Trimer Acid Market Trends

Growth Drivers

• Growth in sustainable and green chemicals: The global green chemicals market is driven by sustainability mandates across industries. Trimer acid produced from renewable fatty acids aligns with resin and coating manufacturers’ goals to source bio-based inputs and reduce carbon footprints to meet ESG targets. Its renewable nature supports eco-label certifications, increasing its demand from global manufacturers. An estimated 150 million gallons of raw materials are currently produced annually by biorefineries and used in the production of biobased products. As environmental regulations tighten and consumer preferences shift toward greener materials, the adoption of bio-based trimer acid is set to accelerate significantly across specialty chemical applications.
• Expansion of automotive and aerospace coatings: Trimer acid-based polyamides play an important role in high-performance automotive and aerospace coatings, where superior corrosion resistance and durability are vital. This growth is fueled by rising aircraft production, maintenance activities, and stringent coating performance standards. Trimer acid’s chemical properties enhance coating flexibility and weatherability, positioning it as a preferred intermediate in advanced coating formulations for the aerospace sector worldwide.
• Advancements in chemical recycling and circular economy: The expansion of remanufacturing and chemical recycling industries, alongside investments in circular economy models within specialty chemicals, is boosting the adoption of trimer acid derived from recycled fatty acid feedstocks. Cotton and rayon are among the 74% of textiles made from biobased feedstocks. Approximately 45 million tons of biobased fibers were produced in 2021. These positions trimer acid manufacturers competitively as large global chemical firms pursue ambitious carbon neutrality targets. The integration of recycled inputs lowers environmental impact and enhances supply chain resilience amid growing regulatory pressures for emissions transparency and climate risk reporting.

Growth in Lubricating Products Trade

Lubricating products trade plays a key role in driving the trimer acid market, as trimer acids are critical intermediates in synthetic esters used for high-performance lubricants. Rising cross-border demand for premium lubricants increases the need for consistent trimer acid supply, pushing producers to scale capacity. Trade flows also influence regional pricing, with strong lubricant imports creating pull-through demand for trimer acids in downstream hubs. As global lubricant trade expands, it directly stimulates growth and competitiveness in the trimer acid market.

Global Lubricating Products Trade (2023)

Source: OEC

Challenges

• Limited production capacities: Trimer acid is produced by a limited number of companies (e.g., Croda, Oleon, Kraton), and the capacity to produce it remains less than 100 kilo tons globally, which resulted in supply tightness when demand surged. The demand for polyurethane adhesives has grown steadily, while the expansion of trimer acid production capacity has lagged, creating a supply-demand imbalance. Very limited back integration further restricts a class of suppliers from ramping up operations efficiently, limiting overall competitiveness in the mid- and long term.
• High manufacturing costs: The production of trimer acid also uses a lot of energy as the process involves thermal polymerization at elevated temperatures of up to 230–280°C. The Department of Energy has announced a $25 million investment in research on polymer upcycling to reduce the waste of plastics. Adding to this is the cost of the specialized reactors and purification system for the production of trimer acid, which is a major investment upfront, so the small manufacturer does not exit the market. This initial cost limits profitability, which adds to having limited impacts on adaptability for use in more cost-sensitive applications, such as construction chemicals.