Defoaming Agent Market - Forecast(2024 - 2030)

Defoaming Agent Market Overview

Defoaming Agent market size is forecast to reach US$8.4 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 3.9% during the forecast period 2022-2027. A defoamer or a defoaming agent is a chemical additive that reduces and hinders the formation of foam in industrial process liquids. They are a group of surfactants that not only reduce the surface tension of water but also destabilize the air bubbles and foams. Commonly used agents are insoluble oils, polydimethylsiloxanes, and other silicones, certain alcohols, Calcium Acetate, stearates, and glycols. These agents are currently used in a variety of industries, including cleaning agents, food, paper & pulp, water treatment plants, and chemicals, which are propelling the market forward. Furthermore, increased demand for coatings, adhesives, water treatment, paint, inks, and other related chemicals could drive market growth over the forecast period.

COVID-19 Impact

The COVID-19 epidemic hampered the defoaming agent market growth as demand for the defoaming agent was negatively impacted in a variety of end-use industries, including construction, transportation, paper & pulp, and more. Due to the closure of non-essential businesses, the outbreak had a significant impact on the construction, transportation, and paper & pulp industries. As demand for automobiles and aircrafts dwindled, production was abruptly halted. For instance, according to the International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, global automotive production decreased by 16 percent in 2020. Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toyota Motor Corporation's global vehicle manufacturing in 2020 was flat at 12.6 percent year over year. Furthermore, during the pandemic, construction output was drastically decreased. According to the Office for National Statistics, the construction industry in the United Kingdom was 11.6 percent lower in July 2020 than it was in February 2020. In August 2020, the level of project construction in the United Kingdom was 10.8% lower than in February 2020. In addition, disruptions in the paper & pulp supply chain caused slowdowns, and paper & pulp manufacturing facilities hustled to make changes due to social distancing, causing more disruption and slowdowns in throughput in the paper & pulp industry. Due to this the demand for defoaming agents significantly reduced, which impacted the market revenue in 2020.

Report Coverage

The report: “Defoaming Agent Market Report – Forecast (2022-2027)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the Defoaming Agent market.

By Type: Water-based, Oil-based, and Silicone-based.
By Application: Paints & Coatings, Papermaking, Emulsion & Latex, Ceramics, Adhesives, Detergents, Inks & Dyes, Agrochemicals, Metal Processing, and Others.
By End-Use Industry: Building & Construction (Residential Construction, Commercial Construction, Industrial Construction, and Infrastructural Construction), Transportation (Automotive, Aerospace, Marine, and Locomotive), Cleaning (Home, and Industrial), Metallurgy, Paper & Pulp, Agriculture, Oil & Gas, Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverages, Water Treatment, and Others.
By Geography: North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), Europe (UK, Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Belgium, and Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, Indonesia, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Rest of APAC), South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Rest of South America), Rest of the World (Middle East, and Africa)

Key Takeaways

• Asia-Pacific dominates the defoaming agent market, owing to the increasing paper & pulp industry in the region. The increasing per capita income and evolving lifestyle of individuals coupled with the rising population are the major factors expanding the paper & pulp industry in APAC.
• The burgeoning manufacturing sector in all geographic areas is estimated to contribute to demand and drive the defoaming agent market. During the forecast period, the defoaming agent market is expected to be driven by rising awareness, regulatory guidelines, and environmental concerns.
• Aside from that, the antifoaming agents market is expected to benefit from advancements in the composition and performance of defoamers.
• However, defoaming agent market growth is expected to be hampered by a lack of awareness about the product.

Figure: Asia-Pacific Defoaming Agent Market Revenue, 2021-2027 (US$ Billion)

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Defoaming Agent Market Segment Analysis – By Application

The papermaking segment held a significant share in the defoaming agent market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% during the forecast period 2022-2027. Foam formation in a paper and pulp mill can be caused by a variety of factors. Foam is created by a combination of mechanical factors. Pumps are required in every paper mill. The pump's seals may be leaking, causing foam to form. Foam can also be created with a high-pressure pump. Furthermore, agitation causes the foam to form. During the coating color circulation, air bubbles or foam rise in particular. Many chemicals are used in the paper mill for the paper-making process, and some of them cause the foam to form. The sizing agent plays a role in foam creation as well. Foam is produced when an acid sizing agent or a rosin sizing agent is used. Foam formation can cause issues in a paper mill, such as reduced pump efficiency, the growth of bacteria, the formation of deposits, and more. Thus, defoaming agents are widely used in the papermaking industry to reduce foam problems, owing to which the segment holds the largest share.

Defoaming Agent Market Segment Analysis – By End-Use Industry

The paper & pulp segment held a significant share in the defoaming agent market in 2021 and is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% during the forecast period 2022-2027, owing to the increasing usage of defoaming agents in the paper and pulp industry. During the pulping process, lignin, rosin, fatty acid soaps, and hemicellulose are generally produced, resulting in high levels of foam. Excess foam will reduce the efficiency of the process and equipment, resulting in the inferior or rejected paper. As a result, defoaming agents are required throughout the papermaking process. The demand for paper-based products is bolstering in various end-use industries, owing to which there is an upsurge in the paper & pulp manufacturing activities. For instance, according to the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), total paper and paperboard production in Europe was 84.97 million tonnes in 2020, and 90.2 million tonnes in 2021, a growth of about 5.8%. Hence, the bolstering growth of the paper and pulp industry is expanding the demand for the defoaming agent, thereby, fueling the market growth.

