Epoxy Adhesive Market

Market Overview

The global epoxy adhesive market size was valued at USD 9.25 billion in 2023. It is estimated to reach USD 14.49 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.12% during the forecast period (2024–2032). Epoxy resins are becoming more and more popular due to a number of factors, including expanding market trends, rising application, consumer demand from emerging nations, and technological breakthroughs in the field.

Epoxy adhesive or glue is a synthetic mixture of resin and hardener used to join or affix surfaces with a bond resistant to heat, moisture, water, and harsh chemicals. Liquid epoxy adhesive is utilized not just for bonding purposes but also to fill voids. In the aerospace sector, honeycomb structures are employed to address structural gaps.

Epoxy compounds are available in both one- and two-component formulations. The primary distinction between the two is their respective curing temperatures. Two-component epoxy adhesive cures at ambient temperature, while one-component epoxy adhesive requires an external heat source to cure. These adhesives are compatible with wood, plastic, metal, stone, and glass surfaces. Thus, it is utilized in numerous industries, including building and construction, automotive, aerospace, packaging, marine, wind power, and electronics.

Market Dynamics

Global Epoxy Adhesive Market Drivers:

Growing Demand from Aerospace Industry

Growth in the aerospace industry is boosting the demand for epoxy adhesives. Aircraft manufacturers primarily rely on epoxy adhesives to lower the weight, production cost, impart strength, stiffness, and high-performance temperature to aircraft. Epoxy adhesives play a vital role in the aerospace industry by replacing heavier bonding techniques and mechanical fasteners, lowering the aircraft's weight.

Boeing, the largest aircraft manufacturer, expects to deliver 43,110 commercial aircraft during 2020-2039. Air traffic is expected to grow by 4.0% by 2039, and the fleet will grow by 3.2% by 2029. Moreover, the number of aircraft is anticipated to grow from 23,480 in 2016 to 48,950 in 2036. With the increasing number of aircraft deliveries across regions, the demand for epoxy adhesives is expected to increase. The growing demand from the aerospace and defense sector will drive market growth during the forecast period.

Advantages of Epoxy Adhesives Over Mechanical Fasteners

Epoxy adhesives are one of the strongest adhesives for metals. In addition to imparting high-strength bonding capabilities, they protect materials from corrosion. They have excellent resistance against heat and chemicals and offer manufacturers the choice of bonding two different substrates together. This helps manufacturers reduce the overall component cost and weight while improving the product's performance, durability, desirability, and value.

Advancements in structural adhesive formulations help bond metals, glass, rubber, composites, and other polymers with utmost strength. Liquid epoxy adhesives are rapidly replacing traditional methods of joining fasteners, such as using screws, nuts, bolts, and rivets, and wielding in vehicles, the aerospace, electronics, marine, and petrochemical industries, and industrial equipment. Joining components through fasteners is also susceptible to corrosion and requires placed holes. Therefore, industries prefer epoxy adhesives over mechanical fastening.

Global Epoxy Adhesive Market Restraint:

Volatility in Raw Material Prices

Epoxy adhesive suppliers have encountered certain limitations in recent years. At one end, environmental regulations drive the adhesive market to develop new greener technologies, whereas rising raw material and energy costs threaten to block the progress. Raw materials such as Glycol ethers, polyamides, additives, bisphenol-a, and aliphatic amines manufacture epoxy adhesive.

These raw materials are a class of epoxy resin derived from crude oil. The price of crude oil is generally high and uncertain as it frequently fluctuates, directly impacting the price of adhesive products. Political instability, strict government regulations, and environmental conditions (weather or disease outbreaks) also influence the price of raw materials. Therefore, such volatility in raw materials hinders industry profitability and price trends in the epoxy adhesives market.

Global Epoxy Adhesive Market Opportunities:

Increasing Spending on Building and Construction

The construction sector is one of the major markets for epoxy adhesives. Constructing or renovating a building requires the installation of HVAC, fixed window frames, resilient flooring, garage doors, ceramic tiles, drywall lamination, and flooring underlayment, all of which primarily use epoxy adhesives. In addition, epoxy adhesives bind large surfaces and thick joints due to their impressive properties of high adhesion, affordability, chemical resistance, high mechanical strength, and high resistance to fuels and moisture. These elements make them suitable for the construction industry.

