Chelating Agents Capacity, Production, Demand, Value Range and Forecast Report Till 2032

Chelating Agents

Chelating Agents binds with metal ions to form stable complexes called as chelates. Chelating agents are used in various applications such as paper & pulp, agrochemicals, water treatment, food & beverages, cleaning, scale and filter cake removal, enhanced oil recovery etc in oil and gas industry, medical industry, textile industry etc. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) is one of the most widely used chelating agent in food & beverages industry as sequestrant. 

Based on type, the market of chelating agent is segmented as Aminopolycarboxylic Acid, Hydroxycarboxylic Acids, Organophosphonates, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic Acid (EDTA), Nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) and others. Some of the key players in the market are AkzoNobel, DowDuPont, BASF, Lanxess  AG and Kemira Oyj.

Market Overview:

Hydroxycarboxylic acid was estimated to be the largest consumed segment in 2023 on the back of sodium gluconate. Sodium gluconate is sodium salt of gluconic acid and it belongs to hydrocarboxylic acid group. Sodium gluconate accounted for more than 50% of the global chelating agent market in 2023.

The consumption of chelating agent in its end use industries is driving its market. The pulp and paper industry mostly uses EDTA and diethylene-triaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) during bleaching process to reduce the cost of bleaching by improving bleachability of pulp. The demand of chelating agent in pulp and paper application are driving the market in Asia-Pacific majorly in China as the country is the one of the largest pulp consuming countries in the world. During Covid 19 Pandemic the production of tissue papers, toilet papers, disinfecting wipes, moisturising facial tissues etc rose on the back of growing health and hygiene awareness among consumers in country.

Market Forecast:

The packaging industry was the largest consumer of paper in China in 2023. Boosted by the country’s economic recovery and International trade, the pulp and paper industry of China witnessed a significant growth in 2023. India’s paper exports reached 3 Million Tons in 2023-2024 from 0.66 Million Tons in 2016-2017 driven by capacity expansion, upgradation of technology and investment by domestic paper mills in foreign companies. The paper mills of India have invested around Rs 25000 Crore in the past 5-7 years to introduce new capacities and clean and green technologies in the country. All these developments in the pulp and paper industry are driving the demand of chelating agents in Asia-Pacific.

The water treatment application is also driving the consumption of chelating agents globally. Chelating agent is used in boiler water treatment for dissolving scales and is also used as water softeners. In North America, the growth of water treatment industry is driving the market chelating agents. The commercial market of water treatment is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5-10% over the next 7 years in USA driven by emerging contaminants, water reuse in commercial real estate, aging water infrastructure, sustainability trends and growing non-residential construction spending. Some of the key players in water treatment market are Cullingen, Ecolab, Evoqua Water Technlogies Corp, Pentair Industries etc.