Asia and Europe Kaolin Market – Industry Trends and Forecast to 2030

Asia and Europe Kaolin Market, By Grade (Calcined, Hydrous, Delaminated, Surface Treated, and Structured), Process (Water-Washed, Airfloat, Calcined, Delaminated, Surface-Modified & Unprocessed), Application (Paper, Ceramics, Paint & Coatings, Fiberglass, Plastic, Rubber, Pharmaceuticals & Medical, Cosmetics, and Others) - Industry Trends and Forecast to 2030

Asia and Europe Kaolin Market Analysis and Size

The Asia and Europe kaolin market is expected to grow significantly in the forecast period of 2023 to 2030. Data Bridge Market Research analyses that the market is growing with a CAGR of 4.7% in the forecast period of 2023 to 2030 and is expected to reach USD   5,072,562.29 thousand by 2030. The growing use of kaolin in various industries has been the major driver for the Asia and Europe kaolin market.

The Asia and Europe kaolin market report provides details of market share, new developments, and the impact of domestic and localized market players, analyses opportunities in terms of emerging revenue pockets, changes in market regulations, products approvals, strategic decisions, product launches, geographic expansions, and technological innovations in the market. To understand the analysis and the market scenario, contact us for an analyst brief. Our team will help you create a revenue-impact solution to achieve your desired goal.  

Market Definition

Kaolin also referred to as china clay is a soft white clay that is used as a necessary ingredient in the manufacturing of paper, rubber, cosmetics, and others. Kaolin is used as a filler agent in the paper industry with adhesive which improves the appearance of paper giving it varied levels of gloss, smoothness, brightness, opacity, and printability. In addition, the product aid in enhancing the printability of paper by providing added ink absorption, ink pigment holdout, and increased roughness. It is highly used in the ceramic industry for the manufacturing of porcelain and refractory. Kaolin is used to improve mechanical strength and abrasion resistance in the rubber industry.

Asia and Europe Kaolin Market Dynamics

This section deals with understanding the market drivers, opportunities, challenges, and restrains. All of this is discussed in detail below:

Drivers

• Optimistic Outlook for Kaolin in the Construction Sector

Construction is one of the most important and oldest industries in the world. Nowadays, the construction industry is among one of the leading industries in all market economies. The construction industry uses a variety of materials such as cement, concrete, aggregates, clay, wood, metals, and bricks. The majority of the countries have designated construction activities among essential industries, thereby opening material demand for products such as paints & coatings, plastic, and ceramics, among others.

The kaolin marketspace showed signs of improvement largely due to the full resumption of industrial and construction activities in various regions. In addition, the passing of the infrastructure investment and jobs act is likely to open new avenues within the construction sector of the country, which in turn will boost the demand for kaolin and will drive the Asia and Europe kaolin market.

• Favorable Chemical and Physical Properties of Kaolin

Kaolin is a naturally-occurring, chemically inert, and water-insoluble mineral principally containing kaolinite along with feldspar, quartz, and muscovite in varying amounts. The chemical properties of clay, added to its antimicrobial properties, make it an essential component in various end-use industries including agriculture and pharmaceutical among many others.

Kaolin is preferred as a metal of choice in various applications and end-use industries owing to its desired and favorable chemical and physical properties it executes when used. There is a growing demand for kaolin clay in the plastics industry as its use enhances its electrical performance, durability, and strength. Moreover, the increasing adoption of ceramics is due to the opacity, chemical inertness, non-abrasive texture, and flat shape of kaolin clay. In addition, the use of kaolin in concretes and mortar is rising due to its thermal stability. Some grades of kaolin have fine particle sizes, high adsorption, and suspension properties.

Moreover, kaolin is a unique industrial mineral because it is chemically inert over a relatively wide pH range, has a good covering or hiding power when used as a pigment or extender in coating and filling, is soft and nonabrasive and has low conductivity of both heat and electricity. Kaolin also has a low shrinkage-swelling capacity and low cation exchange capacity.

