Mining Chemicals Market Analysis

Global Mining Chemical Market Overview

Mining Chemical Market Size was valued at USD 10,451.1 Million in 2021. The Mining Chemical industry is projected to grow from USD 10,790.7 Million in 2022 to USD 14,480.5 Million by 2030, exhibiting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.71% during the forecast period (2023 - 2030).   Chemicals are used in the mining industry at many stages of the mining process. These compounds are useful to improve the efficiency and productivity of mining processes. Mineral extraction and recovery are effortless through the chemicals. There are plenty of range conventional and specialty chemicals used in the process. The mining chemicals business is segmented into various categories. Commodities, profit margins, and rising competition are prevalent in the market.

Source: Secondary Research, Primary Research, MRFR Database and Analyst Review

Mining Chemical Market Trends

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  Increasing use of chemicals in mineral processing and need for specialty chemicals in mining processes

  
  

Mining chemicals aid the mining and mineral processing industries in attaining maximum efficiency through improved selectivity and higher recovery while providing environmental benefits. A large number of reagents, usually referred to as modifying agents, are used in the flotation of sulfide ores. This is especially true in the case of complex ores, where two or more valuable minerals have to be separated from each other. Mining chemicals are highly corrosive and expensive substances commonly utilized in mineral processing. They require precision metering to achieve optimal sound recovery rates, froth and bubble size, and depression specificity. They help with infiltration and dewatering, increasing grade and recovery, improving capacity, sorting minerals, handling pumps and slurry, and decreasing collector dose and expense per ton. Mining chemicals regularly used include frothers and collectors, flocculants, solvent extractants, rheology modifiers, and wet- and dry-grinding aids. Mining chemicals play a significant role in the processing of mineral ores. Specialty chemicals are deployed in almost all the steps of the mining process. Mining is a very complex process, and these chemicals are used to simplify it. The mining sector has seen adjustments in production techniques, from tunneling to open-pit mining, allowing it to mine ores of diminishing grades while lowering total costs. Thus, the increasing use of specialty chemicals in the mining processes is expected to drive the global market during the forecast period.

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  Growing mining operations in Latin America and Canada

  
  

Canada is primed to capitalize on the rising global demand for critical minerals and materials that will power the clean energy transition and advanced manufacturing. Canada is a key global producer of copper, nickel and cobalt and hosts advanced mineral projects for rare earth elements, lithium, graphite and vanadium. Canada plans to leverage its strong environmental, social and good governance credentials, and mining prowess. Furthermore, the Canadian Government is launching several initiatives to entice additional investors to explore the country's undeveloped mineral riches. Additionally, the Canadian federal-provincial and territorial governments unveiled the Canadian Minerals and Metals Plan (CMMP), a strategic initiative for the Canadian mining industry to maintain its position as a global mining leader, which is driving the market for mining chemicals. While Latin America is a well-established producer of numerous minerals required for renewable energy technology, it could grow its mining sector to diversify into new minerals. Latin America has the potential to develop into a variety of additional resources, such as rare earth elements. With significant coal, gold, and emerald mining sectors, the country is an appealing jurisdiction for mining service companies that can provide services related to improving community engagement, products that reduce the impact on the local environment, systems that increase mine productivity, and security consulting / services specialists. As a result of the region's major policies and initiatives boosting mining operations, the market for mining chemicals is predicted to rise significantly due to increased exploration and production activities. Hence the growing mining operations in Latin America and Canada is expected to propel market growth of Mining Chemical Market over the forecast period.

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  Rising funding and new mining projects in Africa

  
  

Africa boasts one of the world's greatest mineral deposits, making it the most appealing investment prospect on the planet. Africa is well-known for its huge mineral riches, which includes some of the world's greatest deposits of precious commodities including gold, copper, diamonds, and platinum. Mining activity on the African continent has expanded in recent years, owing to growing worldwide demand for minerals and metals and greater investment in the African mining sector. The mining chemicals industry in Africa has substantial development potential as new mining projects emerge and current operations expand. In order to attract foreign direct investments, several African governments have altered their mining rules and regulations. Governments have implemented investor-friendly policies, expedited regulatory procedures, and offered tax breaks, creating a favourable climate for mining enterprises. As the number of mining projects increases, so will the need for mining chemicals such as frothers, collectors, depressants, flocculants, and solvent extractants. Since 2014, AFC has invested more than $900 million in African mining ventures. Also, more robust company financials and returns on investments are encouraging more mine investment in the region. Such an increase in production is expected to provide opportunities for mining chemicals market to expand over the forecast period, as demand for chemicals to undertake mining activities grows.

