(Food-Beverage-News.Com, August 17, 2016 ) Surfactants are the organic compounds that can enhance cleaning efficiency, wetting, dispersing, solvency, foaming and lubricity of water and water base substances. This compounds can constitutes both lyophilic (solvent –loving) and lyophobic (solvent-fearing) group in its molecule. Surfactants lowers the surface tension of liquids and allow chemicals to mix more easily.
Surfactants are traditionally being manufactured from the crude oil. Scarcity of crude oil and growing environmental concerns are key drivers of bio surfactants manufactured by using plants and natural substances like coconuts, soybean, grapefruit seed and pulp extracts, corn etc. Methyl Ester Sulfonates (MES) is the largest consumed bio surfactant derived from coconut and it is the perfect substitute to synthetics surfactants as detergent feedstock.
Coconut derived surfactants is substitute for alkylbenzen products from crude oil. It is not only ecofriendly but also tender for skin, it can be effectively applied under hard water, for different types of cotton and fabrics. Many modern surfactants are made from oleochemicals (vegetable derived) rather than petrochemicals (petroleum derived) and are also biodegradable. Oleochemicals, or fats used to synthesize these surfactants include palm and coconut oils. These surfactants include the anionic alkyl polyglucosides (decyl, lauryl, and octyl), which are made from fatty alcohols from coconut or palm and glucose from corn starch using green chemistry.
Coconut derived surfactants market is segmented on the basis of its application household, detergent, personal care, food processing applications, agriculture chemicals, textiles, institutional applications and others. The growing environmental awareness and growing market for personal care products in emerging economies is reporting high market demand for bio surfactants. As coconut derived surfactants are natural and no hazards to skin its demand in household detergents market is growing.
Coconut derived surfactants market is also segmented according to its formulations as liquid formulations, bar formulations and powdered formulations. Coconut derived surfactant MES is popularly used in bar and powdered formulations .The market is further segmented on the basis of region as North America, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, Europe, Asia pacific except Japan and Japan.
Coconut derived surfactant Market: Region-wise Outlook
In terms of volume Europe is leading regional market for the use of coconut derived surfactant MES followed by North America. Asia Pacific is expected to be fastest going regional market for coconut derived surfactants in near future. Countries like India and China have major presence of agricultural, textile and personal care industries which is expected to fuel the market demand for coconut based surfactants. Increased consumer demand for natural products is becoming market driver in developing regions.
The increasing world demand for product constitute of surfactants is expected to show a significant growth by 2025. Not only in the developing economies but also in developed countries like Japan, where the population is shrinking, is expected to find new applications bio surfactants derived from coconut and other natural sources.
Increased environmental concerns due to the use of crude oil based chemical surfactants such as low bio degradability are expected to be the key demand driver for coconut based biodegradable surfactants. Growing health awareness in the developing markets like Middle East, Africa & Japan is another prime resource for fueling market demand of bio surfactants. Expansion of old players and emerging new entries in personal care and chemical processing industries also driving market demand. Low cost and easy availability of raw materials is another factor for market growth of coconut based surfactants.
Other qualities of coconut based surfactants awarding high market demand are, super concentrated ingredients and high content of surfactant properties making high performing stain removal, neutral for hard washing and no water pollution as natural substance.
The key international players and global market leaders manufacturing coconut based surfactants are Stepan Company and Haiquing Biotechnology. Lion Corporation, Huish Detergent, Guangzhou Lonkey Industrial Co. Ltd, Chemithon and KL-Kepong Oleomas have significant market shares.
