Consumption Of Adsorbents And Desiccants Forecast To Grow

An estimated 835 million lbs. of adsorbents and desiccants, valued at nearly $690 million, was consumed last year in North America, according to Adsorbents and Desiccants–North America, 1997, a new report that was recently released by Kline & Company, Inc.

The leading application of adsorbents and desiccants was dynamic purification and deseccation, accounting for 87% of the total volume and 64% of the total value in 1997 (See Table). Dynamic purification and desiccation end uses include water and wastewater, hydrocarbon processing, food and beverage, automotive applications, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, and air and industrial gas drying. Activated carbon is the leading product in this application followed by clay, silica gel, molecular sieves, and activated alumina.

There are only two significant end-use markets for dynamic separations—hydrocarbon separations and air and industrial gas separations. Molecular sieves account for over 90% of the value of total product consumption in this segment. "Molecular sieves used in proprietary hydrocarbon separations sell for over $10.00 a lb," says Barry Friedfeld, project manager at Kline & Company. "This skews the relationship between volume and value in this application."

Static adsorption and desiccation includes all uses in which the adsorbent or desiccant passively adsorbs water and/or other contaminants. The leading end markets include insulated glass, refrigeration, packaging, polyurethane adhesives and coatings, and air brakes. "Due to unique performance criteria, the products used in the application vary by end-use market," adds Friedfeld.

Adsorbents and desiccants are used in a wide variety of end-use applications. While such applications as air separation and packaging are exhibiting strong rates of growth, other applications are more mature or even declining due to technology shifts. "After taking all these trends into account, the overall volume of adsorbents and desiccants is forecast to increase at an average annual growth rate of 2.5% between 1997 and 2002," reports Friedfeld.

The study, Adsorbents And Desiccants–North America, 1997, examines each end use in depth including the products used, environmental trends, and technology shifts. North American consumption of adsorbents and desiccants is summarized by product and application. Profiles of the leading suppliers are provided in the report.

For more information: Barry Friedfeld, Kline & Company, Inc., 165 Passaic Avenue, Fairfield, NJ, 07004. Tel: 973-808-3396.