Growing Demand for Water Treatment Fueling Sales of Flocculants and Coagulants
Flocculants and coagulants refer to the chemicals that are used to separate solids from water during the water treatment process. Flocculants accelerate the clumping of particles, which amplifies the water treatment process, whereas coagulants neutralize the electrical charges present in the water and accumulate the dissolved materials to form larger particles that can be eliminated through filtration, clarification, or any other solid elimination process. Separation of solid particles from water is easier through the flocculation process than the coagulation process, as the former combines the small clumps developed during coagulation to form larger clumps, which are easier to remove.
The consumption of such water treatment chemicals will amplify in the coming years due to the burgeoning demand for clean water. Thus, the augmenting need for clean water, owing to the mounting health concerns, will aid the flocculants and coagulants market to exhibit a CAGR of 5.4% during forecast period. The market was valued at $10,270.2 million in 2017 and it is projected to reach $14,225.3 million revenue by 2023. Large-scale industrialization and urbanization, on account of the booming population, are the main factors responsible for the pollution of water bodies across the world.
In recent years, water treatment plants have been shifting from traditional products such as alum and chlorine to flocculants and coagulants, due to the better performance and cost-effectiveness offered by the latter. Moreover, the escalating concerns among environmentalists regarding the use of chlorine in water treatment will fuel the use of flocculants and coagulants in the upcoming years. Chlorine laden water forms acids in the human body, which are corrosive and greatly damage the human cells.
The surging need for flocculants and coagulants, owing to the burgeoning demand for treated water in several end-use industries, is being met by companies such as National Aluminium Company Ltd., SUEZ, Kurita Water Industries Ltd., Kemira Oyj, Chinafloc, BASF SE, Feralco AB, Solvay SA, SNF s.a.s., Ecolab Inc., and Akzo Nobel N.V. In the coming years, these companies will shift their focus toward Thailand, India, Indonesia, and China, due to the booming economy, accelerating industrialization rate, increasing construction activities, soaring number of residential units, and escalating number of power plants in such countries.
According to P&S Intelligence, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region dominated the flocculants and coagulants market in the recent past, and it is expected to adopt a significant volume of such water treatment chemicals in the forthcoming years. This can be attributed to the flourishing chemical industry and mounting industrial output in the region. Moreover, the burgeoning need for flocculants and coagulants in the oil and gas, metal, and food and beverage industries will also boost the adoption of such chemicals in the region in the forthcoming years.
Thus, the burgeoning demand for treated water and expanding food and beverage industry will propel the consumption of flocculants and coagulants in the foreseeable future.
