Market Insights
Kaolin, commonly referred to as “China Clay,” is a white, soft, plastic clay belonging to a group of aluminum silicates. Kaolin is formed through the hydrothermal and weathering processes of anhydrous aluminum silicates found in feldspar rocks like granite.Properties of kaolin, such as its whiteness, coupled with its plastic content, make kaolin an ideal material to be used as a filler, extender, raw material, and pigment in refractories, fiberglass, and cement industries.
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The growing use of kaolin owing to its inertness over a wide range of pH, along with its ability to provide smoothness, gloss, low abrasive, paint absorbency, and brightness to the paper surface, is expected to drive the market in the coming years. Kaolin toughens the fibers in plastic products such as automobiles, boats, marines, and aircraft. Increasing demand for kaolin products such as “British Pharmacopoeia Light Kaolin” (BPLK) and “Heavy Kaolin” for human and veterinary medical products to treat digestion issues is another prime factor for market growth. Demand for kaolin as an excipient in personal care products as well as in Thalasso therapy for bath and skin treatments has further surged the market’s growth. Additionally, the utilization of BPLK in the development of multiple dietary products and foot powders, along with its use in the specialized treatment of lung disorders, is forecasted to catapult the market in the years to come. There has been a growing demand for kaolin from the paint industry on account of its ability to improve gloss and color properties, which has contributed to the growth of the industry.
By application, the global kaolin market has been segmented into paper, ceramics, paint and adhesives, cement, rubber, fiberglass, and others (cosmetic products, pharmaceutical products, etc.). In addition to escalating demand for kaolin from rubber, paints, and coatings, fiber glass is expected to augment market development. Kaolin is widely used as a particulate mineral in filling and coating paper applications. Rubber is expected to witness the most significant growth potential over the forecast period owing to the use of kaolin as a filler to strengthen the base material and increase reinforcement properties.
Companies such as KaMin, Imerys, and Thiele Kaolin are heavily involved in the exploration, extraction, and supply of kaolin to major end-use industries. Rapid industrialization in emerging economies in the Asia Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East, along with the re-emergence of the construction sector, is expected to enhance the demand for kaolin across copious applications during the overall period. Aside from that, steps taken by governments in developing regions of China and India to improve literacy rates are expected to result in high demand for paper, driving the global kaolin market. However, due to large shale explorations in the region, the use of kaolin during hydraulic fracking is expected to increase in North America.
Rising energy costs have forced kaolin manufacturers to increase the price of their products since energy is consumed at each step, from extraction to manufacturing the finished product. In addition, companies are increasingly focusing on advancements in technology as well as tapping into unexplored applications such as printing inks.
The global kaolin market is segmented as below:
By Application
- Paper
- Ceramics
- Adhesives and paint
- Cement
- Rubbers
- Fiberglass
- Others (cosmetic products, pharmaceutical products, etc.)
By Geography
- North America
- Europe
- Germany
- France
- Italy
- U.K.
- Russia
- Rest of Europe
- Asia-Pacific
- India
- China
- Japan
- Rest of Asia-Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East and Africa
- GCC Countries
- South Africa
- Rest of Middle East and Africa
Key players across the Kaolin market value chain are:
BASF SE, I-Minerals Inc., Imerys SA, Thiele Kaolin, KaMin LLC, LB Minerals Ltd., Quarzwerke GmbH, Ukrainian Kaolin Company, Kaolin AD, and other notable players
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This report offers the following:
- Assessment of Kaolin Market Trends for the Period 2016–2026
- Historical (past) information for 2016 and 2017 and projections with CAGRs from 2018 to 2026, considering 2017 as the base year for the market.
- Market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and competitive analysis (market positioning) of key market players
- Overview of the Kaolin Industry Value Chain
- Company profile with major information about the key players operating in the Kaolin market
- Estimation of the market size in terms of value and volume
