In a fast fashion world, while designers are solely focused on grabbing consumer market, designs are becoming fancier requiring more processes, increasing textile chemical and other operational footprints down the line. This is increasing environmental impact as well.
Akhi Akter
The textile industry is a chemicals hungry industry that uses a variety of chemicals in the manufacturing processes. There are chemical fibers which are itself produced from chemicals. Otherwise, from fiber to finished garments even in packaging a huge amount of chemicals are required.
Some may think natural fiber requires fewer chemicals to transform into the saleable product but unfortunately, they require chemicals from cultivation to consumer level laundry. However, in the current article chemicals used in textile materials and processes has been considered.
While many initiatives have been taken to cap the use of chemicals, but the demand and consumption of chemicals in the textile industry is increasing. Any chemical will have a certain hazard but the industry and different control initiatives in and around the industry is trying to reduce the use of highly hazardous chemicals.
The textile chemicals market was valued at US$ 21.80 billion in 2016, according to BUSINESS WIRE. Even after careful initiatives uses of the chemical are increasing worldwide and the global textile chemical market is expected to reach $27.56 billion by 2022 from US$ 21.80 billion in 2016, and growing at a CAGR of 3.4% from 2016 to 2022 the report said.
In a fast fashion world, while designers are solely focused on grabbing consumer market, designs are becoming fancier requiring more processes, increasing chemical and other operational footprints down the line. This is increasing environmental impact as well.
Impacting factors steering the market growth
Revealing the data, ‘Allied Market Research’, a market research platform, highlighted the significant impacting factors, which are contributing to the expansion of the textile chemicals market. The report said, “The market is influenced by the development of apparel industries due to an increase in demand for consumers and growth in population.”
The rising consumer demand for innovative and styled clothing products is a key factor steering the market growth in the coming years. As consumers are dumping garments faster for buying new fashion, the consumption volume is rocket high.
“Along with these factors, the market is also influenced by the increase in demand for home furnishing products, the evolution of environmentally friendly chemicals required by textiles industries, and development of packaging industries, which require a large amount of textile chemicals,” said the report.
Furthermore, the demand for technical textiles is rising. Technical textiles are high-performance textiles used due to their superior properties and functionality as compared to conventional textiles. They can be utilized in several end-user industries such as automotive, environmental protection, sports equipment and sportswear, construction, packaging, healthcare, agriculture, and clothing.
Industry insiders also opined that cheap price of fast fashion items is increasing consumption. And the trend eventually is pushing for low price chemicals as garment and fabric makers are always under pressure to reduce cost. On the other hand, health and environment concerns are increasing. More control points are being required and so retailers are being bound to promote high value less hazardous chemicals in the value chain.
“Rise in demand for technical textiles can be ascribed to favorable government policies and initiatives boosting infrastructure spending, chemical manufacturing, etc. Hence, the rise in demand for technical textile is expected to boost the textile chemicals market as these chemicals impart high strength and versatility to technical textiles, making them ideal for application in their respective end-user industries,” said another report released by Transparency Market Research.
Technical textile application segment is estimated to witness the fastest growth over the next nine years. The U.S. product market in the segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 3.8% from 2016 to 2025 to reach a net worth of USD 930.1 million by 2025, said a report released by the Grand View Research, Inc., a U.S. based market research, and consulting company.
Industry insiders also opined that the cheap price of fast fashion items is increasing consumption. And the trend eventually is pushing for low price chemicals as garment and fabric makers are always under pressure to reduce cost. On the other hand, health and environment concerns are increasing. More control points are being required and so retailers are being bound to promote high value less hazardous chemicals in the value chain.
The above-mentioned factors collectively create opportunities for the market growth while factors such as unfavorable effects of textile chemicals pose limitations in the market. However, each factor would have its definite impact on the market during the forecast period.
Also Read: Factors affecting textile dyestuffs market
Dominating segment
Furthermore, the demand for technical textiles is rising. Technical textiles are high-performance textiles used due to their superior properties and functionality as compared to conventional textiles. They can be utilized in several end-user industries such as automotive, environmental protection, sports equipment and sportswear, construction, packaging, healthcare, agriculture, and clothing.
