Lignin Derivatives Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product, By Application, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2023 To 2030

The lignin derivatives market growth is attributable to increasing demand for derivatives in natural products and animal feed. Lignin derivative biopolymers offer a number of characteristics, including excellent thermal stability, antioxidant activity, biodegradability, antibacterial effects, adhesive qualities, etc., making them useful in a variety of applications.

These are commonly used to produce the macromolecules needed to manufacture bitumen, biofuels, and catalysts for bio-refineries. Thus, increasing investment in animal food and biorefinery is expected to propel the demand for lignin derivatives in the coming years.

According to the International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF), the world compound feed production is over 1 billion tons annually. As per the 2021 Global Feed survey, despite the pandemic, global feed production increased by 1% in 2020 compared to 2019, wherein Latin America and Asia Pacific reported 4% and 2% growth, respectively.

Based on type, derivatives of lignin can be segmented into phenolic, lignosulfonates, organosolv, sodium sulfonate, and kraft.The most significant pulping by-products of the sulfite process are lignosulfonates. They are employed as additives in a variety of goods, including drywall (as a water-reducing agent), concrete (as a strength aid, superplasticizer, and retarder), oil well drilling fluids (as a rheology modifier), and animal feed (binder).

Unlike lignosulfonates, Kraft lignin has very different chemical characteristics. Since there are no sulfonate groups, kraft lignin is only soluble in alkaline solutions with a pH higher than 10.Due to their low reactivity, kraft lignin finds use in limited applications.

Based on application, the market can be segmented into biorefineries, energy, biofuels, paints & coating, pharmaceuticals, animal feed, water treatment, and others. Lignin is widely used in industrial wastewater treatment as it is good for ion removal. Also,due to their high cellulose content, lignin derivatives have received a lot of attention for the production of energy, particularly the production of bioethanol.

Based on region, Asia pacific is expected to register the fastest growth and expected to dominate the market in terms of revenue across the forecast period. The growth is attributed to increasing investment by the countries across the region to set up new refineries. For instance, in August 2022, the Indian Oil Corporation commissioned Asia’s first 2G ethanol bio-refinery in Haryana, India.