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The global activated carbon market is estimated to be USD 5.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 8.9 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 9.3% from 2021 to 2026. The driving factors for the activated carbon market is its applications in water treatment and air purification along with stringent government regulations regarding the removal of mercury from power plants have led to increasing acceptance of activated carbon products.

“Powdered activated carbon segment to witness highest CAGR during the forecast period”

The powdered activated carbon segment is projected to be the fastest-growing segment in the activated carbon market. Powdered activated carbon (PAC) has a relatively smaller particle size compared to granular activated carbon and consequently presents a large surface-to-volume ratio. Owing to this, PAC is generally added directly to process units, such as rapid mix basins, clarifiers, and gravity filters. Traditionally, activated carbon is made in particulate form as powders or fine granules less than 1.0 mm in size with an average diameter between 0.15 mm and 0.25 mm. The effectiveness of PAC in adsorbing tastes and odors depends on adequate mixing, contact time, dosage, and on the cause and concentration of the taste or odor problem. PAC is used for applications such as wastewater treatment. It has low initial cost, and the dosage of PAC can be adjusted as per the changing contaminant levels. However, PAC has a high operating cost, and if used continuously, it cannot be regenerated, produces large quantities of sludge, and the dust resulting from the small particles of PAC make handling difficult.

“Liquid phase application segment to witness higher cagr during the forecast period.”

The use of activated carbon in the liquid phase application includes potable water treatment, groundwater treatment, decolorization, industrial water treatment, precious metal (gold) recovery, and chemical and pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. The demand for activated carbon for emerging applications such as for boiler feedwater treatment, in medical treatments for chronic kidney diseases, and in the electronic industry for the production of ultrapure water is expected to gain traction during the forecast period.

Activated carbon has tremendous adsorptive capacity and affinity for a wide variety of dissolved organics and chlorine. Hence, it is generally used in water treatment for removing chlorine and organic compounds. It is also used to treat wastewater by removing dissolved organic contaminants so that the wastewater can be made suitable for discharge in water bodies. It is also used to remove objectionable tastes and odors from water. Activated carbon is used by the food & beverage industry for the removal of impurities and decolorization of food ingredients. The removal of color of food products during the production of food, oils, pharmaceutical, and chemical products is a well-established application of activated carbon. It is used effectively to remove colored contaminants from the final product.

Activated carbon can also be used for pharmaceutical purposes. Its enormous adsorptive power makes it the ideal agent for binding toxins from gastro-intestinal tract (in poisoning and diarrhea) and from the blood (dialysis) and eliminating them from the body. It is used to treat poisonings and overdoses following oral ingestion. Tablets or capsules of activated carbon are used in many countries as an over-the-counter drug to treat diarrhea, indigestion, and flatulence. Activated carbon is also used for decolorization and removing smelling agents in the pharmaceutical industry. In the pharmaceutical industry, color is regarded as an impurity for many medicines which need to be removed to avoid any adverse quality problems. Granular activated carbon is used to remove colors from raw materials or pharmaceutical products. Activated carbon (activated charcoal) cloth is used in wound dressings, odors control filters, and masks. Activated carbon is used to control foul odors caused by indigestion, flatulence, infected wound, and foot and body odors.

Other industries where liquid phase activated carbon is used include electronics and mining industries. In the electronics industry, it is used in supercapacitors and hard disks, and in mining, it is used for metal recovery. Activated carbon is used to make supercapacitors, also known as electric double-layer capacitors (EDLC) and hard disks. The storage density of EDLCs is improved by using activated carbon. Activated carbon is an extremely porous, "spongy" form of carbon with an extraordinarily high specific surface area. It is used in powder form, which is made up of extremely fine particles. When used in bulk, it forms a low-density heap with many holes. Owing to its extremely large surface, a large number of charge carriers (ions or radicals from the electrolyte) can be stored in a given volume. Virtually all commercial supercapacitors use powdered activated carbon made from coconut shells.

“APAC is the largest market for activated carbon   ”

APAC led the global activated carbon market, accounting for a share of 39.28% in 2020. APAC is segmented into China, Japan, India, Indonesia, South Korea, and the Rest of APAC. Factors such as ready availability of raw materials and manpower, along with sophisticated technologies and innovations, have driven economic growth in the APAC region. According to the World Bank, the two economic giants of the APAC region, China and Japan, were the world’s second and third-largest economies as of 2020. 

High GDP rate as compared to mature countries in North America and Europe and developing end-use industries such as chemical, petrochemicals, and food & beverages are expected to propel the demand. Haycarb Plc. (Sri Lanka) and Osaka Gas Co. Ltd. (Japan) are some of the leading producers of activated carbon in the region that dominate the supply chain. However, local activated carbon producers in China also contribute significantly to the market share.

This study has been validated through primaries conducted with various industry experts worldwide. These primary sources have been divided into 3 categories, namely by company, by designation, and by region.

• By Department- Sales/Export/Marketing – 53.5%, Production – 23.3%, CXOs – 23.3%

• By Designation- Managers – 60.5%, CXOs – 23.3%, Executives – 16.3%

• By Region- North America- 33.0%, Europe- 27%, Asia Pacific- 25%, Middle East – 10%, and South America - 5%

The activated carbon market comprises major solution providers, Osaka Gas Co., Ltd. (Japan), Cabot Corporation (US), Kuraray Co. Ltd. (Japan), Haycarb Plc (Sri Lanka), and Kureha Corporation (Japan) among others. The study includes an in-depth competitive analysis of these key players in the activated carbon market, with their company profiles, and key market strategies.

Research Coverage:

The report covers the activated carbon market based on type, application, and region. This study aims at estimating the size and future growth potential of the market across various segmentation types. It also includes an in-depth competitive analysis of the key market players, along with their profiles and key growth strategies.

Key Benefits of Buying the Report:

 Comprehensive coverage and analysis of the activated carbon  market in Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, South America and Middle East & Africa

 Competitive landscape of major players and their developments in activated carbon market

 Identifying high-potential opportunities for activated carbon   

 Identifying and targeting high-growth application segments