Chelating Agents Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034

The global chelating agents market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.80% during the period 2025-2034. Chelating agents may be natural or synthetic organic compounds employed for industrial, medical and biological applications. These aid the digestion process in humans as well as animals, and help in transportation of nutrients in plants. North America, Europe and Asia are expected to be key markets.

Global Market Likely to be Driven by Applications in Sectors Including Food, Pharma, Personal Care, Cleaning, Agriculture, and Pulp & Paper

A chelating agent refers to a chemical compound that reacts with metal ions to create stable, water-soluble metal complexes. The agent reorganizes the metal's chemical composition and enhances the metal's general stability and possibility to bond with other substances. Applications of chelating agents include medical, scale removal, water treatment, corrosion control, etc. Chelating agents are also called chelants, chelators or sequestering agents. A chelating agent's molecules create multiple bonds to a metal ion and stop the metal from reacting as it normally would. Bonding to metal ions re-arranges ions' core structure and chemical structure. Chemical structures in several metals closely resemble chains. Chelators attach to the ends of these chain-like structures to create a stable ring capable of moving easily through different environments.

Multiple Applications of Chelating Agents Expected to Stimulate Global Chelating Agents Market

Chelating agents are used in detergents, industrial cleaners, food industry, paper industry, photography, metal treatment, polymer processing, agriculture, textile processing, etc.

In boilers, chelating agents are employed to dissolve common types of scale during ordinary operations; chelates deliver effective online and offline scale removal in boilers.

Surface active chelates are employed as corrosion inhibitors to create insoluble surface chelates (compounds made of the chelating agent and the metal ion).

Benefits Afforded by Chelating Agents Expected to Boost Global Chelating Agents Market

Benefits of chelates include:

Reduced downtime - Unregulated metal ions (iron, copper, manganese, calcium, etc.) in a product or process could accelerate chemical reactions leading to loss of product and equipment downtime. Heavy metal chelating agents can help prevent such loss and downtime.

Enhanced quality and sustainability of operations - Chelates may be added to completed consumer products and in processes to tackle issues caused by metal ions, including discolouration, precipitation, degradation, emulsion instability and rancidity. These could also address scaling, degradation, and unwanted chemical reactions to enhance overall operational sustainability.

Superior performance, reduced costs - Chelates may be employed to increase the performance of products such as vitamins and plant micronutrients, and household, industrial and institutional cleaners. Chelates effective at significantly low concentrations can lower operating and material costs.

Different Types of Chelates Offer Greater Choice and More Uses

Types of chelates include EDTA (widely used; strong, cost-effective and general purpose chelating agent), GLDA (a safe and easily biodegradable chelate, capable of being used as an alternative for NTA,EDTA, phosphates and phosphonates, particularly in cleaning applications), MGDA (a safe and easily biodegradable strong chelate, may be employed as an alternative to NTA, EDTA, phosphates and phosphonates, particularly in short contact time cleaning applications), Glucoheptonate (a biodegradable chelate based on a carbohydrate; shows exceptional chelating capability for iron hydroxides and other transition metal ions at high pH), EDG (an easily biodegradable chelate, effective when a relatively weak chelate may be used), DTPA (suggested when an exceptionally strong chelate is required, like during peroxide bleaching of pulp; particularly fit for descaling in oilfield applications), HEDTA (a chelate similar in efficacy to EDTA, considered less hazardous; especially useful when high solubility is required at low pH and for stabilizing iron ions at high pH).

Eco-friendly Solutions Likely to Drive Global Chelating Agents Market

Environmentally-friendly solutions are expected to be in greater demand. For example, in the EU, the conventional chelate nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) is subject to harmonized classification in accordance with the CLP Regulation. The classification leads to a rising demand for more eco-friendly alternatives.

Market Segmentation

Global Chelating Agents Market Report and Forecast 2025-2034 offers a detailed analysis of the market based on the following segments:

Breakup by Type

• Biodegradable
• EDDS
• NTA
• IDS
• GLDA
• MGDA
• Sodium Gluconate
• Others
• Non-Biodegradable
• EDTA
• DTPA
• Phosphates and Phosphonates
• Others

Breakup by Application

• Pulp and Paper
• Cleaning
• Water Treatment
• Agrochemicals
• Personal Care
• Others

Breakup by Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa

Key Industry Players in the Global Chelating Agents Market

The report presents a detailed analysis of the following key players in the market, looking into their capacity, and latest developments like capacity expansions, plant turnarounds, and mergers and acquisitions:

• BASF SE
• The Dow Chemical Company
• Nouryon
• Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation
• Nippon Shokubai Co., Ltd.
• Others

The report gives an in-depth insight into the industry by providing a SWOT analysis as well as an analysis of Porter’s Five Forces model.