Defoamers Market Overview
Globally, the expenditure on water and wastewater treatment has increased significantly over the past few years. Developing countries, particularly in Asia-Pacific (APAC), have increased their budgetary allocation on wastewater projects. Besides, several water treatment projects in developed countries such as the U.S., Canada, Germany, and the U.K. have been at the forefront of integrating innovative solutions and making capacity additions to existing facilities. In coherence, the application of defoamers in these plants has considerably increased in recent times. Thus, the increasing expenditure on waste treatment is expected to offer substantial mileage to the defoamers market to grow in the near future.
Foam, also known as bubbles in the liquid phase, is generally produced as a by-product during chemical reactions and manufacturing of several chemicals. A defoamer is a chemical additive that diminishes and hinders the formation of foam in industrial process liquids. Defoamers are characterized by low viscosity and can easily spread on the foamy surface in a solution. In the report, the defoamers market is segmented on the basis of product type, end-use industry, and region.
Based on product type, the market is categorized into oil-based, water-based, and silicone-based defoamers. Of all these varieties, silicone-based defoamers are the most commonly used anti-foam agents in a myriad of industrial applications, such as the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals, refining of petroleum feedstock, fabrication of metals, and production of paints and coatings.
On the basis of end-use industry, the defoamers market is classified into the paper and pulp; water treatment; paints and coatings; food and beverage; oil and gas; agrochemicals; pharmaceuticals; chemicals; and metal working industries. Defoamers are widely employed in the paper and pulp industry, as they help lower the production of foam in the production lines of paper mills. Defoamers are employed in these mills, as foam production in paper mills hinders paper production and results in the creation of deposits, development of bacteria, and drainage issues.
Additionally, the application of defoamers facilitates lower steam consumption and reduced paper breaking, thereby improving the effectiveness of the paper machine. This helps save energy in addition to offering economic incentives in form of reduced costs in the production line.
The demand for defoamers in the metalworking industry is predicted to increase on account of the growing demand for innovative metal products. The extensive research and development of novel metal products is creating potential application areas for the use of defoamers in metalworking.
Based on region, the defoamers market is categorized into North America, Europe, APAC, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa. Geographically, APAC is expected to occupy a significant share in the market during the forecast period. Furthermore, favorable government regulations, presence of a large customer base, and growth in end-use industries are expected to drive the market in the region. The European defoamers market is expected to witness low-to-moderate growth during the forecast period, owing to stringent regulatory policies imposed by the European Union on the use of defoamers in industrial applications.
Defoamers Market Dynamics
Drivers
Growth in end-user industries is one of the key drivers for the defoamers market. This is reflected by the increasing demand for defoamers in projects aimed at the treatment of wastewater and the production of paints and coatings, paper and pulp, and food and beverages.
Water-based defoamers are devoid of organic solvents and, therefore, do not have any detrimental effect on the environment. Thus, increased environmental awareness and focus on sustainability have led to increased preference for water-based products in developed countries.
Restraints
Regulatory organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the European Commission have specified the usage limits of certain components in defoamer formulations. This has compelled manufacturers to adhere to stringent regulatory standards, resulting in high cost of production and additional resource allocation toward quality control. Thus, stringent regulations regarding product composition continue to restrain the growth of the defoamers market to some extent.
Additionally, the application of oil-based defoamers releases volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the presence of constituents such as paraffinic and naphthenic mineral oils. This factor is likely to impact the demand for these defoamers in the coming years.
Opportunities
Technological advancements and product development are expected to create lucrative opportunities for the players in the defoamers market in the near future. For instance, research is being conducted on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a key raw material used in the production of defoamers, to synthesize the modified molecules of PDMS to improve the product performance.
Defoamers Market Competitive Landscape
Some of the major players operating in the global defoamers market are Ashland Inc., Evonik Industries AG, BASF SE, Air Products and Chemicals Inc., KCC Basildon, Elementis PLC, Dow Corning Corporation, Kemira Oyj, Wacker Chemie AG, and Bluestar Silicones.
The study provides the historical as well the forecast market size data for various countries, including the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Spain, Japan, China, India, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa.
