Inorganic Microporous Adsorbent

Report Highlights

• The market value in North America for the top six types of inorganic microporous adsorbents is nearly $1.78 billion in 2001.
• A 3.1% average annual growth rate (AAGR) is forecast for this relatively mature materials class resulting in a market of $2.07 billion by 2006.
• Water and air purification applications consume the majority of granular activated carbon production, which constitutes nearly one-fifth of the total market size and is projected to grow at 3.8%.
• Zeolites account for nearly 62% of the total market and thus heavily influence overall growth rates. Overcapacity in low-end zeolites and reduced obsolescence of improved high-end products will limits its growth rate to 2.5% through 2006.
• Clay usage as adsorbents will be growing at a rate of 3.4% to a market size of $52 million in 2006.

INTRODUCTION

STUDY GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of this study is to provide a reader comprehensive understanding of the recent advances in microporous inorganic adsorbent materials manufacturing, its commercial applications, and its worldwide markets. For the purposes of this report, these materials will include granular activated carbon, the special type of molecular sieves known as zeolites, clays, activated alumina, silica gel, and miscellaneous adsorbents such as iron oxide.

To attain the stated goal, several objectives will be met. The major types of adsorbents will be described including key physical and chemical properties, raw materials, and manufacturing processes. Commercial applications in which these adsorbents are used will be discussed. Present consumption and future demand for these materials will be evaluated for the North American and worldwide regions. Trends in technology will be analyzed and forecast. The impact of governmental regulations will be ascertained. The structural dynamics of the adsorbent industry will be outlined along with profiles of important manufacturers.

REASONS FOR THE STUDY AND ITS IMPORTANCE

The microporous adsorbents industry is a mature industry with a wide variety of products satisfying the requirements of well-established applications. However, expanded scope and applicability of environmental regulations along with improving living standards around the world are stimulating significant increases in demand for these products. In addition to environmental forces, newly invented specialized microporous sorbent products are creating novel market opportunities in electronics manufacturing and biomedical industry sectors.

Corporations engaged in microporous adsorbents must understand the significance of these trends to effectively manage their enterprise and its resources. Stakeholders in these competitive technologies and products must understand the impact of these trends upon their operations. End users of microporous adsorbents must consider the effect of these changes to select the most cost-effective option among newly available products and technologies prior to committing significant capital resources.

AUDIENCE FOR THE REPORT

Over the next half-decade significant change will take place in global microporous adsorbent products and applications. Consequently, the information presented in this study is very important to:

• Members of the financial community who must understand, assess, and rate the effect of forthcoming changes in the microporous adsorbents industry upon the financial performance of the companies active in this market segment.
• Chief executive officers who must effectively manage the assets of their company so as to benefit from forthcoming changes in the microporous adsorbents industry.
• Directors of planning who must incorporate anticipated changes in the microporous adsorbents industry into corporate planning documents.
• Directors of manufacturing who must implement new microporous adsorbent technology and products into their operations.
• Directors of engineering, research, and development who must incorporate the latest in microporous adsorbent technology and products into their designs and projects.
• Decision makers at major adsorbent consumers, such as the large water and wastewater treatment facilities and petrochemical complexes for selecting best adsorbents for their applications.
• Executives at companies engaged in developing competitive materials and technologies such as polymeric adsorbents.

SCOPE AND CONTENT OF THE REPORT

This report covers the technological, economic, and environmental considerations of the inorganic microporous adsorbent industry. Although this report is primarily a study of the U.S. markets, analysis and forecasts are also provided for global markets. Included in this report are descriptions of legislation relevant to the microporous sorbent industry, adsorbent materials, and their areas of application.

The North American markets presented by adsorbent type and by commercial application with growth forecasts through 2006. The driving forces in the industry and the structure of the industry are also examined.

International aspects of the inorganic microporous adsorbent industry are discussed with respect to all the geographic regions, types of adsorbents, and available manufacturing capacity. Lastly, brief profiles of the major manufactures in the North American markets are presented.

METHODOLOGY

Estimates of current market demand are made for 2001 and projected over the next five years. Projections are made in terms of constant dollars (2001$). The growth rates are presented as average annual rates.

Market values were calculated simply by multiplying the number of pounds of material sold by the average price per pound. Confirmation of the numbers so reached was obtained by contacting several representative manufacturers in the microporous adsorbents industry and analyzing published reports.

INFORMATION SOURCES

The information in this report was derived from interviews with individuals in the industry, searches of on-line and print media including electronic databases, conference proceedings, patent literature, trade journals and newsletters, company publications, filings with SEC, and websites.