Fluorosilicic Acid Market

Market Overview

The global fluorosilicic acid market size is projected to reach USD 1,015 million by 2030, from USD 598 million in 2021, and is anticipated to register a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period (2022–2030).

Fluorosilicic acid is a waste product of the phosphate fertilizer industry. It is primarily created during the processing of fluoroapatite to produce phosphoric acid and triple superphosphate. A typical chemical reaction involves a sedimentary phosphate rock being attacked by strong sulfuric acid at high temperatures. This exothermic reaction emits silicon tetrafluoride (SiF4) and hydrofluoric acid (HF) into the gas stream. These fluoride gases are scrubbed and converted into fluorosilicic acid.

It is a catalytic, corrosive, inorganic acid that can be transformed into several hexafluorosilicic acid salts. The product can be used to refine lead, convert aluminum ore into aluminum metal, treat textiles and hides, oxidize oil and wells, electroplate, and as a reagent in organic synthesis.

Market Dynamics

Fluorosilicic Acid Market Drivers

• High Usage of  Fluorosilicic Acid in the Aluminum Industry to Soar Demand in the Market

Aluminum companies utilize aluminum fluoride to lower the melting point of electrolytes during the smelting process and boost production efficiency. The acid is used to create aluminum fluoride.

Consumers benefit from gasoline savings, manufacturers profit from a more fuel-efficient car portfolio, and the environment benefits from less fossil fuel use and lower emissions. Vehicle components can be made lighter by substituting lightweight materials like aluminum or composites for traditional materials.

Road transport is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions, accounting for roughly 15% of CO2 emissions in Europe. The European Union Commission has already begun to focus on reducing emissions from light-duty vehicles (cars and vans), heavy-duty vehicles (coaches, buses, trucks), and non-road mobile apparatus by this (excavators, bulldozers, front loaders).

For light and heavy-duty vehicles, binding emission limitations have already been implemented. As a result, automakers are being forced to adopt lightweight materials such as aluminum.

• Growing Demand for Crude Oil to Boost the Fluorosilicic Acid Market Growth

The demand for crude oil and gas on the global market has skyrocketed. The entire production continues to increase to unimaginable heights with each passing year. The discovery of shale gas in the United States adds to this. Our findings suggest that output will continue to exceed real demand in the coming years. On the other side, the number of active wells is dropping while output is increasing. For example, in 2018 and 2019, the United States produced over 12 million and 12.8 million barrels per day, respectively. Furthermore, in the same years, gross natural gas withdrawals were 109.4 billion cubic feet per day and 116.8 billion cubic feet per day, respectively.

Despite increased output, the overall number of wells in the country continues to decline. For example, in 2014, the country had roughly 1,029,700 wells, which had decreased to 969,140 in 2019. As a result, existing wells began to feel increased pressure to raise their output and meet the ever-increasing demand.

Oil and gas businesses in the region have begun using oilfield chemicals for well acidification, corrosion resistance, and product improvement to overcome the hurdles and meet the required demand. In both the new and existing wells, the product is consumed in the same way.

Fluorosilicic Acid Market Restraint

• Fluorosilicic Acid to Have a Detrimental Effect on One's Health

Fluorosilicic acid solutions are corrosive, and prolonged contact can irritate and burn the skin and eyes, resulting in irreversible eye damage. Breathing in concentrated fluorosilicic acid solutions can irritate and burn the nose, throat, and lungs, resulting in nosebleeds, coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

Due to its acidic nature, these chemical leaches lead and arsenic from water supply pipes. Furthermore, it is a byproduct of the phosphate fertilizer industry and is suspected of containing heavy metals and radioactive materials. The presence of hydrogen fluoride causes many of the symptoms described as an impurity.

What Are Future Key Opportunities in Fluorosilicic Acid Market?

• Lucrative Opportunities in the Fluorosilicic Acid Market

Several fluorosilicic acid producers are currently operating in the market, which has fragmented their overall market share. It is increasingly difficult for the participants to continue operating without losing revenue or profit margins. As a result, to stand out in a crowded market, players must spend a large amount of money on promoting and selling their products.

However, the players can invest some of their advertising and marketing funds in research and development operations, resulting in improved purity and a decreased risk of exposure. Furthermore, the player can invest in improving the product's quality and purity to limit the possibility of heavy metal contamination. This will benefit the companies in every way by creating a technologically advanced product that can deal with the present obstacles and challenges that end-users experience.

Regional Analysis

Significant Growth in Asia-Pacific and America

Based on regions the market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and SAMEA. Two dominant regions in the market are Asia-Pacific and North America.

Asia-Pacific dominated the global fluorosilicic acid market share. During the projection period, it is expected to maintain its lead in the global market at a CAGR of 6% generating a revenue of USD 581 million by 2030. The region has a higher concentration of players involved in the production of fluorosilicic acid, and they are also key exporters to the majority of European and North American countries. China has the highest concentration of these players, followed by India.

