Zeolite Market

Global Zeolite Market Outlook (2022-2032)

The zeolite market has garnered a market value of US$ 11.65 Bn in 2022, anticipated to register a positive CAGR of 5% in the forecast period 2022-2032 and reach a value of US$ 18.98 Bn.

Report Attributes	Details
Zeolite Market Size (2022)	US$ 11.65 Bn
Sales Forecast for Zeolite (2032)	US$ 18.98 Bn
Global Market Growth Rate (2022 to 2032)	5% CAGR
Key Companies Profiled	BASF Albemarle Corporation Blue Pacific Minerals Clariant AG CWK Chemiewerk Bad Kostritz GmbH Gordes Zeolite GCMIL KMI Zeolite ROTA MINING CORPORATION Zeolyst International

Demand Analysis of Zeolite from 2015-2021 Vs Future Outlook 2022-2032

From 2015 to 2021, the global zeolite market registered significant gains, reaching a valuation of US$ 11.1 Bn in 2021. According to market research and competitive intelligence provider Fact.MR, zeolite sales expanded at a CAGR of 5.4% in the ensuing historical period. Growth is attributed to rising investments in petrochemicals production across major economies.

The market is expected to be driven by rising capacity expansions in petrochemicals production coupled with investments in water treatment projects and detergent manufacturing. However, growth prospects were disrupted significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The imposition of mandatory lockdowns led to a cessation of manufacturing activity, including petrochemicals production, causing a fall in demand. However, since the latter half of 2021, as restrictions began to be removed, prospects have exhibited a gradual resurgence.

Zeolites are three-dimensional hydrated aluminosilicate minerals with a tetrahedral framework each consisting of four oxygen atoms surrounded by a silicon or aluminum cation. Considering these factors, the market is projected to witness high growth over the coming years, registering a CAGR of 5% to reach US$ 18.98 Bn by 2032.

What is driving the Market Demand for Zeolites?

Rising Investments in Petrochemical Production to Enhance Uptake

Increasing investments in expanding petrochemicals production coupled with growth in the detergents industry are anticipated to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Due to their stability, superior activity, and selectivity in conversion processes, zeolites are extensively used in the petrochemicals industry as a catalyst for accelerating chemical reactions. Also, owing to their high absorption capacity for liquid components, they are widely used in the production process of detergents.

The U.S. was the largest market for zeolite in North America in 2021 and this trend is anticipated to continue over the forecast period. The presence of petrochemical facilities coupled with growth in the consumption of detergents, animal feed, water treatment, and agricultural products is expected to boost product consumption in the U.S. over the coming years. 

Growing investments in the U.S. petrochemicals industry are expected to facilitate the demand for synthetic zeolite as a catalyst. For instance, Chevron Phillips Chemical announced that it will make its Final Investment Decision (FID) on its new cracker in Texas in 2022, followed by another FID of USD 8 billion in a joint venture petrochemical complex along the US Gulf Coast in 2023.

Strategic Collaborations, Partnerships to Present Significant Growth Opportunities

The market for zeolites is witnessing a rise in strategic collaborations between prominent hydrocarbon manufacturers. For instance, Reliance Industries Ltd. and the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. (ADNOC) have agreed to build a petrochemical plant worth US$ 2.0 billion in the UAE. The collaboration will lead to the establishment of a new joint venture at Ta’ziz. Increasing investments in petrochemicals are anticipated to thus, augment product demand over the forecast period. The demand was, however, impacted in 2020 owing to coronavirus emergence. 

The petrochemicals industry was affected as countries implemented social and travel restrictions, and many plants faced temporary shutdowns. The petrochemicals demand was irregular across its value chain owing to varied intensities from end-use industries. This had a short-term impact on the global zeolite demand in the initial months of 2020.

Region-wise Analysis

How is North America Propelling the Demand for Zeolite?

North America dominates the market with 22% of the revenue share. Growth in animal feed and petrochemicals production are the driving forces behind increasing product consumption in the region.

The region ranked third in the global feed production in 2020, which was 237.2 million tons, which is 1% more than 2019. The U.S. and Mexico are among the top feed-producing countries in the world. 

What is the Growth Outlook of Asia Pacific Countries?

In the Asia Pacific, the market is anticipated to witness high growth owing to the development of new petrochemical plants, water recycling plants, demand for detergents, and rising cement and animal feed production. A CAGR of 6.3% is projected for the Asia Pacific market.