Mining Chemical Market Segment Insights

Mining Chemical Product Type Insights

The Mining Chemical Market segmentation, based on type, includes grinding aids, flocculants, frothers, collectors, depressants, and others. The grinding aids segment held the majority share in 2022 contributing to around ~25-30% with respect to the Mining Chemical Market revenue. The grinding aids segment is projected to have a high growth rate during the forecast period. Grinding aids are extensively used for limestone grinding in cement production. Hence, major cement-producing countries such as China, India, and the U.S. are the key consumers of grinding aids. The efficient use of grinding aids minimizes energy costs associated with the grinding process.

Mining Chemical Mineral Type Insights

The Mining Chemical Market data has been bifurcated by product largely into non-metallic minerals, precious metals, rare earth metals, and base metals. The precious metals segment dominated the market in 2022. Precious metals are elements that are considered rare and chemically inert. They’re not abundant in nature, and therefore they have high economic value. Precious metals are used commonly in jewelry, industrial processes, or very often as investment vehicles. The four primary precious metals are gold, silver, platinum, and palladium. Depending on the application, there are common alloying elements that can be mixed with the main precious metals to improve the properties of the final product.

Mining Chemical Application Insights

The Mining Chemical Market data has been bifurcated by product largely into mineral processing, explosives & drilling, water & wastewater treatment, and others. The water & wastewater segment dominated the market in 2022. Water & wastewater treatment is crucial to abide by the regulations regarding the use of water and its environmental impact. Water treatment systems are used in several mineral processing plants such as gold, copper, and others. The treatment of water used for processing leads to minimized corrosion & equipment blockage, improved water quality & flow, scaling, and lower chemical costs& dosages. The demand for water treatment in the mining industry is witnessed to grow considerably owing to rising concerns regarding the release of pollutants to natural water sources and the highly acidic nature of the mining water.

Mining Chemical Market Region Insights

By Region, the Mining Chemical Market industry study segments the market into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia-Pacific Mining Chemical Market accounted for USD 4,250.5 million in 2022 and is expected to exhibit a 4.98% CAGR during the study period. This is attributed to the presence of growing population and emerging market in the region.

Throughout the forecast period, the North America Mining Chemical Market is expected to witness significant growth in the Mining Chemical market, with the majority of demand coming from the United States and Canada. The production of certain industrial minerals increased, owing to the growth in construction activities of the country. It also led to a rise in the prices of such industrial minerals. Besides, the consumption of minerals widely used in infrastructure, residential construction, and oil and gas drilling operations witnessed a significant increase in the country. Hence, all such trends in the mining industry are projected to drive the consumption of mining chemicals in the country over the forecast period. The United States dominated the North America mining chemicals market, while Mexico is expected to register the fastest growth through the forecast period. Canada is a global leader in mining operations in the world, with active production of more than 60 metals and minerals.

Europe's Mining Chemical Market has grown significantly in recent years. Germany is expected to lead the market, followed by the United Kingdom. Specialty chemicals are used in almost all the steps in the mining process. The mining industry has witnessed shifts in its production techniques, from tunneling to open pit mining, which has made it possible to mine ores of declining grades and decrease the overall costs. In addition, specialty chemicals are also used in the later stages of production chain, like smelting, refining, manufacturing, and commodity trading. The country also fares well when ranked for various minerals’ production. With increasing mining activity in the country, companies increasingly use mining chemicals to follow the standards laid down by the European government, which will drive the market for mining chemicals.

Asia-Pacific Mining Chemical Market is expected to dominate the growth owing to presence of emerging nations such as India and China. China holds the majority share of the Asia-Pacific mining chemical industry. The Chinese mining industry has more than 10,000 mines, the majority share is held by the state. It is world’s largest producer of gold, coal, and other earth minerals. Moreover, it is also a leading consumer of mining products. In addition to the existing wastewater treatment plants, there are ongoing advances, such as expansion of existing wastewater sewage treatment plants and establishment of new sewage treatment plants. Mining chemicals are largely used in the mining industry for recovering minerals from the slurry, separation of impurities, purification of certain minerals, and many other applications. Countries have been significantly investing in the mining sector in Asia-Pacific, majorly focusing on minerals, such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel, which are widely used in battery technologies. These nations are expected to dominate the market in the future, as the world is moving toward more clean-tech economies, with batteries being one of the major markets.

