According to a report published by Global Market Insights, Inc., the polyacrylamide market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 9% from 2019 to 2026, hitting $8 billion (S$11.1 billion) by 2026. This comes as expanding product demand as a flocculant and thickening agent for water treatment operations in various industries aids industry growth.
Rising demand for processing wastewater in industries and from municipal sources has resulted in the greater demand for polyacrylamide as a suitable coagulant. Polyacrylamide finds extensive commercial application in the clarification of water in industrial and municipal processes.
Among the range of available natural and synthetic polymers, polyacrylamide (PAM) and its derivatives are truly crucial and extensively used flocculants. Its product segment is divided into non-ionic, cationic, anionic and others. The other segment largely includes acrylamide (homopolymer of PAM) and its other copolymers such as amphoteric polyacrylamide. The distinction in various product exits on the basis of their production methods and mainly the presence or absence of charged group attached to its molecular chain. Nonionic PAM has no charge group while the anionic and cationic have negative and positive charge groups respectively.
Cationic polyacrylamide has the second-largest share of over 30% in PAM market segment. It is largely used in used as a sludge conditioner due to its properties such as low dosage requirement, high efficiency, and pollution-free effects. CPAM is observed to be efficient when used together with inorganic coagulants. With the growth of the wastewater treatment sector, the demand for both anionic and cationic polyacrylamide is expected to grow in various processes over the forecast period.
The polyacrylamide market will be gaining traction as a retention aid in the papermaking sector. Currently, CPAM is largely used at the wet end of the paper manufacturing to enhance retention of fillers, fine particles, additives & sizing agent throughout the creation of paper. Rising scope for paper & cardboard as suitable packaging material in industries such as food & beverages, textiles, apparel, consumer & personal care and pharmaceuticals will drive the CPAM growth over the forecast period.
Europe has a mature water treatment sector, with countries such as Germany, France, and Italy leading the region. It holds substantial regulatory check over the standardisation in wastewater management. In North America, wastewater and shale oil recovery are the major application that will drive the polyacrylamide market over the forecast period. Enhanced efforts in EOR capacities for extracting shale gas will propel the demand for polyacrylamide in hydraulic fracturing operations in the forecast period.
Some major findings of the polyacrylamide market report:
- Intensifying government measures to conserve water and process wastewater has given a boost to the product demand for water treatment plants in the Asia Pacific.
- Cationic polyacrylamide use will observe a surge as retention aids in papermaking sector
- Instable crude oil prices along owing to varying economic and geopolitical factors may limit the sector growth over the projected timeframe.
- PAM use in other industries such as mining, and textile is poised to grow over the forecast period.
- Global demand for the polyacrylamide market will observe a faster rate across the Asia Pacific owing to the rapid industrialisation, urbanisation in India, Indonesia, and other ASEAN economies.