Aside from that, the construction, textile, electroplating, and chemical industries are also experiencing tremendous growth, which is fueling the overall demand for fluorosilicic acid. These two countries' governments are continually working to improve public infrastructure, such as highways, cities, airports, and metro stations, among other things. Furthermore, India is boosting its investment in growing its industrial hub. China, on the other hand, is building cities throughout the country to address the country's housing needs.

Furthermore, due to the rapidly growing population and the growing number of nuclear families, the building sector in the countries is growing at the fastest CAGR and is expected to continue in the next years. All of these operations have increased the use of fluorosilicic acid in a variety of building materials, such as concrete and coatings, to improve water resistance, frost resistance, and corrosion resistance of metals and ceramics.

It's also becoming more common in the production of dental prosthesis, dehydrating agents, and water fluoridation. Fluoridation of drinking water is, however, uncommon in India.

North America is the world's second-largest fluorosilicic acid market share. It is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4% generating a revenue of USD 182 million by 2030. In this regard, the United States dominates the regional market. The country's construction, chemical, textile, and healthcare industries are well-established. Furthermore, it has a huge base of manufacturing enterprises, which boosts demand for the goods even further. The product is used to fluoridate water in the United States. It is effective in preventing tooth decay in children and adults by 25%.

North America will consume more than half of all worldwide oil-field chemicals, such as fluorosilicic acid, by 2020. The United States, in particular, accounts for a large amount of regional consumption, accounting for more than 80% of total consumption. Following the discovery of shell gas, the demand for the items skyrocketed.

A growing number of oilfields have begun to use the product to boost overall hydrocarbon productivity. Aside from textiles, electroplating, and hide processing, the product is used in a variety of applications. However, the United States lacks a well-established hide processing industry due to low demand for leather products.

Segmental Analysis

By Grade

The 40% grade category holds the greatest share of the global fuorosilicic acid market. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6% generating a revenue of USD 470 million by 2030 due to diverse applicability across various end-use industries. Fluorosilicic acid with a purity of 40%, is mostly utilized in water defluoridation and electroplating. It has been used to make pure silicon, as a gelling agent in creating molded latex foam, and as a fluorinating agent in organic synthesis to convert organodichlorophosphorus compounds to organodifluorophosphorus compounds.

The market is divided into water fluoridation, textile processing, hide processing, oil well oxidizing, and others. With the rapidly rising manufacturing and chemical sectors, the product demand for aluminum production and chemical synthesis is also increasing. The Others segment dominated the global fluorosilicic acid market and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5% generating a revenue of USD 281 million by 2030.

By Sales Channel

The indirect sale channel is dominating the fluorosilicic acid market with a share of USD 814 million and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5% by 2030. This is mostly due to the widespread presence of distributors around the world and their strong network. Furthermore, it has been discovered that the majority of market players sell their products through distributors because it requires less work in logistics and knowing consumer demand on a local level.

Impact of covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic has significantly affected the total tile market, with demand remaining subdued for 6 months in 2020. End-use industries such as construction, manufacturing, and chemical, among others, have seen substantial expansion in the market. For example, the United States has a well-established building industry. Until 2019, the construction industry contributed over USD 2 trillion to the American economy. Due to the pandemic, the figure fell to USD 1.3 trillion in 2020. As a result, the expansion of all related industries has been impeded. Several ongoing projects have been canceled or postponed.

The usage of fluorosilicic acid for aluminum production in the automotive sector had dropped by more than 20%. The demand for aluminum in this industry is directly related to the entire vehicle output. As a result, the acid market experienced the same influence on demand. This was caused by, among other things, the entire and partial suspension of manufacturing facilities, limited transportation of commodities, a prohibition on import and export activities, and the closure of showrooms.

Key Impacts of COVID-19

• Large oil, gas, and chemical firms are reducing capital and operational expenditures.
• Companies with high debt and insufficient cash flow are more prone to encounter liquidity difficulties, and some may be forced to close their doors permanently.

Market Recovery Timeline and Challenges

The global fluorosilicic acid market research study emphasizes possible recovery scenarios during the forecast period. Fluorosilicic acid is created as a byproduct of the production of phosphate fertilizers and from phosphate rock that includes fluoride and silica and is processed with sulfuric acid. It is a dry salt additive that must be dissolved in a solution before it can be added to water. Rising ground and surface water contamination raise the need for water treatment, which raises the demand for fluorosilicic acid.

Recent Developments

• February 2022- Solvay announced its plans to cut 20% of its CO2 emissions at its largest European soda ash plant
• February 2022- Dow has been named a Global Supplier Engagement Leader by CDP, a global charity that operates a global disclosure system to help investors, corporations, cities, states, and regions manage their environmental impacts.
• February 2022- Mosaic CEO Joc O’Rourke, and Mosaic employees recently traveled to Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University (FAMU) to launch an ongoing partnership with the School of Business and Industry (SBI) that includes an internship or cooperative education openings for students, joint research projects, and employment opportunities.
• November 2021- Honeywell International Inc. developed a commercially viable method to meltdown low-grade plastic waste and turn it back into oil that’s good enough to feed into a refinery.