Paraformaldehyde Market Size was valued at USD 470.87 Billion in 2023. The paraformaldehyde market industry is projected to grow from USD 492.06 Billion in 2024 to USD 669.63 Billion by 2032, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.930% during the forecast period (2024 - 2032). Rising consumer products, personal care, cleaning, fluorescent lighting, photography, and printing, as well as fertilizer and organic chemical synthesis usage, are the key market drivers enhancing the market growth.
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review
The market CAGR for paraformaldehyde is driven by the Formaldehyde polymerization that produces paraformaldehyde [OH(CH2O)nH], also called polyoxymethylene, a white crystalline solid. In the aqueous solution of formaldehyde, it precipitates as a white substance. Small amounts of methanol are frequently added as a stabilizer to help limit the degree of polymerization. Although paraformaldehyde is soluble in alkali solutions, alcohol, ether, and water are insoluble. According to its purity, paraformaldehyde is sold commercially; the higher the purity, the more expensive it is. Higher molecular homopolymers have a strong, rigid structure and good heat, solvent, and moisture retention. Paraformaldehyde is used as a fungicide, fixative, fumigant, and disinfectant once depolymerized. Additionally, it is frequently used as a root canal treatment component. The market's expansion will be fueled by the rising use of chemical fertilizers for efficient crop growth as well as a rising consumer product, personal care, cleaning, fluorescent lighting, photography, and printing, as well as fertilizer and organic chemical synthesis usage.
The production of many agricultural chemicals, including pesticides, bactericides, fertilizers, and herbicides, uses paraformaldehyde. Formaldehyde polymerization produces the white crystalline solid, paraformaldehyde, or OH(CH2O)-nH. A small amount of methanol is frequently added as a stabilizer to reduce the amount of polymerization, and it produces a white precipitate in an aqueous formaldehyde solution. A different name for paraformaldehyde is polyoxymethylene, which is soluble in alkaline solutions but insoluble in water, ether, and alcohol. Similar to formaldehyde, it smells.
The price of paraformaldehyde increases with purity level because it is available in various purity levels. Heat, solvents, and moisture can be retained by high molecular weight homopolymers, which are also strong and tough. Several resins based on phenol, including vinyl, diphenylmethane diisocyanate, polyacetal resin, terephthalic acid, melamine resin, and acrylate, are synthesized using paraformaldehyde. Additionally, it is currently used to make pesticides like acetochlor, butachlor, and glyphosate. Additionally, it can be used to make vitamin A and create paints and topcoats for high-end automotive finishes. Thus, driving the paraformaldehyde market revenue.
Based on applications, the paraformaldehyde market segmentation includes resins, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, additives, oil drilling chemicals, and others. The agrochemicals segment dominated the market; these comprise one of the principal uses for paraformaldehyde. Herbicides like glyphosate, acetochlor, butachlor, machete, and bismerthiazol are all made using it in large quantities. The industry anticipates rising paraformaldehyde demand due to increased agrochemical demand. By 2032, the paraformaldehyde market will grow due to favorable trends in crop production and the rising use of agricultural chemicals.
Figure 1: Paraformaldehyde Market, by Application, 2022 & 2032 (USD Billion)
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review
By region, the study provides market insights into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. The North American paraformaldehyde market area will dominate this market, growing market, primarily in the U.S., for agricultural chemicals such as pesticides, fungicides, bactericides, and herbicides are emerging U.S. is expected to encourage future industry growth. Growing investments in the medical sector and favorable trends in healthcare research will promote industry expansion. Furthermore, rising oil and gas exploration activities will help meet the rising demand for thermosetting resins like urea, phenol, resorcinol, and melamine over the forecast period, further boosting product sales. These resins are utilized in various industries, including those that deal with wood, paper production, plastics, paint and coatings, and others. In addition, the growing population and consumer preference for staple crops are expected to increase the demand for higher-quality and more quantitative products, increasing the demand for agrochemicals and fueling the market for paraformaldehyde.