Compared to other clay minerals, kaolin is chemically and structurally simple. In addition, the kaolins exhibited a variety of crystal morphologies ranging from sub-micron, euhedral, and hexagonal plates to anhedral plates and tubes. Apart from this, one of kaolin clay’s primary uses is to aid in the adsorption of other substances. Kaolin clay is naturally highly adsorbent, so it can help extract and remove undesirable impurities, pathogens, or other substances in any given mixture or application. All these properties of kaolin make it a material of choice in various applications, which in turn will boost its demand shortly and enhance market growth.

Opportunity

• Improved Technologies in Mining Practices of Kaolin

Kaolin is used in many consumer products and as a functional additive and process enabler in manufacturing. It is a highly versatile industrial mineral, mined and processed for diverse end-use markets. Its versatility derives from its naturally occurring range of crystal shapes, sizes, and layer structures.

On the mining side, many of the advances have been driven by sustainable development and corporate social responsibility principles. These principles incorporate social, environmental, and economic considerations into each phase of the mining life cycle.

These include improving mine efficiency and process recovery. Efficient use of energy and water are also key aspects of sustainable mining operations.

Generally, kaolin is extracted from open-pit mines. The mining process begins with designing a mine that takes into account the geotechnical aspects of the site. The mining engineer designs the high wall slopes to reduce the risk of wall failure and ensure safe working conditions. The next step is to remove overburden using scrapers, excavators, or loaders and further the kaolin mining begins.

Moreover, the introduction and adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) technology give miners greater insight into the working condition of their equipment. Sensors on the kaolin mining machinery drive predictive maintenance that in turn reduces the likelihood of unplanned, unscheduled downtimes that often drain the resources of mining companies, which is the major trend that is expected to provide possible opportunities for market growth.  

Restraint

• Kaolin Mining Causes Numerous Environmental and Health Hazards

The mining and extraction process of kaolin has various environmental and health hazards associated with it. People can be exposed to kaolin in the workplace by breathing in the powder or from skin or eye contact. From the environmental point of view, the most significant environmental problem arises because the kaolin extractive operations create surfaces with high susceptibility to runoff and water erosion, with a high potential for on- and off-site ecological effects.

However, the mining of kaolin has very long-term negative effects on the environment such as ecological and agricultural imbalances, erosion, silting of rivers and lakes, and deforestation. The removal of vegetation for the process of excavation and removal of clay, part of the local soil is unprotected causing compaction processes in certain situations and leaching. Once the leached soil becomes unsuitable for agriculture, the land that is used for clay extraction ends up being abandoned by the owners. Therefore, the mining of kaolin results in the degradation of the environment and human health, which in turn is expected to restrain the market growth.

Challenge

• Easy Availability of Substitutes

Easy availability of cost-effective kaolin substitutes, such as ground calcium carbonates (GCCs) and precipitated calcium carbonates (PCCs), is among the major factor expected to challenge market revenue growth.

PCCs have a bright white color with a narrow particle size distribution. It is available in various sizes and crystal morphologies that can be tailored to improve the printing and optical properties of paper, increase the productivity of paper machines, and reduce papermaking costs by replacing optical brightening agents.

Similarly, GCCs have a higher ISO brightness (near 96%) than kaolin (83%), which is also expected to decrease the preference for kaolin clay among paper manufacturers.

Some other easily available substitutes in the market are bentonite clay. bentonite clay has powerful oil absorption properties and can absorb more than its body mass in water. This makes it an excellent ingredient for people with extremely oily skin and drives its use in cosmetic products. Bentonite clay is composed of montmorillonite, a type of smectite clay. It has a high-water content and swells when it comes into contact with water. This makes it effective at drawing out impurities from the skin. Another alternative is Fuller’s Earth, which is also used for skin care and detoxification. It is said to be rich in minerals and has cleansing and conditioning properties and is a great alternative to kaolin clay.

In the rubber industry, potential alternatives to kaolin include calcium carbonate, precipitated silica, talc, barite, wollastonite, mica, precipitated silicates, fumed silica, and diatomite. All these materials and minerals are used as filler during rubber compounding and offer similar properties as those offered by kaolin.

