POISED FOR GROWTH

With the construction market taking rapid strides in the country post-pandemic, demand for adhesives and sealants is on the rise.

Adhesives and sealants play an important role at the construction job sites. Construction and civil engineering are the largest markets for adhesives as they bond large surfaces and thick joints. Sealants are typically used to close openings between surfaces, where other materials like concrete and mortar can't be used. Sealants that offer better productivity mean a lot for construction professionals. To successfully tackle a project, it's often smarter to invest in a higher quality sealant for better performance that will last.

The adhesives used in building and construction come with versatile properties. Construction materials like concrete, plastics, wood panels, etc. need adhesives to display good adhesion, improved performance and easier application. Use of these adhesives is growing due to these benefits.

Market trend

According to market reports, the Indian adhesive & sealant market combined was valued at around Rs 10,100 crore in 2020 and is expected to reach around Rs 15,000 crore in 2025. Increasing demand from packaging, furniture, and building & construction will drive the demand for the products during the forecast period. Major influencers (builders, architects and interior designers) are on the look-out for such high-end products for usage in building construction.

Several new entrants are offering dealer margins for pushing products through the channel while the international players are focusing on introducing newer products to specifically cater to the industrial segment.

Indian adhesives market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.5% and the market size is forecasted to reach around Rs 13,300 crore by 2025. Acrylic and PVA-based adhesives contribute to more than 50% of the market share within Indian adhesives market. Packaging and furniture industry are the largest user segments for adhesives in Indian market. Indian sealants market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7% and the market size is forecasted to reach Rs 1,700 crore by 2025. Silicone and polyurethane-based adhesives contribute to more than 50% of Indian sealants market. Automotive and building & construction are the largest user segments for sealants in Indian market.

Adhesives used in construction

Adhesives may be found naturally or produced synthetically. There are different kinds of adhesives used in construction. Today, most glues are made from polymers, a group of chemical compounds that consist of large molecules with repeating subunits. The molecular structure of polymers gives them their toughness and elasticity, making polymers (both natural and manmade ones) ubiquitous in daily life.

Cyanoacrylate: This is a group of adhesives that form long and strong polymeric chains in the presence of water. This type of glue is strong with tensile strengths reaching up to 4,000 psi (depending on the material it is bonding) and without any of the mess of a two-part epoxy system.

PVA (Polyvinyl acetate): The ingredient that makes PVAs effective as adhesives is polyvinyl acetate, a rubbery polymer that forms a hard bond as it dries. Among its strengths when it comes to wood (and some other porous materials) is that the glue seeps into the fibers, creating a stronger bond as it hardens. PVA wood glue is used extensively in furniture, cabinet making, and finish carpentry, and often used in conjunction with a fastener.

Polyurethane adhesives: These adhesives require a chemical reaction in order to cure, and that reaction is set off by moisture. Polyurethane adhesives are truly multi-purpose products and can be used to bond a variety of building materials: wood, glass, concrete, metals, carpets, and more. Polyurethane bonds are waterproof, making it a good adhesive choice for outdoor projects.

Epoxies: Versatile, long-lasting, and with a remarkable degree of heat resistance, epoxy adhesives can be used in almost any situation where you need to glue two materials together. Epoxy adhesives can be used with a wide range of materials: wood, metal, plastic, masonry, and more.

Types of sealants

There are different types of sealants, and they're differentiated based on their viscosity. In essence, high viscosity sealants do not flow from where they're applied, and low viscosity sealants can penetrate through a substrate, which is the underlying layer.

Acrylic sealants: This is a water-based, synthetic ingredient that is made out of acrylic resins and is mainly used for jointing and filling cracks and caulking in home construction. Acrylic sealants are used generally to prevent dust or insects from entering. They are applied on different surfaces and are usually flexible even after applying paint. In construction, they are used in the joint filing, and it becomes like rubber when it is cured, in terms of property.

Hybrid sealants: Hybrid sealants generally combine properties of two different sealants to provide improved application and unique solutions. In construction, they consist of fusing urethane and silicone sealants and are easy to apply. Hybrid sealants provide better adhesion to surfaces without the need for an initial primer. They have both high toughness and strength and offer a resilient material that can be used for both bonding and sealing characteristics.

Polyurethane sealants: These are generally classified as rigid or robust materials and are thorough to flexible materials as well. They are made of organic material and have very high UV resistance. These sealants can be used to make lightweight and strong products and are versatile and durable. They are primarily used in high-efficiency insulation materials like rigid foam insulation owing to their strong adhesive characteristics.

Silicone sealants: Silicone sealants are crystalline structures that display the properties of both metals and nonmetals. They're highly effective sealants in building construction and are versatile, depending on the material used. Silicone sealants can be used as additions to coatings as they impart resistance to oils, salts, heat, alkalis, and acids. They also repel water, which is why they are used in repellent treatment works like masonry and brickwork.

Market outlook

According to Mordor Intelligence report, the Indian adhesives and sealants market is estimated to be more than US$1,100 million in 2021, growing at an estimated CAGR of over 8% over the forecast period (2022-27).

The country was negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, Adhesives, and Sealants market in the country too faced a similar situation. But the market has now reached pre-pandemic levels and is expected to grow steadily, according to the report.

Major factors driving the market studied are increasing demand from the packaging industry and the growing construction industry in the country.

Increasing electronic operations in India and increasing demand for bio-based adhesives are expected to offer various opportunities for the growth of the market studied over the forecast period.

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