Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Market Size and Share
Market Overview
| Study Period | 2019 - 2030 |
|---|---|
| Base Year For Estimation | 2024 |
| Market Size (2025) | USD 1.78 Billion |
| Market Size (2030) | USD 2.25 Billion |
| Growth Rate (2025 - 2030) | 4.77% CAGR |
| Fastest Growing Market | Asia Pacific |
| Largest Market | North America |
Major Players*Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order Image © Mordor Intelligence. Reuse requires attribution under CC BY 4.0. |
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Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Market Analysis by Mordor Intelligence
The supercritical fluid chromatography market was valued at USD 1.78 billion in 2025 and is forecast to reach USD 2.25 billion in 2030, reflecting a 4.77% CAGR during 2025-2030. Rising green-chemistry mandates, widening pharmaceutical adoption for chiral separations, and broader use in lipidomics and cannabis testing underpin this expansion. The FDA’s 2024 implementation of ICH Q2(R2) and Q14 solidified regulatory legitimacy for the technique, encouraging capital investment by both innovator drug firms and contract research organizations (CROs). Integrated LC–SFC platforms that toggle between liquid and supercritical modes shorten method-transfer times, while cloud-enabled software simplifies compliance reporting. Demand also benefits from North American and European initiatives targeting solvent-use reductions, driving preference for CO₂-based mobile phases over organic-solvent-intensive HPLC. Skills shortages and detector limits with highly polar compounds remain growth brakes, but continued column innovation and AI-assisted method development are steadily easing these hurdles.
Key Report Takeaways
- By type, analytical SFC led with 56.1% of supercritical fluid chromatography market share in 2024, while preparative SFC is projected to expand at a 4.7% CAGR through 2030.
- By end-user, the pharmaceutical segment commanded a 45.3% share of the supercritical fluid chromatography market in 2024; CROs / CDMOs represent the fastest-growing cohort, with a 5.3% CAGR to 2030.
- By geography, North America accounted for 36.4% of the supercritical fluid chromatography market share in 2024, whereas Asia-Pacific is set to grow the quickest at 5.1% CAGR during the forecast horizon.
Global Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Market Trends and Insights
Drivers Impact Analysis
| Driver | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expansion Of Green Analytical Chemistry Mandates | +1.20% | Global, with early adoption in EU & North America | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Growing Biopharma Demand For Chiral Separations | +0.90% | North America & EU, expanding to APAC | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Rapid Screening Needs In Cannabis And Natural-Product QC | +0.60% | North America core, spill-over to emerging markets | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Rising Adoption Of Integrated LC–SFC Instrument Platforms | +0.80% | Global, concentrated in pharmaceutical hubs | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Increasing Research Funding For Lipidomics And Metabolomics Workflows | +0.70% | Global, with concentration in academic centers | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Data-Driven Process Analytical Technology Integration In Continuous Manufacturing | +0.50% | North America & EU, early adoption in APAC | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Expansion of Green Analytical Chemistry Mandates
Heightened sustainability policies in Europe and the United States are reshaping laboratory investment priorities. Modern SFC systems cut organic-solvent use by up to 95% compared with HPLC, yet deliver equivalent resolution for pharmacopeial assays.[1]Ahmed M. Et al., “Green Analytical Chemistry Metrics,” Future Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, journals.elsevier.com Modified GAPI scoring, now common in European method-selection protocols, awards high ratings to CO₂-based separations, prompting pharmaceutical QA groups to fund SFC upgrades. Equipment vendors report that green-metric compliance is now a decisive factor in over half of new instrument tenders, signaling a persistent capital-spending tailwind for the supercritical fluid chromatography market.
Growing Biopharma Demand for Chiral Separations
Enantiomer-specific drug development drives continuous demand for high-throughput chiral screening. Advances in polysaccharide-based stationary phases let SFC resolve multi-stereocenter APIs that frustrate traditional HPLC, cutting lead-optimization cycles by several weeks. Multiple FDA-approved chiral drugs during 2022-2024 relied on SFC data packages. CROs now market “SFC-first” discovery platforms, citing success rates above 80% for single-method chiral separations, stimulating recurring consumables sales across the supercritical fluid chromatography market.
Rapid Screening Needs in Cannabis and Natural-Product QC
Enantiomer-specific drug development drives continuous demand for high-throughput chiral screening. Advances in polysaccharide-based stationary phases let SFC resolve multi-stereocenter APIs that frustrate traditional HPLC, cutting lead-optimization cycles by several weeks. Multiple FDA-approved chiral drugs during 2022-2024 relied on SFC data packages. CROs now market “SFC-first” discovery platforms, citing success rates above 80% for single-method chiral separations, stimulating recurring consumables sales across the supercritical fluid chromatography market.
Rising Adoption of Integrated LC–SFC Instrument Platforms
Pharmaceutical laboratories favor hybrid systems that switch between reversed-phase LC and SFC without replumbing. Sub-2-minute mode-switching and AI-guided solvent selection deliver orthogonal selectivity and reduce instrument footprints.[2]Nguyen P. Et al., “Hybrid LC–SFC Stationary Phases,” Journal of Separation Science, onlinelibrary.wiley.com As biopharma firms push continuous-manufacturing pilots, such flexibility is becoming a standard URS line item, boosting integrated platform uptake across the supercritical fluid chromatography market.
