Global surfactant demand will increase
At a recent surfactant conference hosted by S&P Global, experts pointed out that at least until 2026, due to increasing public health awareness, surfactant consumption will increase significantly. In addition, as social life recovers, the need for sustainability, including biosurfactants, will also drive surfactant demand growth.
Elvira Greiner, director of global research and analysis at S&P, said: "The surfactant market has experienced several 'storms' in the past two years, including the COVID-19 pandemic, raw material, logistics, supply chain issues, rising energy and transportation costs, as well as the ice disaster in Texas and hurricanes. However, surfactant demand remains strong." Mr Greiner says the surfactant market has grown over the past two years, both in volume and market capitalisation. In 2021, global surfactant consumption will reach 17.6 million tons, with a total market value of about $40.8 billion. North America is the largest consumer of surfactants, accounting for about 20% of world demand, followed by China with 17% and Western Europe with 13%.
Greiner expects global surfactant demand to grow at an average annual rate of 3.1% from 2021 to 2026. By type, anionic surfactants will account for 53% of total surfactant consumption in 2021, non-ionic surfactants 37%, cationic surfactants 8%, and amphoteric surfactants 2%. However, based on the overall trend in the use of mild ingredients in personal care products, amphoteric surfactants are expected to grow faster than other types by 2026, with an average growth rate of 4.2%. Cationic and anionic surfactants will grow at a rate of 3.3%. Greiner said about 50 percent of surfactants in 2021 will be used as household detergents and house cleaners, with industrial consumption accounting for about 27 percent, personal care 18 percent and fabric softeners 3 percent. The use of personal care products is expected to grow at a rate of about 3.6% through 2026.
Greiner said that a large number of biosurfactants and biobased surfactants investment and cooperation projects have been announced recently, which is also the sustainable development trend of the surfactant market. Biosurfactants are produced by microorganisms through biological reactions, while biobased surfactants are produced by chemical synthesis from renewable raw materials.
According to Yves van den Berg, Dow's Director of Sustainability/Consumer solutions for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, biosurfactants are typically produced by microorganisms through fermentation processes and extraction processes, and are typically classified as glycolipids, lipids, saponins, phospholipids and acylated polysaccharides. Due to their versatile properties, low toxicity, and biodegradability, biosurfactants have many potential applications, including agricultural formulations, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food, and home care applications. The global market for biosurfactants, including glycolipids, lipids, phospholipids, polymers, etc., will be $3.66 billion in 2020. He expects the market size to grow from $3.96 billion in 2021 to $5.71 billion in 2028, a compound annual growth rate of 5.4%.
According to Van den Berg, the biosurfactant market will also see significant growth due to the growing demand for cleaning chemicals and hygiene products. He said: "Consumer demand for sustainable solutions, including biosurfactants, had been growing before COVID-19 and will continue to grow in the post-pandemic period. The demand for biosurfactants produced by fermentation will further increase in the future. In addition to a more sustainable carbon footprint, they also exhibit superior performance advantages such as low surface tension, foaming, surface modification, soluble-emulsifying properties, and more."