Antimicrobial Additives Market Size & Forecast Report, 2014 - 2025

Industry Insights

The global antimicrobial additives market size was valued at USD 7.86 billion in 2015. Increasing use of the product in number of end use industries such as food and beverages, healthcare, packaging, construction, automotive, furniture and electronics is expected to be a driving force of growth.

Antimicrobial additives have special ingredients that help prevent fungal, bacterial and algal development in materials which are exposed to moisture as well as high level of ultra violet radiation & unsanitary conditions. The products have number of applications in papers, textiles, plastics, paints and coatings, inks, fabric care and rubber, so as to suppress the breeding of undesirable microorganisms and thereby increase the durability of the substrate.

The rising consumer awareness towards health issues along with the enhancements in the standard of living in the developing country’s such as India, China, Brazil & South Korea are anticipated to boost the market during the forecasted period. Moreover, increasing population is expected to escalate the incidences of infective diseases, which is further expected to drive the sales of preventive products such as antimicrobials.

Furthermore, the prevailing issues such as climatic changes, air pollution, and poor sanitation, presence of epidemics such as hepatitis, HIV, swine flu, rabies, Ebola, Zika, & tuberculosis are likely to drive the use of these products in healthcare industry. Soaring healthcare expenditures in the United States is projected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.

Type Insights

In the year 2015, organic antimicrobial accounted for over 51% of the total global volume of additives. On account of the high toxic nature of Triclosan and oxybisphenoxarsine (OBPA) there was a restriction on usage and sales of the product. Such bans are expected to slow down the market growth over the forecast period.

The inorganic additives segment is anticipated to witness a significant growth owing to rising use of silver based additive. Silver being known to restrict microbial growth and symbolic properties like non-toxicity, durability, environmental friendliness, & good thermal stability is increasing its application as an antimicrobial agent.

Application Insights

In 2015, the demand for this additive was at peak at about 18.3 kilo tons. Increasing demand for these products due to rise in use of plastics as substitute instead of the conventional materials like metal and glass in may medical instruments such as aesthetic machines, medical ventilators, electrocardiograph and heart and lung machines is likely to propel the use of these products.

These products find applications in paint and coating as they help in limiting the growth of microbes on metal and wall surfaces, that may substantially damage the surfaces. The rising demand for such antimicrobial paints and coatings in construction and automotive sectors is expected to drive the industry growth in the comings years.

End-use Insights

Owing to growing usage of hygiene products and medical equipment in Asia Pacific, healthcare sector is foreseen to witness substantial amount of growth in revenue at a CAGR of 7.5% during 2016 to 2025. The increasing demand for additives for coating medical devices such as CT scanners, infusion pumps, X-ray machines, dialysis machines, medical imaging machines is projected to augment market development.

These additives are mainly used in plastics which is further utilized in various electronic applications. Focus on enhancing durability of electronic equipment will probably trigger the antimicrobial additives market over the forecast period.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific dominates the overall demand with a market penetration of around 35% in 2015. The region is also expected to witness marginal growth in its market share owing to increasing packaging, healthcare, automotive and construction industries. Presence of many coatings & paints manufacturers such as BASF, AkzoNobel, Nippon Paint, Sherwin-Williams, and Kansai Paint in the region will probably trigger the market growth.

The U.S. market is expected to observer significant gains both in terms of volume as well as revenue on account of increasing usage of antimicrobial additives in packaging. The regional market is expected to witness a CAGR of 7% from 2016 to 2025, in terms of revenue.

Competitive Insights

The global antimicrobial additives market is oligopolistic in nature with presence of numerous key players in Europe and North America. Key players operating in the market include BASF SE, BioCote Limited, SteriTouch Limited, Momentive Performance Material Inc., Dow Chemical Company, Nanobiomatters Industries S.L., A. Schulman Inc., Plastics Color Corporation, Sanitized AG, Microban International, Life Material Technologies Limited, AkzoNobel N.V., RTP Company, Milliken Chemical, and Clariant.

In early 2017, Microban relaunched its textile division in the Europe. This is expected to aid the organization to operate in close collaboration with the new as well as existing partners worldwide. This initiative will also help in enhancing its product penetration across Europe and the U.S.

Market Segment:

Type Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
        • Organic
        • Inorganic

Application Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
        • Plastics
        • Paints & coatings
        • Pulp & paper
        • Others

End-Use Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
        • Healthcare
        • Packaging
        • Food & beverages
        • Construction
        • Automotive
        • Others
Regional Outlook (Volume, Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)
        • North America
                • U.S.
        • Europe
                • Germany
                • UK
        • Asia Pacific
                • China
                • India
        • Latin America
                • Brazil
        • MEA