Further, the major countries studied in the market report are The US, Canada, German, France, the UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil.
Figure 2: PARAFORALDEHYDE MARKET SHARE BY REGION 2022 (USD Billion)
Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review
Europe’s paraformaldehyde market accounts for the second-largest market share, the demand for thermosetting resin, such as phenol, urea, melamine, and resorcinol, will increase due to the rise in the production of laminates, pentaerythritol, MDI, and wood panels, which will further provide potential opportunities for the growth of the paraformaldehyde market in the upcoming years. Further, the German paraformaldehyde market held the largest market share, and the UK paraformaldehyde market was the fastest-growing market in the European region
The Asia-Pacific Paraformaldehyde Market is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR from 2023 to 2032. The increase in paraformaldehyde manufacturing. The expansion of the paraformaldehyde market in the area will also be aided by growing development in the construction, automotive, and agricultural sectors, as well as rising disposable income. Moreover, China’s paraformaldehyde market held the largest market share, and the Indian paraformaldehyde market was the fastest-growing market in the Asia-Pacific region.
Leading market players are investing heavily in research and development in order to expand their product lines, which will help the paraformaldehyde market grow even more. Market participants are also undertaking a variety of strategic activities to expand their footprint, with important market developments including new product launches, contractual agreements, mergers and acquisitions, higher investments, and collaboration with other organizations. The paraformaldehyde industry must offer cost-effective items to expand and survive in a more competitive and rising market climate.
Manufacturing locally to minimize operational costs is one of the key business tactics used by manufacturers in the paraformaldehyde industry to benefit clients and increase the market sector. The paraformaldehyde industry has offered some significant advantages in recent years. Major players in the paraformaldehyde market include Celanese Corporation (US), Chemanol (Saudi Arabia), Ercros S.A (Spain), PT. Dover Chemical (Indonesia), Prefere Resins Holding GmbH (German), Alder S.p.A (Italy), Merck KGaA (Germany), Kothari Phytochemicals & Industries Ltd. (India), Simalin Chemical Industries Pvt Ltd (India), Synthite (UK), NANTONG JIANGTIAN CHEMICALS CO., LTD (China), Jinan Xiang Rui chemical co., ltd (China), and Ekta International (India) and others, are attempting to increase market demand by investing in research and development operations.
Ercros S.A. (Spain), Chlorine Derivatives Division, Intermediate Chemicals Division, and Pharmaceuticals Division make up the three business divisions of Ercros, an industrial group with a century-long history. Almost half of its sales are exported to more than 103 countries, mostly in the EU, and it is a market leader in the major markets where it does business. The business produces its goods in accordance with a voluntary commitment it has made regarding the security of its facilities and the health of its employees, respect for the environment, the calibre of its goods, and communication and transparency with society. A significant portion of the market is made up of the pharmaceutical and intermediate chemical sectors' goods. Ercros is ranked top in the world for paraformaldehyde. Additionally, it dominates the markets for fosfomycin and fusidic acid. In Europe, it leads sales of trichloroisocyanuric acid («TCCA») and in Spain leads the sales of caustic soda and potash, sodium hypochlorite, sodium chlorate, formaldehyde, pentaerythritol and molding powders, and is the second agent in the PVC market and of glues and resins.
The first private sector petrochemicals firm in the GCC, the Saudi Formaldehyde Chemicals Company, was founded in 1989. After a successful initial public offering (IPO) in 2008, the company changed its name to Methanol Chemicals Company (Chemanol). It is a publicly traded Saudi joint stock company with SAR 674,508,630 in paid-up capital. The company, based in Al Jubail Industrial City, exports 26 product grades to more than 50 countries in over 21 different industries, with a total annual production capacity of nearly one million metric tons. Chemanol is one of the most dependable and they'll-integrated methanol producers and its derivatives. The company is also the largest producer in the GCC and one of the largest producers of formaldehyde in the world, with a single facility. Chemanol produces high-quality methanol derivatives, such as aqueous and urea formaldehyde, superplasticizers, amino resins, hexamethylene tetramine, paraformaldehyde, dimethyl formamide, methylamines, pentaerythritol, sodium formate. These products are used in various industries, including construction, automotive, pharmaceutical, and agriculture.
