David Savastano, Editor07.19.21
Additives are a critical component for inks. They provide many of the key characteristics that inks need, whether it is for packaging, publication, inkjet or more, and ensure that the inks run smoothly.
Dispersants are the largest segment by volume. MarketsandMarkets places dispersants at 39% of additives by volume; slip/rub materials make up 18% of the market by volume. Foam control additives (16%), rheology modifiers (15%) and other additives (12%) round out the market.
Verified Market Research (VMR) places the global ink additives market at $1.62 billion and 278.7 thousand tons. According to MarketsandMarkets research, the ink additives market is estimated at 250 kilotons and valued at $2 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.2%.
Lisa Fine, technical director at Ink Systems, categorizes additives into dispersants, fillers (clays), waxes, surfactants for wetting/flow, adhesion promoters, and slip additives other than waxes, like silicone fluids and siloxanes. She said that performance, regulatory compliance and price are key aspects ink formulators look for when considering additives for their inks.
Annirban Bhattacharya, MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd., noted that although the volume of additives consumed is less than pigments, resins and solvents, the other key components of inks, they play a vital role in the ink formulation.
“Additives help in altering the properties of inks and improve their performance and appearance, offering gloss or matt finish, water and/or scratch resistance, and enhanced flow behavior,” Bhattacharya observed.
“The ink additives market is segmented on the basis of type into rheology modifiers, slip/rub materials, defoamers, dispersants, and others. The others include chelating agents, wetting agents, antioxidants, and driers. Wetting and dispersing agents are used in almost every ink formulation, and their functionalities are very similar,” Bhattacharya added.
Fine noted that there has been a shift in terms of additives being used over the years, particularly in food contact applications, both direct and non-direct.
“The changing regulatory landscape (addition of substances to regulated lists) affects the choice of all raw materials due to intentional and not intentional (residual) substances involved in their manufacture,” added Fine.
Fine added that sustainability has receded as a major driver in additive selection recently.
“The discussion of sustainability has ebbed and flowed over the years, but with the most recent availability and price pressures dominating, sustainability has receded to the background somewhat,” Fine noted.
The Additives Market
Leading consultants point to different trends in the additives market. In its report, “Global Ink Additive Market Size By Type, By Process, By Application, By Geographic Scope and Forecast,” Verified Market Research (VMR) expects the additive market to grow at a CAGR of 5.08% during the forecast period of 2021-2028, reaching a value of $2.41 billion.
“In terms of volume, the market stands at 278.7 thousand tons for year 2020 and the same is forecasted to grow at 4.75% during the forecast period,” added Nikhil Pampatwar, head - research & intelligence at VMR.
Pampatwar observed that packaging applications account for 67% of the overall market for additives in 2020, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.45% during the forecast period.
Bhattacharya pointed out that ink additives can be produced from various sources.
“However, the cost of production plays an important role among manufacturers in choosing the right raw material for additives production,” added Bhattacharya. “The most common raw materials used for manufacturing ink additives include silicone oils, paraffin waxes, and crude oil derivatives. The growing popularity among consumers for bio-based sources is expected to drive the market for sunflower oil and other such renewable sources of raw materials for ink additives.”
Bhattacharya said that ink additives are mostly used in printing inks that are used in for packaging.
“Packaging applications are the largest and fastest-growing segment of ink additives. High demand for ink additives from flexible packaging and corrugated cardboard and folding cartons is expected in the next five years,” added Bhattacharya.
Pampatwar reported that Asia-Pacific leads the market, accounting for 43%, followed by Europe with 26%, North America with 21% and the rest of the world with 10%.
“APAC is an important consumer of ink additives due to the increasing demand from middle-class population coupled with increasing demand from end-use industries and having low labor costs with less stringent regulatory norms,” Pampatwar said. “Further, rising demands from packaged consumer goods in APAC will boost the overall market demand. In addition to that, rising demand for food packaging from the retail sector, especially from countries like China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, is also increasing and thereby influencing the overall growth of the ink additives market in APAC.”
“Increasing adoption of eco-friendly inks has also substantially contributed to the demand for bio-degradable additives in this region,” Pampatwar added. “The printing ink market is also growing rapidly in Eastern Europe and South America.”
