| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
| Market Volume (2025) | 590.29 Thousand tons |
| Market Volume (2030) | 718.18 Thousand tons |
| CAGR | 4.00 % |
| Fastest Growing Market | Asia-Pacific |
| Largest Market | Asia-Pacific |
| Market Concentration | Medium |
Major Players*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order |
Chelating Agents Market Analysis
The Chelating Agents Market size is estimated at 590.29 thousand tons in 2025, and is expected to reach 718.18 thousand tons by 2030, at a CAGR of greater than 4% during the forecast period (2025-2030).
The market was negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak in the first half of 2020, the pulp and paper industry experienced a substantial clog in its growth rate. This, in turn, unfavorably impacted the consumption of chelating agents. Currently, the market has recovered from the pandemic. The market reached pre-pandemic levels in 2022 and is expected to grow steadily in the future.
Increasing demand for chelating agents from household cleaning applications is expected to fuel market growth.
On the flip side, the adverse effects of non-biodegradable chelating agents on the environment are anticipated to restrain the growth of the market over the forecast period.
Further, the growing demand for green chelating agents in several end-user industries is likely to create lucrative growth opportunities for the global market in the future.
The Asia-Pacific region dominated the market around the world, with countries like China, India, and Japan being the biggest consumers.
Chelating Agents Market Trends
Increasing Consumption of Chelating Agents in Cleaning Applications
- Chelating agents are used majorly in cleaning applications. A variety of cleaning formulations are derived using chelating agents owing to their vital role in preventing interference in the cleaning process from the minerals present in hard water.
- Apart from cleaning, the chelating agents demonstrate many other advantages, such as improving the shelf life of the products being cleaned, maintaining color, imparting antimicrobial effects, preventing allergies from nickel or chromium, etc.
- When used in soaps and detergents, the chelating agents facilitate the prevention of metal staining as well as the premature decomposition of bleaching agents. On the other hand, the chelating agents used in making industrial cleaning solutions aid in scale and rust removal by loosening, breaking up, and dissolving insoluble salt deposits on the equipment's surface.
- The growing consciousness for hygiene maintenance in personal and surrounding spaces has stimulated many global detergent manufacturing companies to tap into the surging demand for domestic cleaning formulations.
- For instance, In May 2022, Proctor & Gamble (P&G), the manufacturer of brands like Aerial and Tide, invested INR 2 billion (~ USD 26.52 million) in the construction of a liquid detergent manufacturing plant in Hyderabad.
- According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual expenditures for soaps and detergents in the United States amounted to roughly USD 85.37 per consumer unit in 2022, reflecting an increase of 6% compared to the previous year.
- Therefore, considering the factors mentioned above, the demand for chelating agents is expected to rise in the cleaners application segment significantly in the near future.
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Asia-Pacific Region to Dominate the Market
- The Asia-Pacific region is expected to account for the largest market for chelating agents market during the forecast period owing to the expanding paper and pulp sector, cleaners, wastewater treatment, agrochemicals, and pharmaceutical industry applications etc. in major countries such as China, India, Japan, etc.
- The Asia-Pacific is witnessing the fastest growth in the demand for both household and industrial detergents. The fast-paced industrialization has made way for the penetration of convenient and easy-to-apply cleaners in these countries.
- Chelating agents find wide usage in the bleaching of pulp and paper, an industry whose growth is being propelled by the rise in e-commerce activities. The paper-based flexible packaging solutions have emerged as durable and environment-friendly alternatives to conventionally used plastic packaging. The popularity of paper-based packaging has fortified the demand fundamentals for chelating agents in the pulp and paper industry.
- China, the world’s largest paper manufacturing country, according to the data published by the China Paper Association, the total output of the pulp, paper, and paper products industry reached 283.91 million tons in 2022. This is a slight increase of 1.32 percent from 2021, thus positively impacting the studied market.
- In addition, the wastewater treatment in the Asia-Pacific region has rapid increase with tightening environmental regulations and a growing preference for high-quality and safe water in day-to-day life. Rapidly growing food and beverage, pharmaceutical, chemical, and personal care sectors in China, India, and Japan, with growing population size and strengthening consumer spending power, are spiraling the demand for chelating agents, which will further enhance the growth of the market studied.
