PUBLISHER: Daedal Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1500191
PUBLISHER: Daedal Research | PRODUCT CODE: 1500191
The global grease additives market was valued at US$483.93 million in 2023. The market value is expected to reach US$614.63 million by 2029. Grease additives are certain chemicals added to lubricating grease to increase its longevity and efficacy in a range of automotive and industrial applications. These additives are designed to protect metal surfaces from wear and corrosion, improve the lubricating properties of the grease, and preserve the grease's consistency under a variety of operating circumstances. One essential category of grease additives consists of anti-wear compounds, which coat metal surfaces to reduce friction and prevent mechanical wear.
The major drivers for the grease additives market include growing demand for specialty greases from various industries, including aerospace, marine, and food processing and rising demand for grease additives from the automotive industry. In addition, as manufacturing processes become more precise and sophisticated, the grease additives market is expected to witness increased adoption of specialized formulations, driving revenue growth, and establishing a solid foundation for the industry's expansion in the foreseeable future. Thus, the expansion of industrialization and manufacturing activities is projected to offer lucrative growth opportunities for the grease additives market. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approx. 4% during the forecasted period of 2024-2029.
Market Segmentation Analysis:
By Type: The report provides the bifurcation of the global grease additives market into three types: Oxidation Inhibitors, Corrosion Inhibitors, Antiwear Agents, Pressure Additives, Metal Deactivators, and Others. The oxidation inhibitors additives segment held the highest share of the market. Oxidation inhibitors are chemical additives commonly used in greases to prevent or slow down the process of oxidation, which can lead to degradation and deterioration of the grease. As consumers and industries prioritize long-lasting and more sustainable products, oxidation inhibitors have become essential to mitigate the harmful effects of oxidative processes, ensuring product freshness and integrity. This growing awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of oxidation inhibitors is driving their heightened demand across various sectors.
By Application: The global grease additives market has been further analyzed based on the application: Automotive, Construction Machinery, Mining, Aerospace, Marine, Steel Mill, and Others. The automotive segment held the dominant share in the market. As vehicles become more advanced and the need for efficient and durable lubrication solutions increases, the grease additive market is experiencing a surge in demand. This is primarily driven by the automotive sector's constant innovation and production, requiring high-performance lubricants to ensure smooth and reliable vehicle operation.
By Region: In the report, the global grease additives market is divided into five regions: Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, South Korea, Australia and rest of Asia Pacific), Europe (Germany, Russia, France, Italy, and Rest of Europe), North America (The US, Canada, and Mexico), Middle East and Africa and South and Central America. In 2023, the Asia Pacific region led the grease additives market, propelled by growing activities in the construction, industrial and automotive sector on account of emerging economies such as China and India. During 2024-2029, the US is forecasted to maintain its lead within North America. The US is the largest and fastest growing segment of the region, due to growing utilization of grease additives in various end user industries, presence of major grease additives companies that are focused expanding their manufacturing plants to meet the rising demand for long-life lubricants and advancements in additive technology to enhance lubricant efficiency and durability in the region.
Market Dynamics:
Growth Drivers: The global grease additives market growth is predicted to be supported by numerous growth drivers such as increasing demand from aerospace & defense sectors, heightened demand from automotive industry, proliferating construction activities in developing economies, expansion of industrialization & manufacturing activities, and many other factors. The rapid expansion of air travel, both commercial and military, has led to a surge in demand for advanced grease solutions in the aerospace industry. Aircraft manufacturers and operators require grease additives that ensure smooth operation, reduce friction, and enhance fuel efficiency. Moreover, the defense sector's need for grease additives extends to applications in military vehicles, weapons systems, and naval vessels, where reliability and performance are important. The growth in these sectors is driving R&D efforts to create specialized grease formulations that meet the stringent requirements. Therefore, increasing demand from aerospace and defense sectors has significantly aided growth of the grease additives market, globally.
Challenges: However, the market growth would be negatively impacted by various challenges such as fluctuating prices of raw materials, rise in stringent government policies, etc.
Trends: The market is projected to grow at a fast pace during the forecast period, due to various latest trends such as growth in wind turbine installations, consolidation, upsurge in adoption of nanotechnology, escalating demand for synthetic grease, etc. Furthermore, the rise in the adoption of nanotechnology in grease additives is driven by the advantages provided by nanomaterials in improving the performance of lubricating greases. Additionally, nanoparticle additives offer advantages such as low-friction coefficients, exceptional load-carrying capacities, and enhanced thermal stability. These benefits collectively contribute to improved grease performance. Therefore, increasing adoption of nanotechnology in grease additives production process for improving production efficiency, product quality, and supply chain management is expected to provide countless opportunities for the grease additives market in coming years.
Impact Analysis of COVID-19 and Way Forward:
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the grease additives market. COVID-19 pandemic impacted all the sectors in some way or the other but the services that were most affected by the pandemic included accommodation and food services, aviation, hospitality, arts/entertainment, tourism and retail. Lockdown policies, imposed by the government to prevent the spread of virus forced various end user industries to either shut down or run low on production capacity, resulting in lower production and manufacturing activities by various end user industries and since end user industries including automotive, electronics, construction, textiles, pharmaceuticals, etc. demand grease additives that are essential to the performance and quality of the machinery. These factors hampered the profitability of various small-scale and large-scale grease additives manufacturers. There was a sudden fall in the demand of grease additives as result of reduced production activities, having negative impact on both demand and consumption of these additives, impending the growth of the global grease additives market during the period, 2019-2020. The major impact was observed in the automotive and construction industry, However, the market started growing steadily, owing to increased automotive and construction activities, since 2021. Manufacturers were permitted to operate at full capacity, which helped them overcome the demand and supply gap and other repercussions. The growing demand for automobile and industrial machinery post-COVID-19 outbreak created the demand for grease additives. Hence, the demand for grease additives increased in automobiles, construction, mining, and other industries.
Competitive Landscape:
The global grease additives market is highly competitive in nature, with major players leading the market with their innovative products and strong market presence. The key players in the global grease additives market are:
BASF SE
NewMarket Corporation (Afton Chemical Corporation)
Clariant AG
Croda International Plc
Evonik Industries AG
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (The Lubrizol Corporation)
Lanxess AG
Arkema Group (Arkema S.A.)
International Petroleum Products & Additives Company, Inc.
R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company, Inc.
Shamrock Technologies, Inc.
Tianhe Chemicals Group
Players operating in the global grease additives market focus on providing high-quality products to fulfill customer demand. The leading players of the market are also focusing on adopting different strategies, such as investments in research & development activities, new product launches, mergers & acquisitions, and many others. For instance, in July 2022, Afton Chemical Corporation, announced the recent completion of a US$70 million investment in its Sauget, IL Plant's Automatic Transmission Fluid (ATF) additive production facility. The investment would help support the growing needs of oil marketers and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for next-generation developments in electric vehicle (EV) fluids, including hybrid and battery electric vehicles (HEV, BEV).