Dispersants are the largest segment by volume. MarketsandMarkets places dispersants at 39% of additives by volume; slip/rub materials make up 18% of the market by volume. Foam control additives (16%), rheology modifiers (15%) and other additives (12%) round out the market.
Verified Market Research (VMR) places the global ink additives market at $1.62 billion and 278.7 thousand tons. According to MarketsandMarkets research, the ink additives market is estimated at 250 kilotons and valued at $2 billion by 2023, growing at a CAGR of 5.2%.
Lisa Fine, technical director at Ink Systems, categorizes additives into dispersants, fillers (clays), waxes, surfactants for wetting/flow, adhesion promoters, and slip additives other than waxes, like silicone fluids and siloxanes. She said that performance, regulatory compliance and price are key aspects ink formulators look for when considering additives for their inks.
Annirban Bhattacharya, MarketsandMarkets Research Private Ltd., noted that although the volume of additives consumed is less than pigments, resins and solvents, the other key components of inks, they play a vital role in the ink formulation.
“Additives help in altering the properties of inks and improve their performance and appearance, offering gloss or matt finish, water and/or scratch resistance, and enhanced flow behavior,” Bhattacharya observed.
“The ink additives market is segmented on the basis of type into rheology modifiers, slip/rub materials, defoamers, dispersants, and others. The others include chelating agents, wetting agents, antioxidants, and driers. Wetting and dispersing agents are used in almost every ink formulation, and their functionalities are very similar,” Bhattacharya added.
Fine noted that there has been a shift in terms of additives being used over the years, particularly in food contact applications, both direct and non-direct.
“The changing regulatory landscape (addition of substances to regulated lists) affects the choice of all raw materials due to intentional and not intentional (residual) substances involved in their manufacture,” added Fine.
Fine added that sustainability has receded as a major driver in additive selection recently.
“The discussion of sustainability has ebbed and flowed over the years, but with the most recent availability and price pressures dominating, sustainability has receded to the background somewhat,” Fine noted.
The Additives Market
Leading consultants point to different trends in the additives market. In its report, “Global Ink Additive Market Size By Type, By Process, By Application, By Geographic Scope and Forecast,” Verified Market Research (VMR) expects the additive market to grow at a CAGR of 5.08% during the forecast period of 2021-2028, reaching a value of $2.41 billion.
“In terms of volume, the market stands at 278.7 thousand tons for year 2020 and the same is forecasted to grow at 4.75% during the forecast period,” added Nikhil Pampatwar, head - research & intelligence at VMR.
Pampatwar observed that packaging applications account for 67% of the overall market for additives in 2020, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.45% during the forecast period.
Bhattacharya pointed out that ink additives can be produced from various sources.
“However, the cost of production plays an important role among manufacturers in choosing the right raw material for additives production,” added Bhattacharya. “The most common raw materials used for manufacturing ink additives include silicone oils, paraffin waxes, and crude oil derivatives. The growing popularity among consumers for bio-based sources is expected to drive the market for sunflower oil and other such renewable sources of raw materials for ink additives.”
Bhattacharya said that ink additives are mostly used in printing inks that are used in for packaging.
“Packaging applications are the largest and fastest-growing segment of ink additives. High demand for ink additives from flexible packaging and corrugated cardboard and folding cartons is expected in the next five years,” added Bhattacharya.
Pampatwar reported that Asia-Pacific leads the market, accounting for 43%, followed by Europe with 26%, North America with 21% and the rest of the world with 10%.
“APAC is an important consumer of ink additives due to the increasing demand from middle-class population coupled with increasing demand from end-use industries and having low labor costs with less stringent regulatory norms,” Pampatwar said. “Further, rising demands from packaged consumer goods in APAC will boost the overall market demand. In addition to that, rising demand for food packaging from the retail sector, especially from countries like China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam, is also increasing and thereby influencing the overall growth of the ink additives market in APAC.”
“Increasing adoption of eco-friendly inks has also substantially contributed to the demand for bio-degradable additives in this region,” Pampatwar added. “The printing ink market is also growing rapidly in Eastern Europe and South America.”