Sodium Percarbonate Development Scenario and Leading Growth Factors

Posted by Arslan on October 7th, 2019

According to a new Fact.MR report, global demand for sodium percarbonate accounted for a sales volume of 1051 KT in 2018, which is projected to grow substantially through 2019 and beyond. A plethora of factors are shaping growth in the sodium percarbonate market, ranging from growing demand for low-cost cleaning agents to shifting customer preference for eco-friendly bleach products. The Fact.MR study finds that the demand for sodium percarbonate is being buoyed by its extensive functional benefits in both industrial and household cleaning applications. Powerful bleaching, disinfection, and cleaning capabilities are the key attributes that are highly likely to remain key influencers, sustaining sodium percarbonate sales over the forthcoming years.

The sodium percarbonate market has been envisaged to surpass revenues worth US$ 600 Mn in 2019, in line with its growing adoption as a high performance oxygen bleaching agent for industrial as well as household applications. The sodium percarbonate market is likely to register a CAGR of ~3% through 2029 on account of growing demand for eco-friendly bleach products. East Asia, spearheaded by China, is anticipated to remain the leading market for sodium percarbonate. With the highest sodium percarbonate production capacity, China’s market size is slated to be worth US$ 104 Mn in 2019. The South Asia & Oceania cluster is expected to be the high growth market for sodium percarbonate manufacturers, primary driven by the rising demand from the household cleaning industry.  

According to Fact.MR study, the global sodium percarbonate market is expected to remain a consolidated landscape owing to the presence of a limited number of players. Global giants, such as Evonik Industries, Solvay SA, OCI Peroxygens LLC, and Hongye Chemical collectively account for ~2/5^th of the global sodium percarbonate production. Leading players are expanding their business by establishing manufacturing bases in developing countries, such as China and India, looking at their market attractiveness. Growing focus of players on developing countries as lucrative markets for increasing sodium percarbonate inclusion in every wash load is likely to shape the market in forthcoming years. 

The market for powdered percarbonate is witnessing a slight dip in some of the western countries that have particularly adopted liquid formulations, as a result of which several players have limited their sodium percarbonate production in such regions. For instance, European laundry market’s transition to liquid products prompted Solvay to shut the 50,000 tons pa capacity plant in Warrington, UK. Amid such a turmoil in sodium percarbonate market, leading players are building and reinforcing partnerships with global innovators, focusing on a broader penetration in developing countries, and exploring technology for improved cleaning solutions. 

With the West showing an increased appetite for liquid laundry products, players in sodium percarbonate market have also renewed their focus on technology to develop stable sodium percarbonate formulations for use in liquid laundry products. With a stable sodium percarbonate technology, partakers are eyeing to revive the adoption of sodium percarbonate for cleaning and laundry applications in Europe and North America. 

Several companies have increased their focus on safety, storage, and handling aspects of sodium percarbonate to appeal a larger audience. For instance,   OCI is leveraging advanced technologies to minimize the risk of undesired decomposition and to delay the natural decomposition of sodium percarbonate products. 

Sodium Percarbonate Market - Key Restraining Factors 

• Instability of percarbonate bleach prevents its use in liquid laundry products, thereby limiting the adoption of sodium percarbonate to dry detergents only. Growing demand for liquid detergents in western countries have prompted formulators to replicate the effect of sodium percarbonate by using enzymes and optical brighteners—additives, such as disodium diaminostilbene disulfonate. These additives make clothes appear brighter by absorbing ultraviolet light and reemitting it in the blue region.
• Myriad storage concerns pertaining to sodium percarbonate that interacts with flammable agents or materials and may cause explosion and fire have impeded the adoption sodium carbonate peroxyhydrate in recent years. 

Potential Applicability of Sodium Percarbonate as Bleaching Agent in Pulp & Paper Industry 

Growing need of viable oxidative repulping aids for wet-strengthened paper grades is contributing significantly to the adoption of sodium percarbonate as an eco-friendly and effective repulping aid that comply with existing regulations. Due to the hazardous nature of traditional hypochlorite and its contribution to adsorbable organic halides (AOX), the industry is witnessing an increased development and adoption of alternatives. 

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Kemira, which has been among the leading players in sodium percarbonate market, is pioneering the development of eco-friendly substitutes for hypochlorite, which are not associated with the release of any harmful residuals. The company’s products in this category are claimed to accelerate dissolution process and facilitate alleviation of the repulping time. Kemira recently announced the closure of its only sodium percarbonate production line, based in Sweden. The company had already debottlenecked one of the key bleaching chemical plants (based in Finland), and is now directing more of its hydrogen peroxide capacity to its customers in the pulp segment.