Global Sodium Hydroxide Market Outlook to 2026

Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is generally a white solid and a very flexible substance used in various manufacturing processes, and it is also known as Caustic Soda or Lye. According to Researcher & Consulting, the global Sodium Hydroxide market is expected to witness a significant growth rate during the forecast period. The major industries driving the Global Sodium Hydroxide market are Pharmaceuticals, paper and pulp, textiles, and food. In the Pharmaceutical industry, Sodium Hydroxide is used to produce various medicines starting from primary pain relievers like aspirin to cholesterol-reducing and anticoagulants, which help to prevent blood clots. Demand for these medicines has increased drastically after the spread of Covid-19 as a large number of deaths were recorded due to blood clots even after recovering from the disease. Caustic Soda is also used for the industries like soaps and detergents, water treatment, and metal processing therefore, these are expected to drive the demand for Sodium Hydroxide in the forecasted years. However, the costly production of NaOH and available substitutes like Potassium Hydroxide can restrain the market growth.

Sodium Hydroxide is one of the main ingredients to make Bar soaps and detergents and is also used to clean drains and cure the clogging of pipes. Some other significant uses include fuel cell production, removing skin from vegetables for canning, curing food, aluminum ore processing, oxide coating, pickling, pain relievers to prevent blood clots, cholesterol-reducing medications, and water treatment. Sodium hydroxide is also used to manufacture rayon, dyes, explosives, and petroleum products. It is also used in processing cotton fabric, laundering and bleaching, metal cleaning and processing, oxide coating, electroplating, and electrolytic extracting.

The most dominating industry in terms of the use of Sodium Hydroxide is Pulp and Paper Industry. It is used to regenerate certain chemicals like sodium sulfide or white liquor, which are used for pulping the wood into fibers therefore, the reuse of most of the chemicals reduces the overall cost of the industry. It is used in bleaching processes as well to increase the efficiency of bleaching. Caustic Soda is also used in the recycling process of the paper Since NaOH solution makes fibers swell such that the ink applied on them is separated, and the paper can be reused. The Paper Industry uses around 25% of the total Sodium Hydroxide produced. Functions such as the on-site production of Sodium Hypochlorite, cooking and processing of Kraft pulps, and lignin extraction during bleaching make NaOH ideal for the paper and pulp industry.

Some of the market's key players are BASF SE, Solvay, FMC Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, Aditya Birla Chemicals, among others.

The Asia Pacific region dominates the Sodium Hydroxide market and is expected to continue the domination in the forecasted years. The increasing population has driven the paper, pulp, and textile industry in the region which increases the demand for Sodium Hydroxide. The more significant population also requires more cleaning, recycling, and treatment processes which ultimately increases the demand for Sodium Hydroxide. China tops among the Asia Pacific countries and is the largest consumer and producer of Caustic Soda, keeping its status as the world's workshop. It is believed that in the future, China will continue to dominate other countries in terms of both supply and demand due to the presence of a large number of medium-scale producers and very high competition. The Alkali Manufacturers Association of India (AMAI) has appealed to increase the import duty of Sodium Hydroxide and soda ash to 12.5% from 7.5% to enhance domestic investments amid cheaper imports of these products flooding the market due to which local manufacturers face low-capacity utilization. The domestic industry has invested heavily in setting up new capacities and technologies for Caustic Soda, but the cheaper imports are available to meet the demand growth, which leads to lower domestic utilization and loss of employment in the country.

Solvay, also known as Soda Solvay is a global leader in the production of Sodium compounds. The company witnessed its net sales driven up by 1.9% in the first quarter of 2021, and the net profit was €240 million in Q1 2021 which was 1.8% more in comparison to the first quarter of 2020.

Global Sodium Hydroxide Market report provides deep insight into the Industrial market's current and future state across various regions. The study comprehensively analyses the Sodium Hydroxide market by segmenting based on the Grade (Food Grade, Laboratory Grade, Pharmaceutical Grade, ACS Grade, Rayon Grade, Industrial grade), End-User Industry (Textile, Pulp, and Paper, Pharmaceutical, Petroleum, Others), and Geography (Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, South America, and Middle-East and Africa). The report examines the market drivers and restraints and the impact of Covid-19 on the market growth in detail. The study covers and includes emerging market trends, developments, opportunities, and challenges in the industry. This report covers extensively researched competitive landscape sections with prominent companies and profiles, including their market shares and projects.