Market Trends of Andalusite Industry
Demand from Refractories Segment to Boost the Andalusite Market
- Andalusite is an alumino-silicate raw material utilized widely in the production of refractory linings. Refractory materials ought to be truly and synthetically stable at high temperatures and impervious to thermal shocks. Andalusite has low porosity, stable volume, high virtue, and high thermal shock resistance, which makes it suitable for refractory applications.
- Thus, refractories made with andalusite can be utilized viably under rough conditions. For the most part, andalusite shapes under low-tension and high-temperature conditions and changes over to sillimanite or kyanite in the diverse temperature-pressure system.
- The increasing utilization of andalusite in refractories for end-use industries like metallurgy is driving the market growth. Developing applications of steel in the automotive industry also rely upon refractories.
- In the steel industry, internal linings are required in furnaces used in making iron and steel, vessels used for holding and transporting metal and slag; furnaces used for heating steel before further processing, and the stacks or flues through which hot gases are conducted.
- In April 2023, the World Steel Association (WSA) released its Short Range Outlook (SRO) steel demand forecast for 2023 and 2024, which stated that the steel demand would see a 2.3% rebound to reach 1,822.3 Mt in 2023, and it is forecasted to grow by 1.7% in 2024 to reach 1,854.0 Mt. In addition, the total world crude steel production was 1,878.5 Mt in 2022, a 4.2% decrease compared to 2021.
- China is the largest producer of crude steel globally. As per the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the 2022 crude steel output in China reached 1,013 million mt witnessing a second-consecutive annual decline with a 2.1% decrease from the 2021 output. However, the initial 2023 statistics indicate positive growth fundamentals in the crude steel sector. According to the WSA, China produced an estimated 80.1 million tons in February 2023, up 5.6% from February 2022.
- India is the second-largest producer of steel globally. ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel Corp.'s joint venture steel firm in India announced to expand its operations in the country by investing INR 1 trillion (USD 13.34 billion) over a 10-year period starting in 2022. These developments are expected to increase the demand for andalusite during the forecast period.
- Furthermore, andalusite-based products are very popular in Europe and Asia-Pacific for producing fired and unfired refractories.
- All the aforementioned factors are expected to drive the andalusite market during the forecast period.
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Asia-Pacific to be the Fastest-growing Market for Andalusite
- The Asia-Pacific region is expected to be the fastest-growing market due to the significant economic growth in the countries like China, India, and ASEAN Countries.
- Steel is a significant material utilized in shipbuilding and vehicle production as well as building and construction. Thus, the increasing demand for andalusite from the steel industry is expected to result from the development and framework improvements in these end-user industries.
- China is the largest producer of steel in the world, with continuous additions to its production capacities. Furthermore, the steel sector is likely to be on an upward trend in 2023, supported by a stable real estate market and a recovery in other steel-consuming industries such as automobiles, ships, and consumer electronics. This, in turn, is expected to positively impact the market.
- India is the second-largest producer of steel globally. Steel production in India reached a historic level of around 120 million tons per annum, making it the world's second-largest steel producer, as per the Indian government report in December 2022. The country accounts for around 4.8% of the global production of steel every year.
- The crude steel production in India rose by around 5.80% to 124.4 million tons (MT) in 2022, compared to 118.2 MT in 2021, according to the World Steel Association (WSA) data. In addition, India produced around 10.9 MT of steel between January-February 2023, down by around 0.2% compared to the same period in 2022, as per the World Steel Association data. However, as per the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), finished steel consumption in the country is anticipated to increase to 230 MT by 2030-31 from 133.596 MT in FY 2022, which is expected to accelerate the production dynamics in the country.
- Moreover, India is likely to witness an investment of around USD 1.3 trillion in housing over the next seven years, during which it is likely to witness the construction of 60 million new homes. The rate of availability of affordable housing is expected to rise by around 70% in 2024.
- Thus, the abovementioned sectors are the major end-user industries of the product. Rising demand from various industries is expected to drive the market studied in the region during the forecast period.
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