Market Overview

The market for activated carbon fiber is anticipated to register a CAGR of more than 3% during the forecast period. Activated carbon fiber is commonly produced from carbon fiber, by the pyrolysis of carbonaceous materials, like polyacrylonitrile (PAN), coal tar pitch and petrol pitch, rayon (majorly viscose), and biomass (primarily jute, coconut fiber, oil palm, cellulose), among others.

  • Increasing environmental concerns related to air and water pollution, coupled with activated carbon fiber’s superior properties in comparison to that of powdered activated carbons (PAC) and granular activated carbons (GAC) are expected to drive the demand for the market during the forecast period.
  • Concerns related to its raw materials such as that of synthetic fiber, which is non-degradable and tends to bind with molecules of harmful chemical pollutants in wastewater, such as flame retardants and pesticides will probably affect the market growth. Additionally, its production causes irreversible damage to the environment due to emission of harmful pollutants into the environment. Such factor is likely to hinder the market’s growth.
  • Rising demand from the protective clothing industry and growing applications in natural gas and in storage of methane are projected to act as an opportunity for the market in future.



Key Market Trends

Increasing Demand from the Protective Clothing Industry

  • Various adsorbent materials are used in the production of chemical protective clothing, such adsorbent materials includes activated carbon powder, sphere or fabric. It is also used in other industries such as firefighting, mining, medical, construction, and other manufacturing industries.
  • In the production of chemical protective suits, these adsorbent materials are bonded on base fabrics, using a polymeric adhesive, followed by another layer of nonwoven fabrics, using adhesive or hot melt techniques. Further, fabrication of chemical protective suits are carried out to produce a complete individual protective suit. However, powdered activated carbon or charcoal-based chemical protective suits are not compatible for laundry, due to which, a suit cannot be reused. The activated carbon spheres (ACS)-based chemical protective suits can be used, even after multiple laundries, but it still holds certain limitations.
  • ACF-based chemical protective suits are comfortable, light in weight, sustain multiple laundries, and address the limits of ACS-based suits. Owing to this, the demand for ACF has been increasing from the protective clothing industry. The healthcare industry has been witnessing strong growth in the Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern countries, with new investments coming in for the development of the industry. With this, the demand for protective clothing for medical application is expected to increase in the coming years.
  • With the increasing number of soldiers every year, the protective suits are required for individual soldiers, which further creates a demand for protective clothing.
  • All the aforementioned factors, is expected to drive the global market during the forecast period.



North America Region to Dominate the Market

  • The United States is the world’s largest economy in the world.
  • According to CDC, almost 15% of the people in the country suffer with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The number of patients has been on rise since the past few years. This scenario, is turn, boosting the demand for activated carbon fiber in the dialysis applications.
  • Furthermore, increasing developments in chemical industry in the country is, in turn, boosting the demand for activated carbon fiber.
  • Another major industry driving the demand for activated carbon fiber is the chemical industry. For instance, the United States is the world’s third-largest producer of polypropylene.
  • Furthermore, rising investments in the chemical industry in the country is likely to further boost the demand for activated carbon fibers.



Competitive Landscape

The activate carbon fiber market is partially consolidated. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market. Key players in the automotive films market include Anshan Sinocarb Carbon Fibers Co. Ltd, Kuraray Co. Ltd, Toyobo Co. Ltd, Hangzhou Nature Technology Co. Ltd, Awa Paper & Technological Company Inc., Evertech Envisafe Ecology Co. Ltd, HP Materials Solutions Inc., Jiangsu Tongkang Activated Carbon Fiber Co. Ltd, Osaka Gas Chemicals Co. Ltd, among others.

Reasons to Purchase this report:

  • The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
  • Report customization as per the client’s requirements
  • 3 months of analyst support