Activated aluminathe demand for activated alumina has increased

Activated alumina is a dry, granular chemical substance produced by de-hydroxylation i.e., the removal of hydroxyl group ion from aluminum hydroxide. This compound is treated as a desiccant, catalyst and used for filtering fluoride, arsenic and selenium in drinking water. Activated alumina has a high surface area to weight ratio due to its extensive pore structure, which is resistant to thermal shock and abrasion, and will not shrink, swell or soften when placed in water.
 

Increasing pure and safe water needs and the growing application scope in plastics industry are the key factors driving the global activated alumina market over the forecast period. The activated alumina market is driven by water treatment industry demand due to its ability to be used as an adsorbent for the removal of fluoride and other impurities from water, for several purposes which include domestic as well as industrial. Various government regulations for treating effluents coupled with the growing demand for clean water from densely populated countries is significantly spurring the demand.
 

Further, the demand for activated alumina has increased due to its growing application in diverse industrial division for liquid and gas dehydration, reaction catalyst, biomaterial, etc., along with the rising R&D in the healthcare sector for bone and dental implants surgeries and production processes in nutraceuticals and biopharmaceuticals will augment the growth of the overall market.
 

Whereas on the other hand, reduction in adsorption capacity, threat from substitutes and high regeneration cost in some of the end-use segments, are likely to affect activated alumina market. Nevertheless, the growing demand for activated alumina from the natural gas industry and economic growth in the developing nations in Asia Pacific are anticipated to offer potential opportunities for leading companies.
 

Global activated alumina market can be segmented into different forms based on product, grade, application, and end-use industry. On the basis of product, activated alumina is classified into, powdered and sphered form.
 

Based on grades the activated alumina market can be further bifurcated into AA300 and AA400. AA300 activated alumina is a desiccant grade absorbent, mainly used for drying air or other steam gasses due to its efficient adsorption capacity of water vapor, resulting in increased usage as a catalyst for natural gas operations and smelters, to prevent environmental pollution caused by hydrogen peroxides.
 

The application areas of the activated alumina industry are fluoride adsorbent, desiccant, catalyst, refractory additives, bioceramics, and others which include drying agent, medical application, vacuum system, etc. Increasing application scope of activated alumina as a catalyst in oil & gas and plastic industries will contribute to the growth of this segment over the forecast period.
 

Based on end-use industries, global activated alumina market can be segmented into oil & gas, water treatment industry, plastic industry, pharmaceutical, and others (constructions, refining, etc.) In the oil & gas sector activated alumina is essentially used for evaporating gases such as cracked gas, natural gas, LNG, etc. In the water treatment facility, activated alumina is used for adsorption of heavy-metals such as arsenic, uranium, selenium, and lead from water streams.
 

The rapid growth of end-use verticals such as water treatment, oil & gas, and plastics in emerging economies such as Brazil, South Africa, and African economies will drive the activated alumina market in Latin America and the Middle East & Africa regions over the forecast period. Growing GDP in the Asia Pacific region attributable to industrial and economic development in countries such as India and China has escalated sectors such as water treatment, healthcare among others, which had significantly contributed to the growth of the region. Rising expenditure in water treatment infrastructure, combined with the increasing demand for gaseous and liquid drying in the oil & gas industry, will accelerate the activated alumina market in China during the forecast period.
 

The activated alumina market competitive landscape includes key players such as Albemarle Corporation, BASF, Shayan Corporation, Axens, Baltimore Innovations, Honeywell International, Huber, Luoyang Xinghua Chemical Company, Porocel Industries, Sumitomo Chemical, Jiangsu Sanji, Sorbead India, Dynamic Adsorbents Inc, Sigma Aldrich, AGC Chemicals and Sialca Industries. In order to attain a dominant position in the global market, these players are focusing on research and development activities to introduce technological advancement and innovation.