Mining Chemical Key Market Players & Competitive Insights

Major market players’ growth depends on market conditions, government support, and industry development. Thus, the vendors should focus on expanding geographically and improving services. Many global, regional, and local vendors characterize the Mining Chemical market. The market is highly competitive, with all the players competing to gain market share. Intense competition, rapid advances in technology, frequent changes in government policies, and environmental regulations are key factors that confront market growth. The vendors compete based on cost, product quality, reliability, and government regulations. Vendors must provide cost-efficient, high-quality products to survive and succeed in an intensely competitive market.

BASF SE is one of the largest chemical producers in the world. The company operates it business through five segments—chemicals, performance products, functional materials and solutions, agricultural solutions, and others. However, as of January 2019, the company has divided its business segments into six divisions, namely, materials, industrial solutions, chemicals, surface technologies, agricultural solutions, and nutrition & care. The company operates through 12 divisions that manage 54 global and regional business units, BASF marks its presence in 80 countries and operates through six Verbund sites, which interlink the working of production plants, energy flows, and infrastructure in different regions. BASF primarily operates in Europe and has an active presence in the Americas, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa. BASF's Mining Solutions business offers a diverse range of mineral processing chemicals and technologies to improve process efficiencies and aid the economic extraction of scarce resources.

Solvay S.A. is a global leader in the manufacturing of mining chemicals. The company offers a wide range of products and services for the mineral processing, solvent extraction, and alumina mining sectors. Solvay's mining chemicals are used to improve the recovery of precious base metals, such as copper, molybdenum, gold, silver, nickel, cobalt, lithium, platinum group metals, and polymetallic. With a strong and expansive global presence, Solvay serves mining operations across multiple continents, providing essential support to both established mining conglomerates and emerging enterprises. Solvay's mining chemicals portfolio encompasses cutting-edge frothers, collectors, depressants, dispersants, and solvent extractants, among other essential formulations.

Key Companies in the Mining Chemical Market include:

• BASF SE


• Solvay S.A.


• Dow Chemical Company


• SNF Group


• AkzoNobel N.V.


• Clariant AG


• Chevron Phillips Chemical Company


• Kemira Oyj


• Orica Limited


• National Aluminium Company

Mining Chemical Industry Developments

March 2023: Solvay and Rio Tinto announced a strategic partnership, to develop new mining chemicals technology. The partnership will focus on the development of new collectors and frothers that are designed to improve the recovery of copper from ore.

April 2022: BASF launched a new mining chemicals product, Alclar®, it is a new type of collector that is designed to improve the recovery of copper from ore.

September 2021: Clariant opened a new technical facility in Brazil exclusively dedicated to developing solutions for tailings management. Clariant’s new Competence Center for Tailings Treatment will develop mining chemicals and technologies to support the industry’s efforts from the heart of Brazil’s mining hub.

Mining Chemical Market Segmentation

Mining Chemical Product Type Outlook

• Grinding Aids


• Flocculants


• Frothers


• Collectors


• Depressants


• Others

Mining Chemical Mineral Type Outlook

• Non-Metallic Minerals


• Precious Metals


• Rare Earth Metals


• Base Metals

Mining Chemical Application Industry Outlook

• Mineral Processing


• Explosives & Drilling


• Water & Wastewater Treatment


• Others

Mining Chemical Regional Outlook

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  North America
  
  
  
  • US
  
  
  • Canada
  
  
  
  


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  Europe
  
  
  
  • Germany
  
  
  • France
  
  
  • UK
  
  
  • Italy
  
  
  • Spain
  
  
  • Russia
  
  
  • Rest of Europe
  
  
  
  


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  Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  • China
  
  
  • Japan
  
  
  • India
  
  
  • South Korea
  
  
  • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  
  
  
  


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  Middle East & Africa
  
  
  
  • GCC Countries
  
  
  • South Africa
  
  
  • Rest of the Middle East & Africa
  
  
  
  


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  South America
  
  
  
  • Brazil
  
  
  • Mexico
  
  
  • Argentina
  
  
  • Rest of South America