Inorganic Microporous Adsorbents Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Application, Regional Outlook, Competitive Strategies, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 To 2025

Global inorganic microporous adsorbents market size is anticipated to witness significant growth from 2015 to 2022 owing to increased importance of synthetic catalysts in various chemical processes. North America's inorganic microporous adsorbent revenue exceeded over USD 2.0 billion in 2013. Increasing restrictions from environmental regulatory agencies for chemical and petrochemical industries are expected to drive the product demand over the forecast period. 

Adsorption efficiency of toxic compounds depends on the adsorbate physical state and adsorbent properties. Other factors that seem to affect the adsorption rate include temperature, concentration, contact time, and overall pH of the adsorption system. Aqueous solution treatment commonly utilizes Granular Activated Carbon (GAC) and other solid adsorbents that reduce toxic compounds in polluted solutions. 

Saving raw material costs and environmental preservation are gaining central importance in the petrochemical industries. Use of catalysts in the chemical process is sought as a cost-efficient process to cater to the development of various product lines in stipulated time. Adsorbents such as zeolite and activated alumina play an important role as a catalyst for petroleum and chemical processing. 

Zeolites accounted for over 80% of the market volume and their global inorganic microporous adsorbents market was over 3 million tons in 2014. This segment is expected to witness moderate growth over the forecast period owing to the overcapacity of regional production units. Their applications range from detergent builders to catalyst supports in petroleum and chemical industries. 

Clay adsorbents are often used in a situation that is not concerned about purity and are commonly used in upstream operations. Recent innovations in this segment to develop hybrid clay adsorbent is expected to drive its demand for reducing nickel, cadmium, and lead concentration in wastewater treatment.

Other products in the segment include GAC, activated alumina, silica gel, and clay. GAC has found increased significance in water and air filtration units and accounts for over one-fifth of the total inorganic microporous adsorbents market share. Increasing environmental concerns over automotive and industrial emissions are expected to steer the product demand over the forecast period. 

Innovations in microporous solids such as developing molecular sieves have gained attention from semiconductors to other technology sectors. Major applications of the sieves include catalysts and adsorbents in fluid purification and separation process. Other applications include chemical sensors, membranes, and storage materials for semiconductor devices. 

The presence of various adsorbents caters to an extensive application range including chromatographic separation column, desiccants, and drying agents. Environmental forces and innovations are expected to steer the product demand in electronics and biomedical sectors. Other applications of the product segment include biochemical, healthcare, construction, and paper manufacturing industries. 

Rapid urbanization and growing industrialization are expected to increase water and air pollutants. Rising health concerns over industrial wastage dumping have gained the attention of various governments and environmental agencies. Chemicals used in petrochemical and pharmaceutical units are dumped without proper toxic treatment, aiding soil, and water contamination in nearby cities. 

Major countries such as China, Korea, and Japan are expected to dominate the global zeolite market accounting for over 90% of the inorganic microporous adsorbents market share. Growing detergents segment in Asia Pacific is expected to drive the demandzeolites  over the forecast period. Other regions that have gained momentum in adsorbent production include the U.S., Turkey, and Slovakia. 

Major inorganic microporous adsorbentsindustry participants include BASF AG, Zeochem, UOP LLC, and Exxon Mobil accounting for over 60% of market share. Other companies having significant share in the inorganic microporous adsorbents industry include Arkema, Inc., FilterCor Inc., Dynamic Adsorbents, Porocel Corporation, Carbochem Corp., Zeolyst International, Sinchem, PQ Corp., and Multisorb Technologies. 

GAC producers such as Calgon Carbon and Calbot Corp. have invested in R&D initiatives to develop high-performance activated carbon to cater to the varying requirements of oil & gas and chemical industries. Dynamic Adsorbents, an activated alumina manufacturer, has ventured in developing alumina products to cater to extensive applications ranging from arsenic removal to drying of noble gases.