Oxygen Scavenger Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Form (Schets/Canisters/Bottle Caps & Labels, OS films & PET bottles, Liquid Form, Powder Form), By Type (Metallic, Non-Metallic), By Composition (Organic, Inorganic), By End-Use Industry (Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical, Chemicals, Power, Oil & Gas, Pulp & Paper, Others) and By Region(North America, Europe, APAC, Middle East and Africa, LATAM) Forecasts, 2025-2033

Oxygen Scavenger Market Size 

The global oxygen scavenger market was valued at USD 2.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach from USD 2.32 billion in 2025 to USD 3.48 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.2% during the forecast period (2025-2033).

The first commercial oxygen scavenger was introduced by the Japanese firm Mitsubishi Gas Chemicals Company in the 1970s. Oxygen scavengers, also known as oxygen absorbers, are chemical agents that reduce the concentration of oxygen by reacting with it. 

They remove oxygen from packaging and inactivate impurities and unwanted substances, thereby inhibiting various oxidative reactions that could deteriorate food quality. They also prevent the rancidification of oil and fat and forbid the growth of aerobic microorganisms. Oxygen scavengers are gaining popularity among food manufacturers and retailers and widely used in industrial boilers systems and steam raising plants to eliminate oxygen related corrosion. The use of oxygen scavengers is essential where fluids are to be circulated in the wellbore. Oxygen absorbing technology is based on the combination of the following elements: iron powder, ascorbic acid, photosensitive polymers, enzymes, etc.

Most of the oxygen scavengers available in the market are in the form of small sachets containing various iron-based powders containing an assortment of catalysts. Apart from the food and beverage industry, oxygen scavengers are used in the pharmaceutical, power generation, oil and gas, chemical, and pulp and paper industries to improve the shelf-life and safety of products.

Oxygen Scavenger Market Growth Factors

Growing demand from bulk chemical manufacturing to drive market expansion

The oxygen scavenger market is witnessing significant growth driven by its widespread use in bulk chemical manufacturing and storage processes. Oxygen is a highly reactive gas that can cause undesirable oxidation reactions in many bulk chemicals, especially in petrochemicals, solvents, and polymer intermediates. Oxygen scavengers are essential in maintaining product stability, preventing degradation, and ensuring long-term storage integrity.

Manufacturers in the bulk chemical industry are increasingly integrating oxygen removal systems during processing and packaging to maintain chemical purity, minimize losses due to spoilage or reactivity, and reduce the risk of hazardous conditions during transport.

Moreover, chemicals such as aldehydes, amines, and unsaturated hydrocarbons are highly sensitive to oxygen exposure, making oxygen scavengers critical in preserving their quality throughout the supply chain.

Widespread use in oil & gas and water treatment industries supports market growth

Oxygen scavengers play a crucial role in the oil and gas sector, particularly in preventing corrosion in pipelines, storage tanks, and downhole equipment. Corrosion caused by dissolved oxygen leads to expensive maintenance, production downtimes, and safety concerns. These scavengers are integral to both upstream and downstream operations, where maintaining system integrity is paramount.

Similarly, the water treatment industry employs oxygen scavengers in boiler systems, cooling towers, and closed-loop heating systems to prevent oxygen-related damage. The ongoing expansion of power generation facilities and chemical processing plants across the globe is directly boosting demand for these corrosion inhibitors.

Market Challenges

Toxicity and regulatory restrictions on chemical-based oxygen scavengers

A major restraint in the oxygen scavenger market stems from the toxic nature of commonly used compounds, such as hydrazine and its derivatives. While hydrazine is effective in oxygen removal, it poses serious health hazards—being toxic, carcinogenic, and environmentally unsafe.

Stricter environmental and workplace safety regulations across North America, Europe, and parts of Asia are pushing industries to limit or phase out hazardous scavenger formulations. As a result, industries are under pressure to shift toward safer alternatives, which may initially involve higher costs and operational changes.

Key Market Opportunity

Innovation in safer, high-performance scavengers for industrial applications

As regulatory scrutiny intensifies, the industry is seeing a rising demand for next-generation, eco-friendly oxygen scavengers. These include formulations based on DEHA (diethylhydroxylamine), Erythorbic acid, or metal-based scavengers like sulfites and bisulfites that offer similar efficiency without the associated health risks of hydrazine.

Manufacturers in the bulk chemical sector are also looking for customized scavenger solutions that can handle extreme pH levels, high temperatures, and aggressive chemical environments. This presents a major opportunity for chemical companies to invest in R&D and formulation engineering to offer tailored products for specific chemical production and storage requirements.

Companies that innovate in this space can not only comply with evolving regulations but also gain a competitive edge by offering safe, high-performance oxygen scavenger systems for the industrial and bulk chemical markets.

Regional Analysis

North america : Dominant region

North America dominates the global market. The U.S., one of the largest exporters of food products, is a key contributor to the regional market. North America’s strong pharma and O&G sectors also positively influence market growth. As per the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations (EFPIA), North America accounted for more than 45% of the global pharmaceutical market in 2017, which indicates the potential the regional pharma sector possesses on a global scale.

North America: Fastest-growing region

Urbanization and the strong demand for packaged food are expected to drive double-digit growth in the Asia-Pacific oxygen scavenger market. Strong innovation led by industry participants, modernizing trends associated with packaging technology, rising disposable per capita income, and evolved standards of living are expected to further augment market value in the region in the upcoming years.

