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Use of Dyes, Pigments Expected to Rise

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

World demand for dyes and organic pigments is forecast to increase by 3.9 percent per year to $16.2 billion in 2013, in line with real (inflation-adjusted) gains in manufacturing activity. While the textile industry will remain the largest consumer, faster growth is expected in paint and coatings, plastics and printing ink.

Volume demand will grow 3.5 percent annually, to 2.3 million metric tons. Strong gains will occur in developing Asia and, to a lesser extent, other developing areas such as the Africa/Mideast region and Eastern Europe, while market maturity will limit advances in developed areas such as North America, Western Europe and Japan.

These and other trends are presented in World Dyes & Organic Pigments, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry research firm.

Following trends seen over the past decade, the Asia/Pacific region will experience the strongest growth and increase its share of the global dye and organic pigment market -- representing one-half of world demand in 2013, up from 37 percent in 1998. China is by far the world’s largest and fastest-growing consumer, accounting for about two-fifths of global value gains in dye and organic pigment demand between 2008 and 2013.

India will also post rapid increases, but demand levels will remain well below those of China.

Dye consumption will grow more slowly than organic pigment demand, although dyes will continue to represent the lion’s share of the overall market both in volume and value. Disperse dyes are expected to see the most rapid gains, due to their usage in the fast-growing polyester fiber industry.

Organic pigments will continue to find increasing use in inks and coatings due to their ability to provide intense and bright colors. The best prospects are for high-performance products such as quinacridones, which will experience favorable gains as end users require more exacting properties from their coloring agents.

While specialized pigment grades will offer good opportunities due to their enhanced environmental acceptability and superior performance characteristics (e.g., heat stability, chemical resistance and lightfastness), classical or conventional grades are expected to continue to dominate the organic market.

World Dyes & Organic Pigments is available from The Freedonia Group Inc., 767 Beta Drive, Cleveland, OH 44143-2326. For more information, contact Corinne Gangloff at 440.684.9600 or e-mail pr@freedoniagroup.com.