Furthermore, the construction market on a worldwide scale is currently experiencing expansion in both developed and developing nations. The construction sector constitutes approximately 13% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is projected to reach a valuation of USD 14 trillion by the year 2025. Therefore, the booming construction industry across the globe is creating opportunities for epoxy adhesive vendors to increase their product base in the infrastructure segment.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global epoxy adhesive market is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

Asia-Pacific Dominates the Global Market

Asia-Pacific is the most significant global epoxy adhesive market shareholder and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.29% during the forecast period. The growth of the Asia-Pacific region is attributed to factors like the rising population, rapid urbanization, and an increase in demand from several industries such as construction, electronics, semiconductors, and healthcare. China is the leading market in Asia-Pacific, followed by Japan, South Korea, and India. The large production base of the automotive, electronics, semiconductor, and construction industries drives the demand. In addition, the rising population, increasing demand for housing units, and growing investments in several projects like 5G networks, artificial intelligence, IoT, and data centers are augmenting the rapid growth of the construction industry in China. China is the largest exporter of adhesives to numerous countries, including the US, Brazil, Germany, and India. These factors significantly spur the growth of epoxy adhesives in China.

Europe is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.07% over the forecast period. Advancements in lightweight and efficient vehicles have boosted the use of epoxy adhesives in the automotive industry. Epoxy adhesives are witnessing increasing use in wind-powered applications. The wind power epoxy adhesives market is expected to clock an incremental revenue of USD 159.65 million from 2024-2032. In 2019, the country reported a total installed capacity of around 200 GW. In the same year, Germany installed around 60.8 GW of onshore and offshore wind power plants, the highest in Europe.

In addition, the construction market is currently not exhibiting uniform growth rates across the region due to different economic and political factors impacting the construction market. The new construction and renovation demand constitutes a large market for epoxy adhesives. In 2019, the European construction industry witnessed a growth of 3.9%, while the renovation sector grew gradually at around 2%. Moreover, the European Commission has also proposed to invest USD 13.8 billion in transport projects. Therefore, the investment proposal and several upcoming projects are expected to accelerate the demand for epoxy adhesives in European countries.

In North America, the key drivers of epoxy adhesives include rising demand from the building and construction sector, transportation sector, electrical and electronics, paper, board, and packaging. In North America, the US is the major market for aerospace and defense. The country has highly skilled labor and is home to several leading global aerospace and defense manufacturers, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin. In addition, the US aerospace and defense manufacturers cater to most domestic and international demand for arms and military technologies. In 2019, the US A&D industry reported USD 909 billion in revenue, a 6.7% increase from 2018. The supplier chain contributed another USD 400 billion, while the end-users (which include the aerospace, cyber, and aviation industries) contributed USD 509 billion. Therefore, with the higher demand for defense aircraft, the demand for epoxy adhesives is expected to increase during the forecast period.

Latin America is a developing market with rapidly growing economies such as Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico. The automotive and construction sectors are fueling the growth of epoxy adhesives in the region. Due to various environmental concerns, several bio-based epoxy adhesives will witness a significant share in the market during the forecast period.

Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Egypt, South Africa, and Bahrain drive the Middle East and Africa market. The rising adoption of bio-based adhesives, new technologies, and growth in the electric car market are lucrative factors fostering the demand for epoxy adhesives in the region. The region has also witnessed increased investments from government and private players in the construction segment. However, the unstable political and economic climate in countries such as Iran and Syria will offset the overall demand in the region. Taxation in the UAE is more favorable to the industry than other countries, with political stability being an added advantage.

Segmental Analysis

The global epoxy adhesive market is segmented by type, distribution channel, and end-user.

Based on type, the global epoxy adhesive market is segmented into one-component, two-component epoxy adhesives and others. 

The one-component epoxy adhesive segment is the largest contributor to the market and is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 4.86% over the forecast period. One-component epoxy adhesives are prepared by mixing epoxy resins with curing agents. Before applying, one-component adhesives do not require separate mixing or degassing of the curing agent, unlike two-component epoxy adhesives. One-component epoxy adhesives come in solid, liquid, and paste forms. These epoxies do not cure at room temperature and require an external heat mechanism. The average curing time is usually 30 to 40 minutes at 350 to 400° Fahrenheit.

One-component epoxy adhesives are high-performance adhesives that offer high endurance and high resistance to fatigue, temperature, and chemicals. They impart tough bond lines and adhesion to substrates, especially metals. Manufacturers prefer one-component epoxy adhesives as they do not require separate mixing or metering of the curing agent, thereby eliminating the chances of mixing errors.