March 2022: Ercros S.A. (Spain), Chlorine Derivatives Division, Intermediate Chemicals Division, and Pharmaceuticals Division make up the three business divisions of Ercros, an industrial group with a century-long history. Almost half of its sales are exported to more than 103 countries, mostly in the EU, and it is a market leader in the major markets where it does business.
January 2022: The company carries out its production under a voluntary commitment that it has made in relation to the safety of its facilities and the health of people, respect for the environment, the quality of its products and dialogue and transparency in relation to society.
February 2021: The products of the intermediate chemicals and pharmaceutical divisions represent an important share of the world market. With paraformaldehyde, Ercros ranks first in the world ranking. It is also a leader in the market for fusidic acid and fosfomycin.
| Attribute/Metric | Details |
| Market Size 2023 | USD 470.87 Billion |
| Market Size 2024 | USD 492.06 Billion |
| Market Size 2032 | USD 669.63 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) | 3.93% (2024-2032) |
| Base Year | 2023 |
| Market Forecast Period | 2024-2032 |
| Historical Data | 2018- 2022 |
| Market Forecast Units | Value (USD Billion) |
| Report Coverage | Revenue Forecast, Market Competitive Landscape, Growth Factors, and Trends |
| Segments Covered | Application and Region |
| Geographies Covered | North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Rest of the World |
| Countries Covered | The US, Canada, German, France, UK, Italy, Spain, China, Japan, India, Australia, South Korea, and Brazil |
| Key Companies Profiled | Celanese Corporation (US), Chemanol (Saudi Arabia), Ercros S.A (Spain), PT. Dover Chemical (Indonesia), Prefere Resins Holding GmbH (German), Alder S.p.A (Italy), Merck KGaA (Germany), Kothari Phytochemicals & Industries Ltd. (India), Simalin Chemical Industries Pvt Ltd (India), Synthite (UK), NANTONG JIANGTIAN CHEMICALS CO., LTD (China), Jinan Xiang Rui chemical co., ltd (China), and Ekta International (India) |
| Key Market Opportunities are | rising consumer products, personal care, cleaning, fluorescent lighting, photography, and printing. |
| Key Market Dynamics | Rising fertilizer and organic chemical synthesis usage |
Paraformaldehyde Market Highlights:
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) :
The paraformaldehyde market size was valued at USD 470.87 Billion in 2023.
The paraformaldehyde market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 3.93% during the forecast period, 2024-2032.
North America had the largest share of the paraformaldehyde market
The key players in the paraformaldehyde market are Celanese Corporation (US), Chemanol (Saudi Arabia), Ercros S.A (Spain), PT. Dover Chemical (Indonesia), Prefere Resins Holding GmbH (German), Alder S.p.A (Italy), Merck KGaA (Germany), Kothari Phytochemicals & Industries Ltd. (India), Simalin Chemical Industries Pvt Ltd (India), Synthite (UK), NANTONG JIANGTIAN CHEMICALS CO., LTD (China), Jinan Xiang Rui chemical co., ltd (China), and Ekta International (India)
The agrochemical category dominated the paraformaldehyde market in 2023.
The store based had the largest share in the paraformaldehyde market.
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Team Lead - Research Anshula mandaokar holds an academic degree in chemical engineering and has been contributing to the field for more than 5 years. she has expertise in market research and business consulting and serves as a team lead for a reputed market research firm under the chemicals and materials domain spectrum. she has worked on multiple projects, generating explicit results in a quick turnaround time. her understanding of data interpretation justifies her role as a leader.
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