Industrial boilers to unveil a new opportunity for oxygen scavengers

Increasing demand for oxygen scavengers from industrial boilers application has unfolded lucrative growth prospects for the market. Oxygen scavengers reduce the possibility of system failure and enhance the productivity of industrial boilers. Thus, the growing adoption in industrial boilers will reflect positively on the growth of the oxygen scavenger market.

Form Insight

Among the segments by form, the sachets/canisters/bottle caps and labels segment dominated the oxygen scavenger market in 2018, primarily due to easy availability and low cost. In addition, the oxygen scavenging speed of labels and sachets is relatively higher than that of other oxygen scavenging materials directly incorporated into the packaging. The liquid form segment is expected to grow at a relatively faster pace over the forecast period since liquid oxygen scavengers effectively discard oxygen in boilers and prevent corrosion of other parts.

Type Insight

Among the segments by type, the metallic segment dominated the oxygen scavenger market in 2018. Bisulfite ions, metal halides, iron powder, and sodium bisulfite are a few of the prominent metallic oxygen scavengers that contain metal in their composition. The use of these scavengers to inhibit mold growth, spoilage and color change drives the segment’s growth. In addition, they are effortless to handle and offer quick reaction compared to non-metallic scavengers.

The non-metallic segment is expected to witness healthy growth during the forecast period. The low toxicity of non-metallic oxygen scavengers and the need for oxygen scavengers that do not trip off metal detectors in certain packaging applications drive the segment’s growth. Non-metallic oxygen scavengers cost more than metallic ones, which somewhat hinders their adoption. Some examples of non-metallic oxygen scavengers include hydrazine, ascorbic acid, activated carbon, citrus, and glucose oxidase.

End-use Insight

F&b segment to dominate the market. While oxygen scavengers are used in an array of industries, from pharma to chemical, their foremost application remains the food and beverage industry, where they’re used to elongate the shelf life and preserve the natural efficacy of food products by preventing oxygen deterioration. The use of an oxygen scavenger eliminates the need for preservatives, which vastly improves the quality of food products. It halts the growth of aerobic pathogens, oxidation of vitamins A, C, and E, and degradation and rancidity of polyunsaturated fats and oils. It also detains the non-enzymatic browning of fruits and some vegetables.

Increasing disposable income and shifting lifestyle patterns of the middle-class population in developing economies are expected to surge the demand for high-quality convenience products such as packaged food, creating growth prospects for the oxygen scavenger market. Further, rising awareness reduction in food wastage and the introduction of cutting-edge technology in packaging are also creating opportunities for the oxygen scavenger market. For instance, active packaging involves the use of oxygen scavengers, ethylene scavengers, and carbon dioxide scavengers that extends the life of perishable items such as fruits, vegetables, beverages, processed food, nuts, and bakery items.

Progressive recovery of o&g sector to drive growth of the o&g segment

The oil and gas industry is another key end-use industry for oxygen scavengers, where they’re used for oxygen removal from acid stimulation, seawater injection facilities, and the drilling fluid transportation of wet gas fluid.

Post recovery of the economic crises in 2007–08, the consumption of oxygen scavengers have increased as their role is crucial in downstream processing. The effective application of oxygen scavengers provides low oxygen concentrations to protect topside equipment, injection wells, and flow lines from oxidative corrosion. Downstream production activities are constantly increasing in financially emerging nations, which is subsequently increasing production capacities and total production volume of petrochemicals, thereby augmenting the consumption of oxygen scavengers globally.

As per the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association, the production capacity of the GCC countries reached 166.8 million tons, up by 7% year on year. The region’s performance was invincible and improved on all fronts — revenue, employment, production capacity, and exports. Increased adoption of oxygen scavengers as corrosion inhibitors in industrial boiler systems in the oil and gas industry is further broadening the scope of their use in the industry.

Rising energy demand to drive growth of power segment

The power sector is also a key application area for oxygen scavengers. The industry held a significant value share in 2018 and is expected to garner substantial revenue share in the upcoming years. Oxygen scavengers are used to control corrosion in power plants. The rising energy demand globally is expected to positively influence the segment’s growth.

Need to Enhance Drug Stability Drives Growth of Pharma Segment

Oxygen scavengers are used in the pharmaceutical industry to secure packaging from moisture, mold, and oxygen and prevent quality degradation and color transformation of pharmaceutical products. Moist free packaging and newer drug formulations are the applications with the highest potential in the near future. Oxygen scavengers deplete humidity levels and maintain required oxygen levels from packaging, thereby retaining drug stability for longer periods.

As per the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance Report 2019, the Indian pharmaceutical industry has attracted more than USD 2 billion in FDI inflow over the last three years, making it one of the top eight sectors attracting FDI. Rapid growth in the pharmaceutical sector is anticipated to propel the growth of the oxygen scavenger market during the assessment period, 2019–2026.

Recent Developments

• In April 2018, Ecolab Inc. opened a new sales office in Surabaya, Indonesia. This new sales office serves customers from various industries such as water, food and beverage, institutional, pest elimination, and textile
• In August 2017, DS Smith’s Repak and Albis Plastic together launched an oxygen scavenger active packaging system for bag-in-box wine. This active packaging system comprises an oxygen scavenger and Rapak ultra-high barrier custom-designed 9-layer film