Home furnishing applications dominated the textile chemicals market in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Its demand was more than 3,600 kilo tons in 2015. Apparel segment accounted for over 25% of global revenue in 2015.
Home furnishing products, floor furnishing products, medicinal and healthcare products are other popular segments in the global textile chemicals market. The rapid growth of textile chemicals in these applications is expected to drive the market owing to a rise in demand for dyeing, coating the fabrics, and need for pre-treatment of textiles. These applications have the potential to generate high returns due to an expected rise in adoption of biodegradable textile chemicals.
Increasing usage of specialty chemicals in emerging application segments such as medical, industrial, and construction textiles is expected to further boost the market growth in the next eight years, according to the report published by the Grand View Research, Inc.
Coating and sizing chemicals were the largest consumed product category with a total worth of USD 6,353.5 million in 2015 while accounting for just over 30% of the global demand in 2015, said the report.
Printing being the last step and more fashion could be bringing at the step, the popularity of printed fabric is increasing. Hence demand from the printing industry is to increase significantly.
Major players in the textile chemical market
The global industry is discreetly fragmented with the top five enterprises accounting for over 50% of the total revenue in 2015. On the other hand, the top three players accounted for nearly 30% share of the market in 2017. Key players in the textile chemicals market include Covestro AG, Lonsen Inc., Archroma, BASF, Dow Chemical Company, Bayer AG, Huntsman International LLC and Sumitomo Chemicals Co. Ltd.
Other major players in the industry are DyStar Group, Kiri Industries Limited, Zschimmer & Schwarz, Pulcra Chemicals, OMNOVA Solutions Inc., The Lubrizol Corporation, CHT/BEZEMA Group, Clariant, Transfer Chemicals, Sarex, and Rossari Biotech Ltd. etc.
Dominating region in the market
Asia-Pacific region is the fastest growing market in the textile chemicals industry and it accounts for more than half of the total textile chemical market size. In 2017, Asia Pacific constituted a key share (63.35%) of the global textile chemicals market in terms of consumption, as the region is a major textile manufacturer globally. China and India accounted for more than 70% share of the textile chemicals market in the Asia Pacific, according to a report released by Transparency Market Research.
Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Indonesia are also leading countries of the markets for textile chemicals consumption, as these countries were prominent exporters of the product in 2016 and 2017. Bangladesh consumes about USD 800 million worth of dyes and chemicals every year.
Also Read: Textile dyes supply turmoil-fabric mills suffer most
The Grand View Research, Inc.’s report pointed out that in the Asia Pacific, textile chemicals industry is expected to witness the fastest growth and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.2% from 2016 to 2025. Expansion of key textile manufacturing players in the region, coupled with increasing domestic consumption of novel textile products is expected to support the region to maintain its dominance over the forecast period.
Apparels industry dominates the other segments in this region due to increase in demand from consumers and growth in population especially in India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand economies. Coating and sizing chemicals hold the major share in product type segment in Asian countries.
In addition, availability of cheap labor and growth in number of R&D centers is directly promoting the growth of apparel industries. Less stringent rules and regulations by governments also drive the market.
Difficulties in market growth
Adverse effects of chemicals on the environment and stringent environmental regulations are likely to hamper textile chemicals market. These are the major limitations of utilizing textile chemicals. However, recent innovations, which embed the introduction of innovative ideas of anti-microbial, luxurious, and stain-resistant fabrics, thus allowing chemicals to reach a wider segment of audiences. Numerous players are stepping into the textile chemicals market with innovative products. Emerging technology such as the establishment of sterilized textiles is expected to increase the competition in the years to come.
The European Union implemented the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) directive from January 2008, along with Emissions Trading System (ETS) and regulation on registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals. Initiatives like REACH have significantly reduced the demand for textile chemicals in Europe. Various countries such as the Netherlands and Germany have banned some textile chemicals that pose a threat to the environment and human health. Thus, the rise in environmental concerns and implementation of stringent environmental regulations, especially in the European Union, are anticipated to hamper the textile chemicals market in the near future. Control mechanisms in the name of ZDHC and Bluesign are putting a significant impact on the ground.
The Writer is a Sub-Editor in Textile Today. She can be found at linkedin.com
