Kaolin Market

According to Stratistics MRC, the Global Kaolin Market is accounted for $4.9 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach $7.7 billion by 2028 growing at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. Kaolin is a pure colour pigment. The pigment is tremendously powerful, whether it occurs naturally or as a result of a manufacturing process. It is utilized to put a coating on the surface of the papers that we use on a daily basis. This coating gives the paper a bright, glossy, and silky finish. The coating promotes ink adhesion to the paper's surface, allowing the pigment in the ink to shine out even more. It minimizes the potential for lint to build on the paper's surface and raises the roughness where the printing machine comes into direct contact with the paper.

According to U.S. Census Bureau, total construction spending (residential and non-residential) grew by 3.5% in June 2023 on a y-o-y basis. The spending on single-family housing increased by 2.1% and multi-family housing by 1.5%.

Market Dynamics: 

Driver: 

Growth in paper industry

The paper industry's growth is significantly impacting the kaolin market. Kaolin, a key component in paper production, is witnessing increased demand due to its properties enhancing paper quality. As the paper industry expands globally, particularly in emerging economies, the demand for kaolin as filler and coating material is escalating. This growth trajectory is driven by the rising consumption of paper products across various sectors, underscoring kaolin's pivotal role in supporting the paper industry's advancement.

Restraint:

Digitization and the developments of the internet

The digitization and the developments of the internet which have negatively impacted the market since the demand for paper and products have reduced considerably which has created an upset for the most of the large scale manufacturers. There have been claims that mining of the results in a variety of environmental and health risk which have created a negative impression in the minds of people relating to the use of kaolin and have led to the shift of consumers to other substitutes.

Opportunity:
 
Increasing demand in construction industry

The development of the cement industry will create stimulating growth opportunities. Increasing investment in building and construction sector of the country also will augment the demand of cement since it is used in the construction of roads, highways, airports, bridges and other infrastructure. Escalating production of glass owing to the expanding demand from automotive, construction, and renovation industries will have a positive impact on the market.

Threat:

Accessibility of substitutes

Availability of cost effective substitutes is another factor expected to restrain market revenue growth. However, this has led to the development and introduction of alternatives. It has a bright white colour with a narrow particle size distribution. It is available in various sizes and crystal morphologies that can be tailored to improve printing and optical properties of paper, increase productivity of paper machines, and reduce papermaking costs by replacing optical brightening agents.

Covid-19 Impact

The COVID-19 outbreak disrupted kaolin market manufacture and supply, delaying the worldwide industry's expansion. Many kaolinite enterprises are employing ways to avoid downtime losses, which are increasingly concerning as the pandemic's effects endure. The pandemic further caused a decline in the global economy due to the falling demand and disrupted the supply chains. This increased the charges of raw materials and finished products. However, the spread of the virus led to increased packaged goods consumption, augmenting the product demand.

The water-washed segment is expected to be the largest during the forecast period

The water-washed segment is is expected to be the largest during the forecast period, due to its revenue is expected to register a rapid growth rate over the forecast period. Water-washed kaolin is produced through a rigorous process of slurring, crushing, grinding, sifting, sorting, centrifuging, chemically and possibly concentrating, drying, and magnetically treating to achieve particle size, purity, residue, and brightness. This is used extensively in ceramic glazes and can also be used to adjust shrinkage and plasticity of slips used on wet or leather-hard ware.

The paper segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The paper segment is expected to have the highest CAGR during the forecast period due to virtues of enhancing numerous other paper properties like ink absorption and holdout ink pigment, low lining propensity, and roughness, which, in turn, improve the printability of paper, are some of the major factors propelling the growth of the market. Furthermore, the mounting e commerce activities, particularly in emerging countries, and escalating demand for paper in packaging and print media is projected to boost the market. Rising demand for paper products boost the market owing to its application for coating paper.   

Region with highest share:

Asia Pacific is projected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period owing to presence of a large number of kaolin reserves in countries in the region. In addition, rise of ceramic clusters has increased product consumption. Moreover, urbanization and construction projects in countries are expected to increase adoption of ceramic-based products for household items. Also, characteristics like insolubility in the paint system, medical purposes and high resistance to chemical attack, are expected to drive the market for kaolin through the years to come in the region.

Region with highest CAGR:

Europe is projected to have the highest CAGR over the forecast period, owing to rising demand for kaolin from end-use industries like plastic, rubber, paper, and glass. Consumer preferences have shifted toward packaged foods & beverages, which has resulted in a high demand for high-quality food packaging materials. The equipment and tools are used significantly in indoor farming and kaolin at home. This growth can be accredited to the rising demand for this material in the rubber, paper, plastic, and glass industries.

Key players in the market

Some of the key players profiled in the Kaolin Market include I-Minerals , Imerys S.A., China kaolin, China Mineral Processing, Long Yan Kaolin clay, KaMin LLC and CADAM SA, BASF, Burgess, Quarzwerke Gruppe, Thiele Kaolin Company, Bright Industrial, LB Minerals, Sibelco, Ashapura Group, Int SCR-Sibelco NV, EICL Ltd and Andromeda Metals.

Key Developments:

In November 2023, KaMin LLC and CADAM announced a price increase of their kaolin products by up to 9% starting from January 2024.This is to offset cost increase due to inflation, increase in mining cost, stringent environmental and regulatory requirements, and increase in electricity rates in the U.S. and Brazil, and labor cost.

In July 2022, Thiele Kaolin Company announced a price increase of 9% for all product categories owing to the current global economic climate, which has resulted in increased costs to manufacturing operations worldwide. For the company, these cost increases have impacted energy, chemicals, labor, mining, maintenance, and other inputs needed to produce quality products.

Types Covered:
• Calcined
• Hydrous 
• Delaminated
• Airfloat
• Surface Modified
• Water-Washed
• Other Types

Particle Sizes Covered:
• Fine
• Coarse

Applications Covered:
• Ceramics
• Plastics
• Paintings
• Rubber
• Paper
• Other Applications 

End Users Covered:
• Construction
• Automotive
• Electronics
• Packaging
• Healthcare
• Agriculture
• Other End Users 

Regions Covered:
• North America
o US
o Canada
o Mexico
• Europe
o Germany
o UK
o Italy
o France
o Spain
o Rest of Europe
• Asia Pacific
o Japan        
o China        
o India        
o Australia  
o New Zealand
o South Korea
o Rest of Asia Pacific    
• South America
o Argentina
o Brazil
o Chile
o Rest of South America
• Middle East & Africa 
o Saudi Arabia
o UAE
o Qatar
o South Africa
o Rest of Middle East & Africa

What our report offers:
- Market share assessments for the regional and country-level segments
- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants
- Covers Market data for the years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2025, and 2028
- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)
- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations
- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends
- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments
- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancements

Free Customization Offerings: 
All the customers of this report will be entitled to receive one of the following free customization options:
• Company Profiling
o Comprehensive profiling of additional market players (up to 3)
o SWOT Analysis of key players (up to 3)
• Regional Segmentation
o Market estimations, Forecasts and CAGR of any prominent country as per the client's interest (Note: Depends on feasibility check)
• Competitive Benchmarking
o Benchmarking of key players based on product portfolio, geographical presence, and strategic alliances