materials. It’s a 99% common ingredient in the drugs treating skin pigmentation. These stabilizers are effective in preventing inadvertent acrylic acid.

Its demand in the textile industry, cosmetics, skin pigmentation, etc., as the demand for polymer, grows, changing fashion and lifestyle and demand for leather is also the reason for driving the market growth. Focus on inventions, growth by manufacturers, and investment in the research and development sector is paving the way for the significant growth of MEHQ.

Recent Developments

• The experiment for the development of a new type of fluorescent dye-based 2-Phenylsulfanylhhydroquinone dimer eye was performed this year and the article was published by ACS OMEGA. The chemical consists of a biaryl structure which is prepared via oxidative dimerization of hydroquinone dimethyl ether. This dye showed a strong fluorescence at 403 nm under UV light irradiation of 320nm and also, and the quantum yield reached up to 0.3. The results showed the four phenolic hydroxyl groups of the 2-phenylsufnylhydrouinone dimer were envisaged as reactive for achieving the desired modifications and the introduction of a tethered unit to attach a bioactive molecule and the improvement of water solubility.
• Solvay in March 2019 raised their capacity of hydroquinone by 20% for increasing the security of supply on three continents and for meeting the increasing demand for diphenol inhibitors which are utilized by the monomer industry. Hydroquinone is essential for processing safety, transport, and storage for monomer inhibition and also as a monomer itself in Polymer and Coatings applications.

Mono Methyl Ether of Hydroquinone Market (MEHQ): Segmentation

The global mono methyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) market can be segmented on the basis of end-use industry and application.

• The global mono methyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) market is segmented on the basis of its end-use industry :

  • Agrochemicals
  • Pharmaceuticals & Personal Care
  • Petrochemicals
  • Polymers
  • Leather & Textile
  • Others

• The global mono methyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) market is segmented on the basis of its application :

  • Intermediates
  • Stabilizers
  • Additives
  • Polymerization Inhibitors
  • Antioxidants
  • Others

• The global mono methyl ether of hydroquinone (MEHQ) market is segmented on the basis of its regional analysis :

  • North America
    • U.S.
    • Canada
  • Latin America
    • Mexico
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Chile
    • Peru
  • Western Europe
    • Germany
    • Italy
    • France
    • U.K
    • Spain
    • BENELUX
    • Nordic
    • Eastern Europe
  • CIS and Russia
  • Asia-Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • ASEAN
    • South Korea
  • Japan
  • Middle East and Africa
    • GCC Countries
    • South Africa
    • Turkey
    • Iran
    • Israel