Market Trends of Linear Alkyl Benzene (LAB) Industry
The Laundry Detergents Segment is Expected to Dominate the Market
- Linear alkylbenzene is used to manufacture linear alkyl benzene sulphonates (LAS) commercially. These are cytotoxic synthetic anionic surfactants used to produce laundry detergents.
- When dissolved in water, these anionic surfactants form anions with a negative charge on the hydrophilic part of the surfactant.
- Laundry detergents containing LAS form a lot of foam when mixed and are most effective at removing oily and greasy stains.
- Countries such as India, China, and Japan are the leading manufacturers of laundry detergents.
- For instance, in recent times, India has been one of the largest producers of soaps and detergents globally. Government initiatives like the Swachh Bharat Mission promote health and hygiene. Such initiatives, along with the growing usage of soaps and detergents, have led to the growth of the manufacturing industry, further boosting the demand for LABS in the country.
- In December 2023, Godrej Consumer launched a new liquid laundry detergent for mass-market consumers in South India. The product is called Godrej Fab and is available in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.
- According to the METI (Japan), the production volume of laundry detergent powders in Japan accounted for 105.31 kilotons in 2022, compared to 124.39 kilotons in the previous year.
- In January 2023, Lion Corporation (Japan-based manufacturer of soaps and detergents) launched its new Acron Smart Care, a new, ultra-soft laundry detergent, in stores nationwide. Acron Smart Care is a softening agent specially formulated for delicate-safe laundry.
- According to an Australian Department of Health report, household detergents account for more than 85% of LAS consumption, with consumer laundry products having the highest volume of use.
- Europe is the second-largest consumer of alkylbenzene sulfonate. The demand for linear alkylbenzene is projected to rise for the production of alkylbenzene sulfonate.
- The demand for LAB is expected to grow due to rapid urbanization and changing consumer preferences toward eco-friendly surfactants and cleansers.
- Ménage cleansers, dishwashing liquids, laundry liquids, laundry maquillages, and other cleanser products use approximately 83-87% of linear alkyl sulfonate (LAS).
- All these factors are likely to boost the demand for linear alkylbenzene sulfonate over the forecast period.
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Asia-Pacific is Expected to Dominate the Market
- Asia-Pacific dominated the global market share as the increasing need for cleaners in countries such as China, India, and Japan supported the use of linear alkylbenzene in the region.
- Linear alkyl benzene is used as a raw material to manufacture linear alkyl benzene sulphonic acid (LABSA) by reacting with sulfuric acid in the liquid phase or sulfur trioxide in the gaseous phase. Some of the country's major manufacturers and suppliers of LAB and LABSA include PetroChina Fushun Petrochemical, Shanghai Chemex, Yeser Chemicals, and Henan Jinhe Industry Co. Ltd.
- LABSA is considered one of the cheapest common surfactants used in the powder and liquid detergent industries to manufacture synthetic detergents in liquid, cake, or powder form.
- Saudi Arabia's Farabi Petrochemicals Company, a top player in LAB production, announced the acquisition of a 50% stake in Great Orient Chemical Pte Ltd in June 2023. Great Orient Chemical Pte Ltd is the sole shareholder of Great Orient Chemical Taicang Co. Ltd, which has a linear alkyl benzene facility in Taicang, China.
- According to the statistics of the China Surfactant Industry Alliance, in 2022, the total annual surfactant production of 67 large-scale enterprises in the surfactant industry was estimated to have reached 4.262 million tons. In contrast, the sales volume crossed the mark of 4.2 million tons, with a Y-o-Y increase of 3.6%.
- According to HUNAN RESUN Co. Ltd, a Chinese manufacturer of detergents and surfactants, RESUN conducts research and manufactures and sells surfactants and detergent products. In the first nine months of 2023, RESUN generated revenue of CNY 2.996 billion (USD 0.42 billion), up by 7.42% from the previous year, with surfactants representing 92.23% of the total revenue, highlighting their strong demand in the country.
- According to the Chemical and Petrochemical Manufacturers Association (CPMA), in 2022, India's linear alkylbenzene (LAB) installed capacity was approximately 544,790 metric tons.
- In 2022, the IOCL LAB plant underwent a revamp to increase its capacity to 162 kilotons from 120 kilotons per annum. The increased capacity of LAB makes the IOC the largest LAB supplier in India.
- Therefore, such factors are expected to contribute to the increased demand for linear alkyl benzene (LAB) in the region during the forecast period.
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