Silicone Surfactant Market

Market Overview

Silicone Surfactant Market Size Anticipated to Touch a CAGR of 4.6% During the Forecast Period.

Silicone surfactants, owing to their desirable properties such as reduced surface tension and abrasion resistance, are gaining traction in the formulation of personal care products, household materials, coatings, and polyurethane foams. Additionally, they play a vital role in the production of textile fibers to control friction, and other surface & interfacial functions.

Market Dynamics

Growing industrialization and the manufacturing industry are key factors driving the demand for silicone surfactants, owing to their application in various industries such as personal care, textiles, automobile, agriculture, and others. The agriculture sector is one of the major consumers of silicone surfactants as they are used as wetting agents to reduce the surface tension of herbicides and pesticides, thereby enabling better spreadability on selected leaves, while minimizing the number of chemicals needed. Growing agriculture production is expected to fuel the growth of the global market. According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation, the total food grain production was pegged at 284.83 million tons in 2018.

Regional Analysis

Geographically, the global silicone surfactant market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, and the Middle East & Africa (LAMEA).

Asia Pacific has been attracting many international and regional players for FDI as the region has emerged as a manufacturing hub. Availability of raw materials and cheap labor have helped attain cost-efficient bulk production in less time. Furthermore, favorable government initiatives and policy frameworks are projected to propel the demand for silicone surfactants in the region. For instance, the Government of India initiated the “Make in India” program in 2014 to encourage companies to manufacture their products in India. According to the World Bank, India ranks 23^rd in ‘Ease of Doing Business,’ which intensifies the favorable business environment and further boosts industrialization.

North America is expected to contribute a substantial share of the global market during the forecast period, backed by rapid industrialization and increasing applications of silicone surfactants in the automotive industry. According to the American Automotive Policy Council, U.S. auto production is anticipated to increase to 12 million vehicles per year by 2025.

Europe is projected to witness significant growth in the silicone surfactant market during the forecast period, owing to the use of silicone surfactants as wetting agents in plastic production. According to a report published by PlaticsEurope (Association of Plastic Manufacturers), Europe’s plastic industry accounted for a turnover of USD 397.53 billion in 2017

The Latin America and the Middle East & African market is expected to attract significant attention in the coming years, supported by the region’s flourishing construction industry. In construction, silicone surfactants are used as foaming agents, and in the manufacturing of polyurethane foams, which are further used in building insulation. According to Flanders Investment & Trade regulated by the Flemish Government, UAE's government has been promoting residential construction by bridging the gap between supply and demand of housing for lower-income groups and supporting it by allocating land in Al Quoz and Muhaisnah (Dubai).

Segmental Analysis

On the basis of application, the market has been segmented into wetting agents, foaming agents, emulsifiers, defoaming agents, dispersants, and others.

Dispersants act as diffusing agents that help curb marine pollution specifically caused by offshore oil fields and transportation activities. Dispersants are gaining traction in the global silicone surfactant market on account of the growing oil and gas industry to improve environmental and social performance.

On the basis of the end-use industry, the market has been segmented into agriculture, paints & coatings, construction, textile, personal care, and others. The paints and coatings industry is a prominent consumer of silicone surfactants as these surfactants find application in the formulation of paints and inks, owing to their improved foam control and substrate wetting properties. Additionally, silicone resins find application in modern coatings, which are largely used to make UV-resistant and highly durable architectural & industrial coatings.