SAN JOSE, CA – The global market for defoamers is forecast to reach $2.77 billion by the year 2015, propelled by escalating demand from end-use industries including petroleum and paint and coatings. Given stringent environmental regulations, the eco-friendly, water-based, silicone and dioxin-free defoamers are slated to find increasing usage worldwide. In addition, paper mills focused towards use of water-based alkaline production processes will further boost consumption of defoamers. This and other information is presented in a newly released report on the defoamers market by Global Industry Analysts Inc. (GIA).

Application areas of defoamers are varied and include the paint and coatings, paper and pulp, inks, and laundry detergents industries among various others. The pulp and paper industry is the largest consumers of defoamers. The paper recycling industry uses a greater proportion of defoamers as compared to the overall pulp and paper industry. A spur in demand for silicone defoamers in the papermaking sector is expected to drive defoamers market in the future. Dioxin-free defoamers are in great demand, following a decline in demand for polysilicone defoamers.

Amendments in the federal regulations have made it mandatory to use defoamers that do not discharge VOCs and air pollutants. This has forced the end-use industries to consider the environmental impact of defoamers that are low-volume additives. Therefore, environmentally friendly, water-based defoamers are gaining immense popularity. Blended products comprising several active ingredients such as fatty acids, esters, oils and silica in a water base are witnessing steady gains, since they are environmentally friendly and have a reduced impact on finished products. The United States and Europe represent the two largest markets for defoamers used in the water treatment industry. Growth in water treatment chemicals is likely to be spurred by rapid growth in industrialization and population in these countries. Paper and metal manufacturing represent two key growth areas that account for a greater share of these chemicals. Demand for paint and coatings is increasing as manufacturers are developing new techniques and reformulating the product to meet federal regulations. The paint and coatings industry is increasingly adapting water-based formulations for industrial and architectural coatings. Defoamers, wetting agents and dispersants are widely used in the printing and inks industry. Additionally, a shift towards water-borne inks has led to a greater demand for defoamers.

Europe, closely followed by the United States, constitutes two of the largest markets for defoamers. The demand for defoamers in the developed markets of the United States and Europe is anticipated to receive an impetus due to thriving end-use markets, stringent environmental regulations, advanced infrastructure and expectation of enhanced performance levels. In growth terms, the Asia-Pacific market, powered by China and India, is forecast to forge ahead of the other regional markets with a compounded annual growth rate of 2.6 percent over the analysis period.

The research report, titled “Defoamers: A Global Strategic Business Report,” provides a comprehensive review of current market trends, product overview, end-use markets, product innovations, recent industry activity and profiles of market players worldwide. Visit www.strategyr.com/Defoamers_Market_Report.asp for additional information.