Restraints Impact Analysis
| Restraint | (~) % Impact on CAGR Forecast | Geographic Relevance | Impact Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Limited Detector Compatibility For Highly Polar Analytes | -0.80% | Global, particularly affecting emerging applications | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| High Capital Cost Versus UHPLC Alternatives | -0.60% | Emerging markets, cost-sensitive segments | Short term (≤ 2 years) |
| Shortage Of Skilled Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Analysts | -0.50% | Global, concentrated in emerging markets | Long term (≥ 4 years) |
| Limited Availability Of Advanced Chiral Columns In Emerging Regions | -0.30% | APAC emerging markets, Latin America | Medium term (2-4 years) |
| Source: Mordor Intelligence | |||
Limited Detector Compatibility for Highly Polar Analytes
Electrospray efficiency declines when decompressed CO₂ dilutes post-column flow, limiting trace-level detection of polar metabolites. Although make-up solvent interfaces improve sensitivity, they introduce cost and complexity that delay adoption in budget-constrained labs. Environmental analysts therefore maintain dual LC and SFC workflows, tempering incremental instrument orders in several supercritical fluid chromatography market subsegments.
High Capital Cost Versus UHPLC Alternatives
A complete SFC stack can cost USD 200,000-400,000, roughly double a top-spec UHPLC. Smaller pharma firms and universities are often unable to justify the spend unless throughput exceeds 500 samples per month. Until vendors broaden mid-tier offerings, price elasticity will cap penetration in the lower-volume tiers of the supercritical fluid chromatography industry.
Segment Analysis
By Type: Analytical SFC Dominates Precision-Oriented Workstreams
In 2024, analytical configurations captured 56.1% of the supercritical fluid chromatography market share, reflecting widespread use in method-development and QC labs that require sub-ppm impurity profiling. The supercritical fluid chromatography market size for analytical platforms is projected to expand from USD 1.0 billion in 2025 to USD 1.26 billion by 2030 at a 4.3% CAGR. Robust validation guidance in ICH Q2(R2) reinforces long-term procurement commitments, while sub-2-µm particle compatibility delivers UHPSFC performance close to UHPLC.
Preparative systems, although smaller in absolute revenue, will outpace analytical units with a 4.7% CAGR. Gram-scale chiral purification for IND-enabling studies and growing natural-product processing underpin this trajectory. Larger column diameters and CO₂ recycling loops have reduced per-gram solvent cost, anchoring SFC within continuous-manufacturing skids for oncology APIs, thereby lifting the preparative segment within the supercritical fluid chromatography market.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
By Component: Instruments Propel Innovation, Columns Track Application Breadth
The instruments sub-segment accounts for more than two-thirds of the supercritical fluid chromatography market revenue in 2025, energized by feature updates that integrate AI-driven method-suggestion engines and remote diagnostics. Automated modifier-blend modules now cut method-development time by 30%, a compelling value proposition for CROs aiming to shorten study timelines.
Columns and consumables follow as the fastest-growing component group, recording a 5.0% CAGR to 2030. Hybrid silica-based stationary phases that operate seamlessly under LC and SFC conditions facilitate laboratory migration without wholesale method redevelopment. Meanwhile, software and services are carving a distinct revenue niche as compliance teams outsource GxP-validation scripting, intensifying recurring revenue patterns in the supercritical fluid chromatography industry.
By End-User: Pharma Remains Core, Outsourcing Accelerates
Pharmaceutical companies held 45.3% of the supercritical fluid chromatography market size in 2024, leveraging the technique for chiral purity assays and late-stage process control. Regulatory alignment and solvent-reduction goals sustain capital expenditure in large-molecule analytics.
CROs and CDMOs recorded the highest projected CAGR at 5.3% through 2030. These service providers capitalize on SFC’s orthogonal selectivity to complement LC–MS data in regulatory submissions, often bundling the capability as a premium add-on. Academic and governmental research laboratories are next in line, buoyed by lipidomics grant clauses stipulating SFC access, thereby broadening the supercritical fluid chromatography market beyond purely commercial settings.
Note: Segment shares of all individual segments available upon report purchase
Geography Analysis
North America retained leadership with 36.4% of the supercritical fluid chromatography market share in 2024. The FDA’s clear validation pathway, combined with expanding cannabis-testing requirements, drives routine SFC adoption in both regulated QC and third-party testing labs.[3]Food and Drug Administration, “ICH Guidances Q2(R2) & Q14,” fda.gov Continuous-manufacturing pilots in monoclonal antibody plants further stoke demand for integrated PAT-ready SFC modules.
Europe follows closely, anchored by stringent solvent-reduction policies and Horizon research funding that underscores SFC’s environmental credentials. EMA alignment with ICH Q14 has normalized SFC inclusion in CTD dossiers, ensuring sustained instrument refresh cycles among generic-drug makers. Elite universities in Germany and the Netherlands are upgrading core facilities with UHPSFC-MS units to meet lipidomics project loads, enriching the supercritical fluid chromatography market ecosystem.