- In June 2022, an environmental protection company that focuses on water environment management, named China Everbright Water, secured the expansion and upgrading project of the Zhangdian East Chemical Industry Park Industrial Wastewater Treatment in Zibo City, Shandong Province. This project will be operated on a BOT (Build-Operate-Transfer) model, with a designed daily industrial wastewater treatment capacity of around 5,000 m3.
- All the factors mentioned above are likely to fuel the growth of the Asia-Pacific chelating agents market over the forecast period.
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Chelating Agents Industry Overview
The chelating agents market is partially consolidated in nature. The major players (not in any particular order) include Dow, BASF SE, Nouryon, Kemira, and Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation, among others.
Chelating Agents Market Leaders
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Dow
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BASF SE
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Nouryon
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Kemira
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Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
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Chelating Agents Market News
- January 2023: Nouryon acquired ADOB, a supplier of chelated micronutrients, foliars, and other specialty agricultural solutions headquartered in Poland.
- February 2022: Nouryon commissioned a biodegradable chelates production facility in the Netherlands to meet growing consumer demand for eco-friendly auto dishwashing and liquid laundry products.
Chelating Agents Industry Segmentation
Chelating agents, also termed chelators, chelants, or sequestering agents, are chemical compounds that form coordinate covalent bonds with metal ions and result in stable water-soluble complexes. Their ability to bind with metals has led to their multitudinous applications in the form of corrosion inhibitors, cleaning agents in household and industrial applications, bleaching agents in the paper and pulp industry, and additives in the food and beverages sector. They also find applications in wastewater treatment, catalyzing chemical reactions, and treatment of heavy metal poisoning in the pharmaceutical sector.
The chelating agents market is segmented by type, application, and geography. By type, the market is segmented into non-biodegradable and biodegradable chelating agents. By application, the market is segmented into cleaners, pulp and paper, water treatment, agrochemicals, chemicals, food and beverages, pharmaceuticals, personal care, and other applications (photography, textile processing, etc.). The report also covers the market size and forecasts for the chelating agents market in 15 countries across the globe. For each segment, the market sizing and forecasts have been done on the basis of volume (tons).
| Type | Non-biodegradable | ||
| Biodegradable | |||
| Application | Cleaners | ||
| Pulp and Paper | |||
| Water Treament | |||
| Agrochemicals | |||
| Chemical | |||
| Food and Beverages | |||
| Pharmaceuticals | |||
| Personal Care | |||
| Other Applications (Photography, Textile Processing, Etc.) | |||
| Geography | Asia-Pacific | China | |
| India | |||
| Japan | |||
| South Korea | |||
| Rest of Asia-Pacific | |||
| North America | United States | ||
| Canada | |||
| Mexico | |||
| Europe | Germany | ||
| United Kingdom | |||
| Italy | |||
| France | |||
| Rest of Europe | |||
| South America | Brazil | ||
| Argentina | |||
| Rest of South America | |||
| Middle East and Africa | Saudi Arabia | ||
| South Africa | |||
| Rest of Middle East and Africa | |||
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Chelating Agents Market Research FAQs
How big is the Chelating Agents Market?
The Chelating Agents Market size is expected to reach 590.29 thousand tons in 2025 and grow at a CAGR of greater than 4% to reach 718.18 thousand tons by 2030.
What is the current Chelating Agents Market size?
In 2025, the Chelating Agents Market size is expected to reach 590.29 thousand tons.
Who are the key players in Chelating Agents Market?
Dow, BASF SE, Nouryon, Kemira and Mitsubishi Chemical Group Corporation are the major companies operating in the Chelating Agents Market.
Which is the fastest growing region in Chelating Agents Market?
Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period (2025-2030).
Which region has the biggest share in Chelating Agents Market?
In 2025, the Asia-Pacific accounts for the largest market share in Chelating Agents Market.
What years does this Chelating Agents Market cover, and what was the market size in 2024?
In 2024, the Chelating Agents Market size was estimated at 566.68 thousand tons. The report covers the Chelating Agents Market historical market size for years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024. The report also forecasts the Chelating Agents Market size for years: 2025, 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
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Chelating Agent Industry Report
Statistics for the 2025 Chelating Agents market share, size and revenue growth rate, created by Mordor Intelligence™ Industry Reports. Chelating Agents analysis includes a market forecast outlook for 2025 to 2030 and historical overview. Get a sample of this industry analysis as a free report PDF download.
