Global Adhesives & Sealants Industry

The global adhesives & sealants industry offers promising opportunities. Growth in the construction, automotive, and packaging industries will propel market demand. Increasing substitution of mechanical fasteners by adhesives will further augment industry penetration.

Rising consumer awareness and environmental concerns have prompted key manufacturers adhesives & sealants industry to produce non-hazardous, green, and sustainable adhesives & sealants. This will offer remunerative opportunities in the future.

Building & Construction

Adhesives & sealants are essential in the building & construction industry to bond different components and materials. These products provide a stronger and more efficient alternative to traditional fastening methods such as welding and bolting, as well as improve quality and durability. They also offer the flexibility to work with a variety of different materials, including plastics, metals, ceramics and composites.

In addition, adhesives & sealants support maintenance and repair activities to extend the lifespan of buildings and reduce overall energy costs. Furthermore, with the right design, they can enable circularity and support reuse of components in new building projects.

The global building & construction sealants market is divided into several segments based on resin, technology and application. The segments include acrylic, cyanoacrylate, epoxy, polyurethane, silicone and VAE/EVA. Based on the application, the market includes structural adhesives & sealants used in concrete and other construction materials that require high strength, as well as non-structural adhesives & sealants used to bond decorative materials or other components that do not need very strong adhesion (panels, fibers & particle boards, trim and some interior doors). The global market is further divided into regions such as Asia Pacific and Latin America.

Automotive

Several factors are driving the growth of the automotive industry, thus fueling the demand for adhesives & sealants. These include surging consumer purchasing power, a shift toward lightweight vehicles, and the need for improved safety standards and regulations.

Adhesives play a vital role in the production of motor vehicles, including passenger cars and commercial vehicles. They are a replacement for mechanical fasteners and are used to assemble a wide range of materials, from plastics and composites to metals and wood. They also have a higher strength-to-weight ratio than mechanical fasteners, making them a popular choice for automotive applications.

The market for automotive adhesives is divided based on resin, vehicle type, and application. The methyl methacrylate (MMA) segment accounted for the largest share in the global market in 2022. MMAs are a type of structural adhesive that combine both an epoxy’s strength and a polyurethane’s flexibility. They are also suitable for use on large surfaces and work well in a variety of temperatures.

Packaging

The packaging industry is important to the adhesives & sealants industry because of its demand for high-quality adhesive products. Packaging adhesives are formulated to meet specific requirements, adhesives & sealants industry including resistance to heat, cold, and moisture, and shear & tensile strength. They are also designed to adhere to various surfaces, such as wood, plastic, metal, and glass. This allows manufacturers to design containers that are durable and visually appealing to consumers.

Moreover, the packaging industry is a major consumer of adhesives for labeling and gluing, mainly due to its increasing focus on sustainability. This trend has driven the growth of the market. Additionally, the growing number of food delivery services is expected to propel the market’s growth in the near future.

The main companies operating in the global adhesives & sealants industry are Henkel AG (Germany), H B Fuller (US), Sika AG (Switzerland), Arkema (Bostik SA) (France), 3M Company (US), Pidilite Industries (India), and Avery Denison Corporation (US). The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the demand for their products in 2020, leading to reduced production volumes. However, the companies are expected to regain their market share in 2021.

Food & Beverage

The food & beverage industry is one of the most important end-users for adhesives & sealants. The industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.8% between 2019 and 2023, which is expected to drive the demand for adhesives & sealants. The food & beverage industry is using adhesives & sealants to bond, adhere and secure various components of the products that they manufacture.

With a projected growth of over 4.5% up to 2025, the North America hot melts-based adhesive industry serves as a beacon of opportunity, highlighting the sector’s potential in a broader industrial context. This illuminating statistic not only underscores the significant relevance of the market but also affirms its adaptability to changing global trends.

Adhesive & sealant product consumption has slowed down during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, due to government restrictions and lockdowns that impacted several manufacturing operations. Nevertheless, the sector continues to thrive as a result of new medical treatments and technology, driving demand for adhesives & sealants in many key applications. The report includes segmentation based on product type, end-use industries, and regions.

Medical

The medical industry is significant to the adhesives & sealants market due to the growing demand for protective equipment and health products. Increasing advancements in medical adhesive products drive the medical adhesive & sealant market. Medical adhesives & sealants have replaced traditional sutures and staples, and are used to treat a wide variety of wounds. They also offer a safer and quicker alternative to mechanical fasteners. Advanced adhesives & sealants are available in various formats, including gels and liquids, which can be used in surgical applications. Medical adhesives & sealants also help in preventing infection by limiting the spread of bacteria and viruses.

Adhesives & sealants market players are investing in R&D to develop products with better performance, durability, and efficiency. These products are expected to provide new avenues for the market in paper board & packaging, building & construction, woodworking & joinery, transportation, footwear & leather, and medical industries. Several companies are offering innovative adhesive formulation technology and high-performance sealants that can withstand extreme environments. These developments will fuel the growth of the global adhesives & sealants market over the projected period.