Acrylamide is an organic compound with the chemical formula C3H5NO. It is a white, odorless solid, dissolvable in water and several organic solvents. It is used as a precursor of polyacrylamide and acrylamide copolymers, which find uses in the production of paper, dyes, and plastics, and water & wastewater treatment. Following products are also found in caulking, food packaging, and adhesives.
Acrylamide monomer is produced by hydration of acrylonitrile through synthetic or biosynthetic route; however biosynthetic route is preferred over synthetic route due to its significant efficiency. Acrylamide is building block for polyacrylamide (PAM) which is further used in waste water treatment due to its high solubility in water, petroleum production, pulp & paper production and mineral processing and thus the acrylamide market is majorly driven by polyacrylamide market.
The demand for acrylamide has been growing between 3% to 5% during the last few years and the global demand in 2023 was estimated to be around 2000 Kiloton. About 45% of this demand comes in from water treatment applications while petroleum and paper & pulp together account for 45%.
The global acrylamide market includes the demand for acrylamide in water & waste-water treatment. Wast industrial development across the globe drives the demand for the product. Industries like oil & gas, chemicals, pulp & paper, and textiles produce toxic effluents in large quantities, which necessitates water & wastewater treatment. Enhanced oil recovery technology is promoted as the process can recover 30-60% more oil at the reservoir site.
Asia Pacific region (Specifically China) account for the largest share in acrylamide consumptions as well as production followed by Western Europe and North America. China, biggest market for acrylamide is expected to grow at stronger rate due to its increasing use in water treatment and paper & pulp industries while demand for acrylamide monomers is likely to be strong for petroleum applications in North America.
Acrylamide is used as a precursor to polyacrylamide, extensively used in the flocculation of solids in water & wastewater treatment. In governmental and industrial wastewater treatment, it is used in all liquid-solid separation functions, including primary sewage treatment and the treatment of water from mineral mining operations. Use of acrylamide in enhanced oil recovery, in which it increases the viscosity of the injected water and pushes the oil locked in reservoirs towards the pump.
It is used in cosmetics & personal care products like skin cleansers, moisturizers, lotions & creams, hair care, and nail care products. It is used as a stabilizer, binder, and thickener in cosmetics & personal care products. This is due to its foaming, anti-static, and lubricating properties. The use of polyacrylamides can improve the tackiness, permeability, and resizing performance.
The region accounts for about 57% of the global acrylamide consumption and China alone holds for 79% of total regional consumption. This (China’s consumption) translates to roughly 45% of the global demand. North America is the second largest region accounting for 23% closely followed by Western Europe with 17%share. Central & South America, Central & Eastern Europe and Middle East & Africa together account for 3% of total global consumption.
Asia-Pacific is the highest growing regional market on account of the rapid industrialization in the region. The profit potential is in emerging economies of India, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, and many more.The presence of significant oil & gas reserves in the region is the key factor driving the demand for acrylamide. The Latin American market is projected to see increasing demand for acrylamide due to the growing industrial sector.
The North American acrylamide market is driven by the expanding industrial sector in the region. Europe is said to witness a demand for acrylamide due to the growth of the region's transportation, reconstruction, and power generation industries. Considerable contributors to the market growth include Germany, the UK, France, and Russia.
These companies are among the leading manufacturers of acrylamide, providing products for various industries including water treatment, paper manufacturing, and petroleum production.
In 2023, Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. has announced that its subsidiary, Polaris Chemicals, Inc., has commenced the production of biocatalysts used in the manufacturing of acrylamide.
In 2022, Kemira has fully started production of its newly developed bio-based polyacrylamide polymer. The first commercial volumes were shipped to a sewage treatment plant in Helsinki Regional Environmental Services for trials.
In December 2022, SNF Group announced the expansion of its water-treatment and water-conditioning polymer production plant in Louisiana, where it produces acrylamide monomer and polyacrylamide powders and emulsions.
Kemira Oyj, as a key acrylamide market player has finished setting up its latest state-of-the-art manufacturing facility units for bio-acrylamide monomer and emulsion polymers at its site located in Mobile, Alabama. Production has started with the unit anticipated to be completely operational in the summer of 2021. The whole unit was set up at close to 70 million euros and should help back the company’s strategic work on emerging faster than the market.
Vertellus, a well-known beauty ingredient developer, is all set to carry out the acquisition of IM Chemical. IM Chemicals’ acquisition is said to help foster Vertellus’ ability to offer advanced specialty products and solutions to customers.
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