Dispersing Agents Global Market Report 2025

The dispersing agents market size has grown strongly in recent years. It will grow from $7.26 billion in 2024 to $7.7 billion in 2025 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growing industrialization, rising demand in end-use industries, environmental regulations, focus on research and development, increasing population and urbanization.

The dispersing agents market size is expected to see strong growth in the next few years. It will grow to $10.31 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.6%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to digitalization of manufacturing processes, increased R&D investments, increased demand for high-performance products, focus on cost-effective solutions, emerging markets and industries. Major trends in the forecast period include cross-industry collaboration, advancements in nanotechnology, environmentally friendly products, focus on water-based dispersants, technological innovations.

The forecast of 7.6% growth over the next five years reflects a modest reduction of 0.4% from the previous estimate for this market. This reduction is primarily due to the impact of tariffs between the US and other countries. This is likely to directly affect the US by disrupting imports of specialty surfactants from Italy and South Korea, raising costs for paints, inks, and ceramic production. The effect will also be felt more widely due to reciprocal tariffs and the negative effect on the global economy and trade due to increased trade tensions and restrictions.

The rise in oil drilling and exploration activities is expected to propel the growth of the dispersing agent market. Oil drilling involves boring into the earth to extract oil and natural gas, while exploration activities encompass the techniques and methods used to locate potential drilling sites. Dispersing agents, such as oil dispersants, are mixtures of emulsifiers and solvents used to break down oil into small droplets during oil spills, preventing oil slicks from spreading on the water's surface. This helps mitigate the environmental impact by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. For instance, in January 2023, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported that U.S. crude oil production was projected to reach an average of 12.4 million barrels per day (b/d) in 2023, with an increase to 12.8 million b/d in 2024, representing a 3.2% year-over-year growth. Consequently, the growing oil drilling and exploration activities are driving the demand for dispersing agents.

The burgeoning construction and infrastructure development sector are expected to significantly drive the growth of the dispersing agent market. This industry encompasses the planning and execution of projects to build and upgrade physical structures and amenities. Dispersing agents find extensive use in concrete mixes within construction for enhanced workability, reduced water consumption, and improved additive dispersion. For instance, according to the US Census Bureau in November 2023, construction spending is forecasted to reach $1.99 trillion, indicating a 0.4% increase from the previous month and an 8.7% surge compared to September 2022. Similarly, as per USAFACTS in June 2022, the federal government allocated $36.6 billion to infrastructure spending, while provinces received $94.5 billion. This growth in construction and infrastructure activities drives the demand for dispersing agents in various applications.

Major companies in the dispersing agent market are focusing on launching innovative products like solvent-based dispersing agents to enhance the stability and performance of their formulations. Solvent-based dispersing agents are used to improve the dispersion of solid particles in a liquid medium, stabilizing suspensions and ensuring uniform mixtures in applications such as coatings, inks, and cosmetics. For instance, in April 2023, BASF, a Germany-based chemical company, introduced Efka PX 4360, a next-generation dispersing agent for solvent-based industrial coatings. Utilizing BASF’s Controlled Free Radical Polymerization (CFRP) technology, this product delivers superior performance, excellent compatibility with various pigment and coating systems, and is designed for aromatic- and tin-free formulations.

The dispersing agents are chemicals comprising surfactants and solvent components designed to break petroleum oil into tiny droplets. These compounds facilitate the creation of colors with extremely low solubilities that dissolve steadily in water.

The main product types of dispersing agents include suspension, solution, colloid, powder, and others. Suspension refers to a heterogeneous combination of solid particles dispersed throughout the liquid without dissolving. The foam types include waterborne, oilborne, and solvent-borne. Various end industries involved are paints and coatings, oil and gas, construction, pulp and paper, textiles, and other end-user industries.

Note that the outlook for this market is being affected by rapid changes in trade relations and tariffs globally. The report will be updated prior to delivery to reflect the latest status, including revised forecasts and quantified impact analysis. The report’s Recommendations and Conclusions sections will be updated to give strategies for entities dealing with the fast-moving international environment.

The escalating U.S. tariffs and rising trade tensions in spring 2025 are expected to significantly affect the chemicals sector, which is facing a disproportionate impact - particularly from tariffs on petrochemicals and intermediates, where affordable domestic alternatives are limited. Specialty chemical producers, who rely heavily on Chinese raw materials, are encountering production disruptions. Meanwhile, fertilizer manufacturers are seeing their profit margins squeezed due to tariffs on phosphate imports. In response, companies are increasing investments in R&D for bio-based alternatives, forming procurement alliances to strengthen purchasing power, and relocating production to tariff-neutral countries like Saudi Arabia.

The dispersing agents market research report is one of a series of new reports that provides dispersing agents market statistics, including dispersing agents industry global market size, regional shares, competitors with dispersing agents market share, detailed dispersing agents market segments, market trends, and opportunities, and any further data you may need to thrive in the dispersing agent's industry. This dispersing agents market research report delivers a complete perspective of everything you need, with an in-depth analysis of the current and future scenarios of the industry.

Major players in the dispersing agent market are focused on developing innovative products like universal dispersing agents to cater to diverse customer needs and enhance performance in various applications. Universal dispersing agents help distribute solid particles uniformly in liquids or other media, improving stability and preventing particle agglomeration. For example, in June 2022, Clariant AG, a Switzerland-based chemicals company, launched Dispersogen Flex 100, a low-VOC dispersing agent designed for high-quality pigment preparations. It is compatible with both water-based and solvent-borne systems, contains 100% active ingredients, and holds the EcoTain label, emphasizing its sustainability.

In July 2024, Arclin, a US-based chemical company specializing in advanced adhesive solutions and surface technologies, acquired RG Dispersants for an undisclosed amount. With this acquisition, Arclin aims to expand its product offerings and strengthen its market presence in North America, enhancing its capabilities in industries such as wallboard, specialty concrete, and agriculture. This move also reinforces Arclin’s core chemical expertise and manufacturing capabilities. RG Dispersants, a US-based chemical company, focuses on producing dispersants and surface-active products for various industrial applications.

Major companies operating in the dispersing agents market include BASF SE, Clariant AG, Altana AG, Arkema Group, Ashland Inc., Croda International PLC., Emerald Performance Materials, Solvay SA, Elementis PLC., Evonik Industries AG, Gruppo Chimico Dalton SpA, King Industries Inc., Cera-Chem Pvt. Ltd., CHRYSO SAS, Rudolf GmbH, Dow Inc., Akzo Nobel N.V., Lonza Group AG, Huntsman Corporation, DIC Corporation, Wacker Chemie AG, Kao Corporation, Buckman Laboratories International Inc., Milliken & Company, Michelman Inc., PCC SE, Harmony Additive Pvt. Ltd., Safic-Alcan Group, Shamrock Technologies Inc., Pulcra Chemicals.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the dispersing agents market in 2024. The regions covered in the dispersing agents market report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa.

The countries covered in the dispersing agents market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The dispersing agents market consists of sales of cationic and non-ionic dispersing agents. Values in this market are ‘factory gate’ values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD, unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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