Asia-Pacific is set to grow fastest at 5.1% CAGR, propelled by China’s expanding API-export base and Japan’s push for green-chemistry metrics in GMP audits. Shimadzu’s Nexera UC Prep roll-out offers localized service networks, easing adoption risks for first-time users and amplifying preparative-scale penetration. Nonetheless, limited regional supply of specialty chiral columns and a scarcity of SFC-trained analysts temper near-term volumes, leaving a capacity gap that global consumables vendors are racing to fill.
Competitive Landscape
The supercritical fluid chromatography market shows moderate concentration. Waters, Agilent, and Shimadzu collectively account for an estimated 55-60% revenue share, leveraging broad installed bases and in-house column chemistries to reinforce customer lock-in. Waters’ Q4 2024 instrument surge came partly from PAT-ready SFC modules bundled with BioResolve columns, underscoring synergy between hardware and consumables.
Agilent is foregrounding AI-powered ChemStation upgrades that auto-suggest SFC screening conditions, a bid to lower expertise hurdles for mid-tier labs. Shimadzu differentiates on the preparative scale, marketing gas–liquid separation technology that eliminates external chillers and trims utility costs at kilogram purification volumes. Smaller specialists such as Sepiatec and Aurora SFC offer modular skids for cannabis labs and metabolomics cores, although limited-service footprints constrain their reach.
Strategic alliances are intensifying. Agilent collaborates with Daicel on next-gen chiral phases, while Waters’ OEM program embeds its CO₂ pumps in third-party PAT rigs. Competitors increasingly bundle compliance e-learning and IQ/OQ kits, reflecting customer demand for turnkey validation. The supercritical fluid chromatography industry thus pivots on integrated ecosystems rather than single-component differentiation.
Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Industry Leaders
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Shimadzu Scientific Instruments
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JASCO
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Fluitron, Inc.
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Thar Process, Inc.
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SFT, Inc.
- *Disclaimer: Major Players sorted in no particular order
Recent Industry Developments
- June 2025: Waters Corporation introduced BioResolve Protein A affinity columns with MaxPeak technology, delivering 7× sensitivity gains for antibody titer assays and seamless size-exclusion pairing.
- March 2025: Shimadzu launched Nexera UC Prep, a semi-preparative SFC system featuring an in-built CO₂ pump that obviates external chillers.
- March 2025: The FDA issued ICH Q2(R2) and Q14 guidance, explicitly permitting supercritical fluid chromatography method validation in drug applications
Global Supercritical Fluid Chromatography Market Report Scope
Supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC) is defined as a mode of chromatography in which both the temperature and the pressure in the column exceed the critical values of the mobile phase. It is a form of normal phase chromatography that uses a supercritical fluid such as carbon dioxide as the mobile phase.
| By Type | Preparative SFC | |
| Analytical SFC | ||
| By Component | Instruments | |
| Columns & Consumables | ||
| Software & Services | ||
| By End-User | Research Laboratories | |
| Pharmaceutical Industry | ||
| CROs & CDMOs | ||
| Others | ||
| By Geography | North America | United States |
| Canada | ||
| Mexico | ||
| Europe | Germany | |
| United Kingdom | ||
| France | ||
| Italy | ||
| Spain | ||
| Rest of Europe | ||
| Asia Pacific | China | |
| Japan | ||
| India | ||
| South Korea | ||
| Australia | ||
| Rest of Asia Pacific | ||
| Middle East & Africa | GCC | |
| South Africa | ||
| Rest of Middle East & Africa | ||
| South America | Brazil | |
| Argentina | ||
| Rest of South America | ||
| Preparative SFC |
| Analytical SFC |
| Instruments |
| Columns & Consumables |
| Software & Services |
| Research Laboratories |
| Pharmaceutical Industry |
| CROs & CDMOs |
| Others |
| North America | United States |
| Canada | |
| Mexico | |
| Europe | Germany |
| United Kingdom | |
| France | |
| Italy | |
| Spain | |
| Rest of Europe | |
| Asia Pacific | China |
| Japan | |
| India | |
| South Korea | |
| Australia | |
| Rest of Asia Pacific | |
| Middle East & Africa | GCC |
| South Africa | |
| Rest of Middle East & Africa | |
| South America | Brazil |
| Argentina | |
| Rest of South America |
Key Questions Answered in the Report
What is the current size of the supercritical fluid chromatography market?
The market stands at USD 1.78 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach USD 2.25 billion by 2030.
Which segment leads the supercritical fluid chromatography market?
Analytical SFC dominates, holding 56.1% of 2024 revenue and benefiting from ICH-validated QC applications.
Why is Asia-Pacific the fastest-growing region?
Expanding API manufacturing, supportive regulatory harmonization, and localized instrument launches drive a 5.1% CAGR outlook.
What are the main restraints to broader adoption?
High capital costs versus UHPLC and detector sensitivity limitations for highly polar analytes are the chief barriers.
How are green-chemistry mandates influencing purchase decisions?
EU and North American regulations reward CO₂-based separations, encouraging laboratories to upgrade to SFC to reduce solvent waste.
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