ASIA-PACIFIC ACTIVATED CARBON MARKET FORECAST 2023-2032

The Asia-Pacific activated carbon market growth is analyzed through the assessment of China, India, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Rest of Asia-Pacific. In Japan, activated carbon is primarily used for scrubbing emissions from industries such as fossil fuel power plants and water treatment. Moreover, other end-users, including healthcare and automotive, significantly contribute to the country’s growing demand for activated carbon. Fibrous-activated carbon has also been gaining prominence in Japan on account of its outstanding performance in terms of removing hazardous substances. Furthermore, the International Standard Organization (ISO) has issued a novel global standard for fibrous-activated carbon, projected to improve environmental conservation while promoting the high performance of Japanese fibrous-activated carbon products across the world. 

On the other hand, in South Korea, activated carbon is predominantly utilized in industrial processing for scrubbing operations and water treatment, in addition to niche applications across the food & beverage and automotive industry. The country also harbors a robust market for sludge management, emerging due to legal changes barring landfill disposal and restraining the volume of sludge discharged into the ocean. Hence, with the recent amendments to regulatory norms, the demand for advanced solutions for the recycling of sewage sludge, as well as volume reduction in South Korea, has increased. This factor, in turn, provides the activated carbon market in the region with lucrative growth opportunities. 

The Asia-Pacific activated carbon market is segmented into product type, raw material, and end-user. The end-user segment includes water treatment, pharmaceutical and medical, automotive, air purification, food & beverage, and other end-users. Activated carbon is a preferred water treatment technique owing to its multifunctional nature, in addition to the fact that it does not add any detrimental elements to the treated water. The majority of activated carbons are made from raw materials like wood, coal, nutshells, and petroleum.

Granular activated carbon (GAC) is typically used for the removal of residual disinfectants and organic constituents in water supplies. This method of water treatment minimizes health hazards and improves the taste while also protecting other treatment units, such as ion exchange resins and reverse osmosis membranes, from possible damage resulting from organic fouling or oxidation.

Key players operating in the Asia-Pacific activated carbon market are Osaka Gas Co Ltd, Kuraray Co Ltd, Kureha Corporation, etc.

Kuraray Co Ltd, headquartered in Japan, supplies fibers, chemical products, resins, high-performance materials, and medical products. Through its subsidiaries, the company operates in Asia, Europe, North America, and other regions across the world. Moreover, its six business segments include vinyl acetate, functional materials, trading, isoprene, fibers and textiles, and others.