Despite the Earth being termed the ‘Blue Planet’ because of the abundance of water, there is less of it to drink every day. The reason? Pollution! Every day, millions of tons of effluents flow into lakes, rivers, seas, and ponds from factories as well as houses, which has made a large portion of the freshwater unfit for drinking. And, those who have no other choice then drinking from contaminated sources, regularly suffer from diseases such as diarrhea, gastroenteritis, and hepatitis. As per the Environmental Protection Agency of the U.S., globally, 1.1 billion live without access to safe drinking water.

Thankfully, the consciousness of people on the issue has risen, and now water treatment is mandated in most of the countries. This is leading to the growth of the flocculants and coagulants market, as these are the two most widely used chemicals in water treatment. Compared to $10,270.2 million in 2017, the world is projected to purchase $14,225.3 million worth of such products by 2023, with the industry displaying a CAGR of 5.4% during 2018–2023 (forecast period). While flocculants increase the size of the particles suspended in water, coagulants neutralize their charge, so they stick together and form lumps.

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Compared to coagulation, the flocculation method is easier to perform, which results in a quicker separation of solid particles from liquids, which is why, till 2017, the demand for flocculants was higher than coagulants. Flocculants are further of the non-ionic, cationic, and anionic types, among which the consumption of cationic variants is expected to increase the quickest in the coming years. This would be because of their surging usage by food and beverage companies for treating water.

Apart from food and beverages and water and waste water treatment, these chemicals are also utilized in mineral and extraction, oil and gas, agriculture, pulp and paper, and medical applications. As is clear, their highest usage currently is in the water and waste water treatment process, which is majorly carried out by public utility bodies. The standards regarding the quality of water are extremely strict in many countries, which results in a heavy consumption of coagulants and flocculants at sewage treatment plants around the world.

The stringent quality standards are also leading to the replacement of traditional water treatment chemicals, such as chlorine and alum, with newer ones, such as flocculants and coagulants. Not only are the newer chemicals more efficient at the process, but they are also cost-effective. Additionally, several environmentalists have expressed concerns over the heavy usage of chlorine in the water, which is further leading to its phasing out and replacement with technically advanced products.

Presently, Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the largest flocculants and coagulants market, due to the growth of the chemical and manufacturing sectors, which are treating an increasing volume of water for various processes. In several critical applications within these industries, maintaining a particular quality of water is essential, which is why it is heavily treated. Additionally, with the population of the region growing and moving rapidly to urban areas, new commercial, industrial, and residential units are being set up, thereby raising the risk of effluent discharge. To counter it, the number of sewage treatment plants is also increasing, thereby driving the demand for coagulants and flocculants.

Hence, as the population increases, resulting in the rising demand for clean water, the consumption of flocculants and coagulants will surge too.