Molecular sieve is a crystalline material made from metal aluminosilicates, featuring pores that are all the same size. It has a three-dimensional structure, like a network, made up of silica and alumina tetrahedra all linked together. By heating the material, the natural water it contains gets removed, creating uniform empty spaces. These spaces then act like tiny traps, specifically capturing molecules of a particular size.
Increasing demand for processing from of the oil and gas industry and increasing awareness for the treatment of hazardous organic materials in the wastewater are major driving factors. Several emerging opportunities are created with innovation of the nano size zeolite molecular sieves for the medical oxygen concentration. Moreover, advancement in technology for the proper oxygen supply and the development of antimicrobial zeolite molecular sieves drives growth on global scale.
Key Growth Drivers and Opportunities
Demand in Oil & Gas sector: Molecular sieves are crucial in the oil and gas industry, used for operations such as drying natural gas, refining oil, and making petrochemicals. As the oil and gas industry keeps growing, especially in the Asia-Pacific area, the need for these molecular sieves is also in high demand. Also, strict environmental rules are pushing the use of better purification methods, which in turn is increasing the popularity of molecular sieves. Improvements in sieve design and how efficiently they can be renewed are also making them more useful in both early-stage and later-stage processes.
Industrial Application: Molecular sieves are handy in all sorts of industrial jobs, like separating gases, cleaning up air, and acting as catalysts in chemical reactions. They’re really good at this because they can soak up and pick out specific things, which makes them perfect for getting rid of moisture, CO₂, and other unwanted stuff from industrial gas flows.
Challenges
Options such as silica gel, calcium sulfate, and certain membrane methods can offer similar performance but might be more budget-friendly. However, these alternatives often fall short when it comes to the top-tier selectivity, heat resistance, and ability to be easily recharged that molecular sieves provide. That’s why molecular sieves are still the go-to pick for demanding jobs where precision and toughness are absolutely essential.
Innovation and Expansion
Honeywell Backs India with $3M Aid and Oxygen Tech
In August 2021, Honeywell International announced that it will provide USD 3 million in assistance to India through the Covid-19 procedure. Personnel from the company constructed critical care units with protective gear, air, and beds. DRDO and the Indian Institute of Petroleum also use the company’s molecular sieve adsorbents.
This support really showcases Honeywell’s dedication to public health and how its technology helps out during emergencies. Their molecular sieves were absolutely crucial for oxygen generation and purification systems throughout the pandemic.
BASF Boosts Bio-Based Surfactant Capacity with Dual APG Plants
In June 2023, BASF SE has made an announcement that it’s planning to boost its production capacity for alkyl polyglucosides (APGs) worldwide. They’re going to build two new facilities—one in Bangpakong, Thailand, and another in Cincinnati, Ohio. This move is aimed at keeping up with the growing demand for bio-based surfactants and to offer customers a faster and more flexible service. By growing in two regions at the same time, BASF can cut down on moving products between areas.
BASF is hoping its new facilities will give the company a better position in the market for bio-based surfactants. These facilities should also help important industries reach their sustainability goals. APGs, which are widely used in personal care, home cleaning, and industrial cleaning products, are popular as they’re gentle and seen as sustainable.
Inventive Sparks, Expanding Markets
The key players operating the molecular sieve market involves Arkema, Axens, BASF SE, Cabot Corporation, CarboTech AC GmbH, Clariant, Dalian Absortbent Co. Ltd., among others. Major players operating in the target market are focusing on strategic partnerships as well as the launching of the Product Types to gain a competitive edge in the target market.
About Author:
Prophecy is a specialized market research, analytics, marketing and business strategy, and solutions company that offer strategic and tactical support to clients for making well-informed business decisions and to identify and achieve high value opportunities in the target business area. Also, we help our client to address business challenges and provide best possible solutions to overcome them and transform their business.