Fire-Resistant Paint Market

Market Overview

The global fire-resistant paint market size was valued at USD 1027.75 million in 2022. It is projected to reach USD 1364.60 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 3.2% during the forecast period (2023–2031).

Fire-resistant paint is widely used in buildings and constructions as an exceptional fire resistance measure. These paints are also known as intumescent coatings and reduce the combustibility and burning of building materials. They do not necessarily prevent fire but rather delay the process of burning. When exposed to fire, the product expands considerably, which makes it less dense. On the basis of type, fire-resistant paints can be categorized into powder coatings, liquid paints, and others. Intumescent coatings can be applied on wood, walls, ceilings, lacquered surfaces, steel, and cast iron, among others. They can either be applied by spray guns, brushes, or rollers. Fire-resistant paints find applications in various end-use industries such as oil and gas, building and construction, furniture, and textile, among others.

Product Lifecycle

Traditional paints in the market lack fire-resistant properties. There is a significant demand for fire-resistant paints due to emphasis on safety precautions and methods of construction, as people have now become more conscious about the safety and wellbeing of their family members. As per the National Fire Protection Association, in 2014, each day, seven lives are lost due to fire in the U.S. Due to increasing consumer awareness, fire-resistant paints have a tremendous opportunity for growth and can replace traditional paints completely in the near future. The product is in the growth stage and has potential in regions witnessing significant progress in the construction and building sectors. Although other alternatives such as fire-stopping putty products and fire-stopping pillows are available, fire-resistant paints are the preferred and most convenient alternative to making buildings fireproof.

Market Dynamics

Fire-Resistant Paint Market Drivers

One of the key drivers of the fire-resistant paint market is the application of these paints in the construction sector. Fire-resistant paints are used in buildings to meet fire safety standards and codes. Many countries have implemented strict safety rules and regulations regarding fireproof building constructions. These severe protocols have compelled market players to utilize intumescent paints. North America has implemented heavy safety rules to minimize the severe impact of fire. By introducing stringent rules on fire and building codes, Alberta has taken some drastic steps to lessen the damage of fire in residential areas.

Apart from construction and buildings, there has also been an upsurge in the demand for fire-resistant paints in sectors such as transportation, marine, onshore, and offshore oil and gas production. These paints are used significantly to protect structures that contain peroxides, natural gas, and other chemicals in the oil and gas industry. Moreover, technological advancements and investments in oil and gas exploration are also invigorating fire-resistant paint market growth. Another driver spurring market growth for fire-resistant paints is rapid urbanization, which has resulted in an increase in the number of players in the textile industry and the transportation sector, both of which require fireproof surroundings.

On the flip side, one key restraint for the fire-resistant paint market is the high price of these paints. They are exorbitantly expensive and require large investments by contractors to make the entire construction fireproof. Traditional paints are more economical, and developing countries such as India are still not as safety conscious as developed nations in terms of foreseeing fire hazards that can occur.

Liquid Paint Coating vs Dry Powder Coating

While wet or liquid paints have been used for several years as conventional coatings in buildings and structures, dry powder coatings have become prevalent in the last few decades. Liquid paint is applied on the substrate evenly using a pump, spray gun, or other various forms of pressurized applicants. Powder coating requires the electrostatic application of dry powder on the surface by heating. Powder coating comes in a plethora of varieties, depending on what material it is made up of. For instance, the powder can be polyester-based or acrylics-based. Powder coating is more durable than liquid paints and provides a thick finish to the object on which it is applied. It mostly finds applications in the automobile industry and household appliances.

The liquid coating method has certain advantages over powdered paints as it can be used for objects that cannot be subjected to heat, as there is no heating process involved in applying liquid paints. Moreover, liquid paint provides a thin finish that can be customized in terms of color and texture. Another important advantage of liquid paint is that it is highly economical and more affordable as compared to powdered coatings.

Regional Analysis

The demand for fire-resistant paints is directly associated with the amount spent on the buildings and construction. Owing to its large construction potential, North America finds maximum application of fire-resistant paints. North America is among the biggest construction markets across the globe, and the U.S. construction market’s disbursements reach over a billion dollars. Post-recession, the unattended standstill projects have also accelerated their progress once again. As per the Associated General Contractors of America, the private non-residential expenditure rose by 2.4% compared to January 2018. Office construction amongst the other construction spaces grew by 7.6%. Also, educational construction grew by almost 8.1 percent year-over-year, resulting in the growth of the fire-resistant paint market. Every year in the U.S., over 2 million incidences of fire hazards are reported, and as a result, people have become safety conscious and are now building fireproof houses. In addition, the construction sector of China is expected to propel the Asia-Pacific fire-resistant paint market. For instance, in April 2015, a Chinese company built a 57-story skyscraper in 19 working days.

Segmental Analysis

Fire-Resistant Paint Application Sectors

Fire-resistant paints are used extensively in a number of sectors and find applications in the oil and gas industry, construction sectors, marine technologies, and furniture industry, among others. Over time, the use of fire-resistant paints in the oil and gas industry has increased significantly.

The 2006 incident of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil spill killed 11 people and injured more than a dozen others. This accident is an apt example of inadequate fireproofing technologies and ravaging repercussions that it can have on lives. This incident prompted the utilization of fire-resistant paint in structures in the oil and gas sectors. Fire-resistant paint is applied to steel structures to provide passive protection against fire and extreme heat conditions. Fire-resistant paints have a history of being used vividly in the construction sector. North America is experiencing growth in the fire-resistant paint market, and Europe has also registered a great hike in the construction sector, thereby resulting in surging demand for fire-resistant paints. In 2018, the European Commission stated in its country report that, in Germany, the construction sector registered an overall growth of rate of 10.4 percent over 2010-2016. This increasing growth in the construction sector in European countries has a significant impact on the overall growth of the fire-resistant paint market.