| Study Period | 2019 - 2032 |
| Market Size in 2024 | USD 1.2 billion |
| Market Size in 2025 | USD 1.3 billion |
| Market Size by 2032 | USD 1.8 billion |
| Projected CAGR | 5.6% |
| Largest Region | Asia-Pacific |
| Fastest Growing Region | North America |
| Market Structure | Fragmented |
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The dicyclopentadiene market size stood at USD 1.2 billion in 2024, and it is expected to reach USD 1.8 billion in 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% during 2025–2032. The market growth is primarily attributed to the growing usage of dicyclopentadiene for polymers, resins, and other specialty chemicals. Moreover, due to its highly reactive nature, it can be used as an intermediate for the manufacturing of several performance chemicals used in the building & construction, automotive & marine, packaging, and other industries.
Dicyclopentadiene is used for several industrial applications, including UPR, hydrocarbon resins, elastomers, ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM), poly-dicyclopentadiene, and cyclic olefin polymers & copolymers (COPs & COCs).
A highly pure form of the base chemical is required for the synthesis of COCs and COPs, which are used in several applications, including high-performance films, high-quality lenses, optical discs, and high-density electronic storage media.
Moreover, poly-dicyclopentadiene has stronger resistance to low temperatures and is generally recommended over ordinary polymers, which can become brittle in cold environments. As a result, it is used to create body panels for trucks, tractors, buses, construction equipment, and other types of vehicles.
Additionally, EPDM has a wide application scope in the automotive industry, for the manufacturing of window & door seals, gaskets & O-rings, radiator & heater hoses, wire & cable connectors, diaphragms, and accumulators’ bladders. R&D to develop eco-friendly products, such as bio-based EPDM, is likely to provide opportunities to the dicyclopentadiene market due to the growing concerns about the harmful effects of certain petrochemicals on the environment.
The UPR category holds the largest market share in 2024, and it will continue to do so till 2032. The UPR grade of DCPD is a key intermediate of paints, coatings, rubber, adhesives, pesticides, insecticides, varnishes, and other products. This is because it has superior mechanical and functional properties, contains fewer trimers and co-dimers, and exhibits better color characteristics than other resins.
The hydrocarbon resins category is projected to witness the fastest growth in the DCPD market, of 5.9%, during the forecast period. Unsaturated hydrocarbons are polymerized to create amorphous thermoplastic polymers, known as hydrocarbon resins. The major applications of hydrocarbon resins are PSA tapes, labels, and hot-melts. These intermediates are also used as a tackifier during the manufacturing of paints, printing inks, adhesives, coatings, rubbers, and other kinds of products.
Here are the applications part of the research scope:
The high purity category is the largest, and it is projected to witness the highest growth rate owing to the rising demand for specialty & fine chemicals. It is most appropriately described as a class of highly reactive intermediates that result from the high-temperature cracking of petroleum fractions. The high-purity grade of dicyclopentadiene is useful in the manufacturing of unsaturated polyester resins, cyclic olefin copolymers, flavorings, antioxidants, and perfumes.
The types analyzed include the following:
The building & construction category holds the largest dicyclopentadiene market share, of around 25%, in 2024. This chemical is widely utilized in a variety of applications demanding resistance and flexibility, including roofing, glass, concrete, and artificial marble. UPRs also provide structures with impact resistance, reduced weight, enhanced load-bearing capacity, improved sealing, better space use, lower maintenance requirements, and longer durability.
Packaging is the fastest-growing category as DCPD offers heat and chemical resistance and high mechanical strength to packaging material. These properties make dicyclopentadiene preferred for producing packaging for the cosmetics, pharmaceutical, and food & beverage industries, where the products must be protected from environmental factors at all cost. Additionally, the rising demand for eco-friendly packaging propels the consumption of bio-based DCPD. As per studies, almost 45% of the plastic produced is consumed for packaging purposes globally.
We studied these end uses:
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Asia-Pacific dominates the DCPD market with a share of about 40% in 2024 due to the rising demand for this chemical from the plastic & resin industry in this region. Moreover, the growing infrastructure development and the presence of major automotive and electronic appliance manufacturers in China, Japan, and India are propelling the growth of the DCPD market.
The rise in the demand for lightweight automobiles and increase in polyester resin usage in the electrical and electronic components, such as meter boxes and distribution boxes and key building & construction applications such as bathtubs and swimming pools, are driving the chemical demand in the Asia-Pacific region.
Furthermore, China leads the market in Asia-Pacific due to the rising urbanization rate in the country. The government intends to enhance the infrastructure in small and medium-sized cities, which is why the construction sector would continue to develop at a significant rate in the coming years. The government investments in highways, railways, waterways, and aviation projects are rising in India and Japan as well, which would drive the need for dicyclopentadiene.
North America is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period, due to the growing marine, plastics, automotive, and adhesives industries in this region. Moreover, the ready availability of key petroleum feedstocks has been projected to boost the production of and demand for dicyclopentadiene in North America. Additionally, the increasing disposable income of consumers and rapid economic developments in this region are responsible for the fastest growth of the dicyclopentadiene market in North America.
Below is the regional breakdown of the market:
The dicyclopentadiene market is fragmented as its production process is widely known and has achieved economies of scale for all major petrochemical companies. Moreover, natural gas is easily available via multiple modes for DCPD production. Companies use multiple processes for its production in a variety of grades for wide-ranging applications, which fragments the competition. Additionally, there are no real regulations for the quality of this product, and most major players are already doing enough to abide by national and international emission guidelines.
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