Defoaming Agent Market Segment Analysis – By Geography

Asia-Pacific region held a significant share in the defoaming agent market in 2021 up to 37%, owing to the bolstering growth of the paper & pulp sector in APAC countries. The Asia-Pacific paper and pulp industry are growing due to the development of new facilities, the surge in production, and governmental initiatives associated with the paper and pulp industry in the region. For instance, in March 2022, work began on the 33.4 trillion rupiahs (US$2.33 billion) Asia Pacific Resources International Ltd (APRIL Group) paperboard facility in Indonesia, with completion scheduled for the third quarter of 2023. In February 2021, Nine Dragons recently announced plans to build a US$4.6 billion paper mill in southern China. The mill, which is expected to be completed in 2025, uses recycled pulp and can produce nearly 8 million metric tonnes of paper per year. In November 2021, on National Highway-31 in Siliguri, West Bengal, Kanha Paper Mills Private Limited built a 180 TPD double wire kraft paper plant. The company will produce 16-24 BF kraft paper in the 100-220 GSM range. And with the increasing manufacturing plant establishment, it is anticipated that foam generation production will significantly increase, which will accelerate the demand for defoaming agents market growth in Asia-Pacific over the forecast period.

Defoaming Agent Market Drivers

Growing Oil & Gas Industry

In the oil and gas industry, defoaming agents are commonly used to prevent foam formation, hinder gas entrainment in a liquid, or break a previously formed foam. Defoaming is required in a variety of oil and gas applications and is frequently a key factor in ensuring efficient operation. The oil & gas projects are expanding in various regions. For instance, the Amur gas processing plant is being constructed by Gazprom in Russia. Construction on the RUR791bn (US$12.7 billion) project commenced in 2015. By 2025, the factory will reach its design capacity. The Goldboro LNG project is being developed by Pieridae Energy and will include liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants as well as LNG storage and export facilities. Construction on the project began in 2019 and is expected to be completed in 2023. The Barmer refinery and the petrochemical plant is a new facility being built in Rajasthan, India, for the production of clean fuels. Construction on the project started in January 2018 and is projected to be finished by 2022. The growing oil and gas projects are projected to increase the demand for defoaming agents to properly maintain the machinery operations without the hindrance of foam. As a result of which the market for the defoaming agent is poised to spur. 

Flourishing Automotive and Aerospace Industry

Paints, coatings, adhesives, and more are vital materials to manufacture high-performing automobiles and aircraft. Various countries' automotive and aerospace industries are thriving, for instance, according to the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles (OICA), the global motor vehicle production increased from 77,711,725 units in 2020 to 80,145,988 units in 2021, an increase of 3%. Also, according to the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), the Indian automotive industry (including component manufacturing) is expected to reach Rs. 16.16-18.18 trillion INR (US$ 251.4-282.8 billion) by 2026. According to the Boeing Commercial Market Outlook 2021-2040, North America will require 9,160 new airplane deliveries by the end of 2040, and airline fleet growth in North America is expected to be 1.7 percent between 2019 and 2040. Moreover, in November 2020, the Senate approved a US$1.7 billion investment to purchase 17 more F-35 fighter jets for the military in FY 2021. In FY 2021, the Air Force will receive 12 F-35As and the Navy and Marine Corps will receive five F-35Cs, totaling 96 jets. With the increasing production of automobiles and aircraft, the demand for glasses will also exponentially increase, which will aid the potassium carbonate market growth, thereby acting as a market driver. 

Defoaming Agent Market Challenges

Drawbacks Related to Defoaming Agent

The disadvantage of using defoamers is that they can sometimes detract from an aqueous adhesive's or coating's final properties. One obvious disadvantage that can occur is a decrease in bond values. Low defoaming efficiency, strong specificity, and harsh use conditions are disadvantages of mineral oils, amides, lower alcohols, fatty acids, fatty acid esters, phosphate esters, and other organic defoamers. The disadvantages of polyether defoamer include temperature limitations, a narrow field of application, poor defoaming ability, low foam breaking rate, and more. Silicone defoamers have a poor foam suppression performance. Thus, all these drawbacks of different types of defoaming agents are anticipated to hinder the market growth during the forecast period. 

Global Defoaming Agent Industry Outlook

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the defoaming agent market. defoaming agent market top 10 companies are:

1. Air Products and Chemicals Inc.
2. Dow Corning Corporation
3. Evonik Industries
4. BASF
5. Kemira
6. Ashland
7. Elements Plc
8. Shin-Etsu Chemical Company Ltd.
9. Elementis PLC
10. Wacker Chemie AG

Recent Developments

• In February 2021, The BYK-329 and BYK-092 defoamer additives were introduced by BYK. Solvent-borne and solvent-free systems are the target markets for these additives.
• In January 2021, TEGO Foamex 812, a new defoamer devised for wood coating formulations, has been launched by Evonik.
• In October 2019, BASF launched Foamaster® WO 2360, a new defoamer that complies with China's food contact regulatory frameworks GB 9685-2016 for adhesives as well as other major food contact regulations.

Relevant Reports

Defoamers Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)
Report Code: CMR 0018

Antifoaming Agent Market – Forecast (2022 - 2027)
Report Code: CMR 0718

Defoaming Coating Additives Market - Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Application Analysis, Growth and Forecast 2021 – 2026
Report Code: CMR 85127 

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