The bleaching clay market has seen considerable growth due to a variety of factors.
• The market for bleaching clay has experienced robust growth in the past years. Starting from a market size of $1.51 billion in 2024, it is projected to expand to $1.6 billion in 2025 with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.8%. The significant growth in previous years can be associated with the expansion of the petrochemical sector, growth in the cosmetics industry, use in water treatment, the evolution of sustainable functions, and the internationalization of the food industry.
The Bleaching Clay market is expected to maintain its strong growth trajectory in upcoming years.
• Expectations are high for the bleaching clay market to experience robust growth in the coming years, with projections predicting a value of $2.1 billion by 2029. This is equivalent to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1%.
Several factors are believed to contribute to this growth within the forecast period, among them being the rising demand for oleochemicals, rigorous quality standards, an increase in health awareness, a need from the bio-based lubricants industry, and a focus on products with a clean label. Trends to watch during this period include advancements in oil refining technology, strategic alliances, and partnerships, an emphasis on products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly, improvements in clay activation technology, and escalated research and development efforts for specialty applications.
The bleaching clay market is predicted to surge due to the growing demand for refined vegetable oil. This type of oil has undergone various refining processes, such as degumming, deacidifying, decoloring, and deodorizing. Made primarily of montmorillonite, bleaching clay serves as a vegetal oil bleaching agent, functioning as an adsorbent clay that removes impurities detrimental to the appearance and functionality of vegetable oils to uphold the high-quality standards required for edible use. For example, in March 2022, the International Olive Oil Council, an intergovernmental organization based in Spain with member states producing olives or creating olive-based products like olive oil, reported in an article that oil consumption is projected to surpass 3.2 million tons in 2021/22. It’s anticipated that global usage of olive oil will hit 3,214,500 tons in the 2021/22 crop year, marking a 2.9% growth from the 2020/21 crop year. Therefore, this escalating demand for refined vegetable oil is propelling the market for bleaching clay.
The bleaching clay market covered in this report is segmented –
1) By Type: Activated Bauxite, Activated Clays, Fuller's Earth
2) By Application: Industrial Oil, Mineral Oil And Waxes, Vegetable Oil And Animal Fats
3) By End-User Industry: Food And Beverage, Cosmetics And Personal Care, Chemicals, Other End-user Industries
Subsegments:
1) By Activated Bauxite: Calcined Bauxite, Non-Calcined Bauxite
2) By Activated Clays: Natural Activated Clays, Synthetic Activated Clays
3) By Fuller's Earth: Calcium-Based Fuller's Earth, Sodium-Based Fuller's Earth
The tendency towards product innovation is a prevailing trend in the bleaching clay industry. To gain a competitive advantage, primary businesses in the market are steering towards the creation of inventive products. For example, Shell Eastern Petroleum (Pte) Ltd., in a move to boost their sustainable low-carbon fuels production, took over EcoOils Limited, a firm that recycles waste oil, in November 2022. This purchase aims mainly at obtaining spent bleaching earth oil, a known biofuel ingredient sourced from recycling used bleaching clay from the palm oil refinement process. EcoOils utilizes recycling methods to reduce landfill trash by converting exhausted bleaching earth into a practical form of oil.
Major companies operating in the bleaching clay market include:
• Taiko Group of Companies.
• Clariant AG
• Ashapura Perfoclay Limited
• Oil-Dri Corporation of America
• Musim Mas Holdings Pte Ltd
• EP Minerals LLC
• HRP Industries Inc.
• Refoil Earth Private Limited
• The W Clay Industries Sdn. Bhd.
• Korvi Activated Earth
• Sinoma Attapulgite Clay Co Ltd.
• Kemira Oyj
• Indian Clay & Mineral Co.
• Manek Active Clay Private Limited
• Minerals Technologies Inc.
• Phoenix Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.
• BASF SE
• AMC (UK) Ltd.
• Arkema S.A.
• E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
• 20 Microns Limited
• AMCOL International Corporation
• Gujarat Clay Mills Private Limited
• Kutch Minerals
• S&B Industrial Minerals S.A.
• Southern Clay Products Inc.
• Geohellas S.A.
• Ashwin Chemicals
• Alfa Chemical Corp.
Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the bleaching clay market share in 2024. North America was the second-largest region in the bleaching clay market analysis. The regions covered in the bleaching clay market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.