For instance, in April 2021, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals Inc. announced an investment of USD 358.1 million for the expansion of its chemical manufacturing facility in South Korea. Furthermore, Lion Corporation is planning to expand its detergent production plants in Thailand and Myanmar, where the standard of living is rising steadily. 

The company has decided to invest USD 19.9 million in the construction of the new plants. In addition, the rise in large-scale construction projects in the region would lead to high demand for cement, thereby augmenting the zeolite market growth over the forecast period.

What Drives the Demand for Zeolite in Middle Eastern Countries?

The development of oil refineries and petrochemical projects are facilitating the growth of the market in the Middle East and African countries. According to Fact.MR, MEA is expected to account for nearly 55% of the global zeolite market demand.

The region is focusing on expanding its petrochemical production as demand is expected to grow significantly due to an increase in the global population and growing middle-income groups. Also, it is expected that investments worth USD 120 billion would be directed to the petrochemicals industry in the Middle East and Africa by 2025.

Category-wise Insights

Which Product Type is projected to Get Traction in the Market?

The synthetic zeolites segment holds the largest revenue share of over 87%. There are more than 200 known structures of zeolite that can be synthetically obtained in a laboratory. These are synthetically manufactured aluminosilicate minerals with a sponge-like structure, made up of tiny pores that make them applicable as catalysts or ultrafine filters. 

Furthermore, they can also be easily recycled. These are used in various industries including petrochemicals, water filtration, animal feed, and others. Since petrochemicals are used in innumerable products such as plastics, detergents, make-up products, solvents, shampoos, lubricants, and others, their production is expected to increase over the coming years, thus, positively influencing product demand.

In terms of volume, their natural counterpart dominates the market owing to their low cost. The construction industry is the major end-user of natural zeolites, wherein these are used in the production of construction materials such as dimension stone, lightweight aggregate, and pozzolanic cement. Increasing construction spending post-COVID-19 to boost economic recovery in various countries is anticipated to prove fruitful for market growth.

Which Application is Prominently Adding to the Overall Market Growth?

The catalysts segment holds the largest revenue share of over 47%. Zeolites play an important role in enhancing the rate of reaction in fluid catalytic cracking and hydrocracking and thus, refinery expansion is expected to benefit segment growth. 

For instance, in November 2021, the Indian Oil Corporation announced increasing its capacity by 25 million tons per annum. The company is expected to increase its overall refining capacity from about 81 to 106 million tons per annum by 2023 - 24.

The detergent builders segment was the second-largest application segment of the market, in terms of revenue, in 2021. Synthetic zeolites are used to extract water hardness ions and soften the water medium for cleaning and laundry purpose. 

There has been a rising inclination toward the builder Zeolite-A in the detergent industry in recent years. The pandemic has augmented the demand for laundry detergents owing to the rising health consciousness among people, which has benefitted segment growth.

Natural zeolites can absorb around 50% of their weight in liquid without expanding. Because of the exceptional absorption capacity, these are added to many pet litters and even utilized for soil remediation. Also, they are used in water treatment applications where their ion-exchange property plays a pivotal role in the management of radioactive waste generated from nuclear reactors, gas purification, petroleum production, and wastewater treatment

Competitive Landscape

The competitive landscape of the zeolite market is shaped by product innovation and strategic mergers & acquisitions. Front Runners are emphasizing capacity enhancements and global footprint expansion to leverage lucrative prospects in developing economies. 

• In April 2020, Metasearch Limited, an Australian mineral and compound producer, has secured a license from UniQuest, the technology transfer company of the University of Queensland, for synthesizing zeolite. The technology will help the company to reduce the time and cost of manufacturing.

Zeolite Market Report Scope

Report Attributes	Details
Forecast Period	2022-2032
Historical Data Available for	2015-2021
Market Analysis	US$ Mn for Value
Key Regions Covered	North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific MEA
Key Countries Covered	U.S. Canada Germany U.K. France Italy BENELUX Nordics China Japan South Korea Brazil Mexico GCC Turkey South Africa
Key Market Segments Covered	Product Application Region
Pricing	Available upon Request

Key Market Segments in Zeolite Industry Research

• By Product :

  • Natural Zeolite
  • Synthetic Zeolite

• By Application :

  • Zeolite as Catalysts
  • Zeolite as Adsorbents
  • Zeolite as Detergent Builders
  • Zeolite as Cement
  • Zeolite as Animal Feed
  • Zeolite for Other Applications