In ceramics production, for use in making porcelains, halloysite has physical properties similar to kaolin. In the paint and coating industry, vermiculite in the exfoliated form is used as a paint opacifying agent, with the plate-like structure having similar properties as kaolin. Apart from this, fibrous clays and talc are common natural clay minerals used in pharmaceutical and cosmetic formulations apart from kaolin as an excipient or active ingredient due to its excellent physical, chemical, and surface properties. Presence of all these substitutes in the market act as a bottleneck for the demand for kaolin in various end-use industries, thus acting as a challenge to market growth.

Recent Developments                    

• In September 2022, KaMin LLC completed the acquisition of BASF's kaolin minerals business. This strategic move has transformed KaMin by diversifying its portfolio into highly engineered, growth segments and enhancing its position as a global leader in the industrial minerals sector. The acquisition includes four production sites and related facilities across middle Georgia, USA, expanding KaMin's technical capabilities and talent pool. With this merger, KaMin aims to deliver innovative product solutions and value to customers, distributors, and brand owners worldwide.
• In August 2022, Thiele announced an impending price increase on all its product grades, effective from October 1, 2022. The decision is in response to the continued inflation of raw materials, labor, and logistics costs, putting additional pressure on the company's operations.

Asia and Europe Kaolin Market Scope

The kaolin market is categorized based on grade, process, and applications. The growth amongst these segments will help you analyze major growth segments in the industries and provide the users with a valuable market overview and market insights to make strategic decisions to identify core market applications.

Grade

• Calcined
• Hydrous
• Delaminated
• Surface Treated
• Structured

On the basis of grade, the Asia and Europe kaolin market is segmented into calcined, hydrous, delaminated, surface treated, and structured.

Process

• Water-Washed
• Airfloat
• Calcined
• Delaminated
• Surface-Modified Unprocessed

On the basis of process, the Asia and Europe kaolin market is segmented into water-washed, airfloat, calcined, delaminated, surface-modified & unprocessed.

Application

• Paper
• Ceramics
• Paint & Coatings
• Fiberglass
• Plastic
• Rubber
• Pharmaceuticals & Medical
• Cosmetics
• Others

On the basis of application, the Asia and Europe kaolin market is segmented into paper, ceramics, paint & coatings, fiberglass, plastic, rubber, pharmaceuticals & medical, cosmetics, and others.

Asia and Europe Kaolin Market Regional Analysis/Insights

The Asia and Europe kaolin market is segmented on the basis of class, grade, and application.

The countries in the Asia and Europe kaolin market are China, India, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Rest of Asia, Germany, U.K., France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Switzerland, Turkey, Belgium, Netherlands, and Rest of Europe.

Asia is expected to dominate the Asia and Europe kaolin market due to the demand for kaolin from various end-use industries. China is expected to dominate the Asia kaolin market due to the high adoption of kaolin as a coating additive. Germany is expected to dominate the Europe kaolin market due to the increase in demand for kaolin from various end-use industries.

The country section of the report also provides individual market-impacting factors and changes in market regulation that impact the current and future trends of the market. Data point downstream and upstream value chain analysis, technical trends porter's five forces analysis, and case studies are some of the pointers used to forecast the market scenario for individual countries. Also, the presence and availability of global brands and their challenges faced due to large or scarce competition from local and domestic brands, the impact of domestic tariffs, and trade routes are considered while providing forecast analysis of the country data.   

Competitive Landscape and Asia and Europe Kaolin Market Share Analysis

The kaolin market competitive landscape provides details by competitors. Details included are company overview, company financials, revenue generated, market potential, investment in research and development, new market initiatives, production sites and facilities, company strengths and weaknesses, product launch, product trials pipelines, product approvals, patents, product width and breadth, application dominance, technology lifeline curve. The above data points provided are only related to the companies’ focus related to the kaolin market.

Some of the major market players operating in the market are Ashapura Group, EICL, LB MINERALS, Ltd, Quartz Works GmbH, Shree Ram Minerals, Jiangxi Sincere Mineral Industry Co., ltd., KaMin LLC. / CADAM, Thiele Kaolin Company, Imerys, and SCR-Sibelco NV among others.