Activated Carbon Market Trends

Growth Drivers

High Demand in the Pharmaceuticals and Healthcare Industry- Activated carbon is used in the pharmaceutical sector to clean and separate solutions and to control reaction processes. Continuous investments made by pharmaceutical and outsourcing firms to expand their manufacturing facilities have positively impacted the activated carbon market. In about 5% of cases of poisoning across all age groups and 0.9% of cases involving children, activated charcoal is suggested. Additionally, more than 75% of toxic exposure cases recorded in 2020 occurred in the United States.
Use of Fuel Cell Technology Is Expanding- 70 of Amazon's campuses were powered by more than 15,000 fuel cells as of 2022. Walmart operated 10,000 fuel cell as of January 2022 at 41 hydrogen fueling stations dispersed among distribution centers. The carbon pellet improves the fuel cell's efficiency and durability by purifying the fuel and oxidant.
Growing Need for Activated Carbon in Applications for Water Treatment- Activated carbon is widely used to remove waste water and smell components, natural organic compounds, and synthetic organic containments from drinking water. Activated carbon may also be used in water-softening processes. Additionally, only a certain form of activated carbon water treatment can get rid of heavy elements like lead. Each day, wastewater treatment plants in the US process over 34 billion gallons of wastewater.

Challenges

Insufficient raw supplies will raise prices- Coconut shells are necessary for the synthesis of activated carbon, and natural disasters could limit the availability of raw materials. This contributes to the increase in coconut shell prices. The demand for these shells from the steel, cement, and power-generating industries is also expected to restrict the availability of coconut shells. Therefore, during the course of the projection year, this issue is anticipated to hinder growth.
Economic Weakness has an Impact on Industrial Development.
The Availability of Substitutes on the Market.

Activated Carbon Market: Key Insights

Base Year	2024
Forecast Year	2025-2037
CAGR	9.1%
Base Year Market Size (2024)	USD 4.78 billion
Forecast Year Market Size (2037)	USD 14.96 billion
Regional Scope	North America (U.S., and Canada) Latin America (Mexico, Argentina, Rest of Latin America) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Rest of Asia-Pacific) Europe (U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, NORDIC, Rest of Europe) Middle East and Africa (Israel, GCC North Africa, South Africa, Rest of the Middle East and Africa)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

In the year 2025, the industry size of activated carbon is estimated at USD 5.13 billion.

The activated carbon market size was valued at USD 4.78 billion in 2024 and is expected to cross USD 14.96 billion by the end of 2037, registering more than 9.1% CAGR during the forecast period i.e., between 2025-2037. Increasing air pollution, water pollution and demand of pharmaceuticals will boost the market growth.

North America is predicted to see substantial expansion with a 25% revenue share by 2037, owing to increasing demand for water treatment services in the region.

The major players in the market include Donau Chemie Group, Cabot Corporation, Puragen Activated Carbons, CarboTech AC GmbH, Activated Carbon technologies Pty Ltd, Silcarbon Aktivkohle GmbH, The Ingevity Group, DESOTEC Activated carbon, CPL Activated Carbons, Haycarb Pvt. Ltd., Norit.

Activated Carbon Market Trends