Europe Carbon Black Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2023-2028)

Key Highlights

• Over the medium term, the major factor driving the market studied is the growing tire industry in Europe, growing application in fiber and textile industries, and increasing market penetration of specialty carbon black.
• On the flip side, the rising prominence of green tires and volatility in the prices of raw materials are the key factors anticipated to restrain the growth of the target industry over the forecast period.
• Adopting electric cars will likely create lucrative growth opportunities for the market soon.
• Germany dominated the market across the region due to the most significant production of tires. Also, the region is projected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period.

Europe Carbon Black Market Trends

Increasing Application for Tires and Industrial Rubber Products

• Carbon black is used as a filler in rubber; it dramatically improves abrasion resistance and tensile strength, resulting in a tire that lasts longer.
• Furthermore, the carbon black helps conduct heat away from the tread and belts of the tires, extending the tire's lifespan. The carbon black also protect the tires from UV radiation and ozone, which can affect tire life.
• Carbon black in tires has the benefit of making rubber compositions more electrically conductive. According to chemical engineers, a tire built without carbon black would likely last 5000 miles or less. As a result, most drivers would have to replace their tires one to two times per year, which would be undesirable to most consumers.
• Other than tires, carbon black is also required for various molded and extruded industrial rubber products, such as conveyor belts, gaskets, air springs, grommets, vibration isolation devices, and hoses. It provides flex strength in such products.
• Europe has more than 91 tire manufacturing facilities, 15 R&D centers, and 12 leading tire manufacturers which are currently in operation. Furthermore, the production and sales of passenger cars, light commercial vehicles, and medium and heavy commercial vehicles in all of Western, Central, and Eastern Europe are expected to increase in the near future.
• As per the stats released by The European Tyre & Rubber Manufacturers Association (ETRMA), the replacement tire market registered a positive growth rate in 2021. The consumer (passenger cars, SUVs, and light commercial vehicles), truck, and motor & scooter segments reported 14%, 12%, and 14% growth respectively.
• Therefore, considering the aforementioned factors, the demand for carbon black is expected to rise from the tires and industrial rubber products segment during the forecast period.

Germany to Dominate the Market

• Germany is expected to be the leading market for carbon black in Europe. The increasing demand for carbon black from various end-use industries, such as tire, rubber, printing inks, and plastic, is expected to drive the carbon black market in Germany.
• Germany is the largest producer of general rubber goods (GRG) and tires in Europe. Continental AG, Dunlop GmbH, Michelin Reifenwerke AG & Co KGaA, Pirelli Deutschland GmbH, Freudenberg Group, etc., are some of the major manufacturers of the tire and non-tire products in the country. The major players in the German tire industry are expanding and contracting simultaneously in response to market changes in Europe.​
• Germany has the most prominent automotive industry in Europe. The country leads the European automotive market, with 41 assembly and engine production plants that contribute to one-third of the total automobile production in Europe.
• According to OICA (International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers), in 2021, the country produced 33,08,692 vehicles, which decreased by 12% from the previous year; thereby, it restricted the demand for carbon black from this segment in the short term.​​
• However, to advance the automotive sector in Germany and improve its current situation, the new coalition government in November 2021 announced a target to bring in 15 billion battery electric vehicles in the country by 2030, equivalent to around 1.6 million battery vehicles a year. The initiatives are expected to bolster the demand for chemicals and materials in the automotive sector, including carbon black.
• In 2022, Eppstein, a Germany-based specialist in Printing ink, innovated a new plastic for its UV inks and coatings along with its long-term supplier of packaging material, GFV Verschlusstechnik GmbH & Co. KG. Smart printing solutions, ink for all substrates, and digital printing technology are likely to drive the growth of the printing inks market in Germany, thereby positively affecting the demand for carbon black utilized in this segment.
• Such positive attributes are expected to drive the market for carbon black in Germany through the forecast period.

Europe Carbon Black Market Competitor Analysis

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• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
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