The global kaolin market size is projected to reach USD 5.66 billion by 2027, expanding at a 3.3% CAGR based on revenue, over the forecast period, according to a new report published by Grand View Research, Inc. Kaolin is used as a filler or a coating material and hence, rising demand for paper from the packaging industry is likely to propel the growth.

Kaolin in paper products enhance smoothness and appearance, increase brightness and printability, and reduce abrasion. Paper, being an eco-friendly and easily recyclable solution, is widely used in industries such as packaging and print media in the form of paper boards and gloss papers. Rising awareness along with stringent regulations regarding environmental pollution caused by non-biodegradable packaging is likely to drive the demand for paper packaging, which in turn is anticipated to augment market growth in the forthcoming years.

However, downturn in paper sector of North America region is expected to restrain growth of the kaolin market over the forecast period. Continuous shift toward digital media platforms for news, advertisements, and marketing has adversely affected the demand for newsprint media in North America over the past few years. In addition, availability of efficient substitutes, such a Ground Calcium Carbonates (GCC) and Precipitated Calcium Carbonates (PCC) that can replicate the properties of kaolin at a lower cost may hinder the product demand to a certain extent.

In Asia Pacific, factors such as expanding population and rising consumer standard of living are anticipated to increase the need for houses, thus propelling the construction industry. The rising construction industry directly impacts the growth of the ceramic industry. According to the Ceramic World Web, in 2018, the regional ceramic tile production accounted for 68.6% of the global production. The high regional production of ceramic tiles is anticipated to drive the demand for kaolin in the forthcoming years.

BASF SE, Imerys S.A., KaMin LLC, LB MINERALS Ltd., Sibelco N.V., and Thiele Kaolin Company are the key market players. Most of the players focus on increasing the kaolin prices to ensure long term business sustainability. The kaolin manufacturers increased in prices by 5% to 9% in 2018 for different applications. For instance, in August 2018, BASF SE increased kaolin prices by 5% for paper and thermal applications.

Further key findings from the report suggest:

  • Paper segment is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 2.6%, in terms of revenue over the forecast period owing to the increasing demand for paper boards from the packaging industry
  • Ceramics is projected to witness a CAGR of 4.0% in terms of volume over the forecast period owing to increasing production of ceramic tiles to meet the rising demand from the construction industry, especially from U.S, China, and India
  • Cosmetics is among the segments witnessing rapid growth, in terms of volume, over the forecast period and accounted for a market share of 1.1% in 2019. The growth is attributed to the increasing consumer disposable income along with the rising demand for skin care products
  • Asia Pacific is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3.5% in terms of volume over the forecast period owing to the rising demand for kaolin-based products from construction, automotive, and packaging industries
  • Europe is expected to witness a CAGR of 2.7% in terms of revenue over the forecast period as it is among the largest regions for the paper industry and ceramics industry