Two-component epoxy adhesives are prepared by mixing the epoxy and curing agent composition (hardener) separately. Mixing the composition at a prescribed ratio is crucial for the desired curing and epoxy adhesive properties. Two-component adhesives are mixed for a shorter time and can easily be cured at room temperature. Two-component adhesives can be mixed with a meter mix, cartridge, or hand. In addition, meter mix is used for high-volume applications, whereas cartridge mix equipment is used for medium to high-volume applications. Hand mixing is generally used for low-volume production. One of the major advantages of two-component epoxy adhesives is that they are highly versatile and can be used for bonding almost all types of substrates, be it metal, wood, plastic, glass, rubber, composite, ceramic, stone, or fiber-reinforced glass.

Based on distribution channels, the global epoxy adhesive market is bifurcated into online and offline channels. 

The offline channel segment is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to exhibit at a CAGR of 5.61% over the forecast period. Offline distribution of adhesives is mostly done through wholesalers, distributors, and direct selling, where buyers such as manufacturing, packaging, and automotive industries purchase epoxy adhesives in bulk. In the epoxy adhesives market, bulk purchasing is comparatively higher than individual buying since it is used in manufacturing and assembling applications. Epoxy adhesives are available offline at retail stores and hardware stores.

Epoxy adhesives are sold online through various e-commerce websites and other websites managed by manufacturers and third parties. They are easily available online and are witnessing demand in the market due to increasing online shoppers. In addition, various epoxy adhesive manufacturing companies are taking initiatives and investing in building their presence online and expanding their customer and geographic reach. The company's overall revenue in the epoxy adhesives industry is driven mostly by digital sales due to the widespread use of technology and the convenience of using the internet and other online sales media.

Based on technology, the global epoxy adhesive market is segmented into reactive, solvent borne, UV-cured adhesives, and water borne. 

The solvent borne segment is the highest contributor to the market and is anticipated to exhibit at a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period. Reactive adhesives are favored in industries requiring strong, durable bonds, such as automotive and aerospace. Water-borne adhesives, recognized for their environmental benefits and low VOC emissions, have gained traction in consumer goods and construction sectors. However, UV-cured adhesives are emerging as the preferred choice in electronics and medical device manufacturing due to rapid curing times and high bond strength. Among these, solvent-borne adhesives have traditionally dominated the market because of their robust bonding capabilities across multiple surfaces, but with increasing environmental concerns, water-borne alternatives are seeing a rise in demand.

Based on end-user, the global epoxy adhesive market is bifurcated into building and construction, automotive and transportation, aerospace, semiconductor, electrical and electronics, wind energy, and others. 

The building and construction segment dominates the global market and is expected to exhibit a CAGR of 5.73% over the forecast period. Since 1950, epoxy adhesives have been used in the construction industry for adhesion, upgrading the bond between the existing concrete structures and repair materials, and repairing spall damage. Bisphenol A type epoxy adhesive is the most used epoxy adhesive in the construction industry due to its chemical resistance, excellent adhesion, and impressive mechanical properties such as high strength, effective electrical insulation, corrosion resistance, and resistance to acids, bases, fuels, solvents, and oils. Likewise, the segment is expected to perform well over the projected period due to expanding populations, fast urbanization, and developing economies; this will drive the epoxy adhesive market.

In transportation, adhesives are used extensively in automotive, rails, vehicle assemblies, and exterior and interior vehicle trim. Since 1960, epoxy adhesives have been used across the automotive and transportation industry (boat, passenger cars, trains, ships, aircraft, and passenger carriers) for manufacturing automotive components, bonding primary components and hang-on parts such as floor panels, trunk lids, hoods, and tailgates, chassis components (frame, steering, braking systems, and wheel braking), interior dashboards, and hem flange bonding. Epoxy adhesives are widely preferred in the automotive industry. For instance, they allow composite materials to bind to metal where welding is impossible. Thus, they enable automotive manufacturers to produce lightweight vehicles.

Recent Developments

• July 2023- Perigee Direct, a leading supplier of industrial adhesives and sealants, announced the launch of Huntsman Araldite 2012, a quick-curing, multipurpose epoxy adhesive.

• August 2023- Panacol introduced Structalit 5604, an extraordinarily fast-curing adhesive designed for bonding SMD components to printed circuit boards. Despite its high viscosity, the epoxy-based adhesive is appropriate for the jet application.