Global Abrasives Market By Material Type (Natural and Synthetic), by Type (Bonded Abrasives, Coated Abrasives, and Super Abrasives), By Application (Automotive, Machinery, Metal Fabrication, Electrical & Electronics, Aerospace, and Others), By Region and Companies - Industry Segment Outlook, Market Assessment, Competition Scenario, Trends and Forecast 2023-2032

Report Overview

In 2022, the global abrasives market was valued at USD 45.3 billion. Between 2023 and 2032, this market is estimated to register the highest CAGR of 4.9% and a market value of USD 72.2 billion.

Mineral-based substances used for polishing, grinding, and cleaning surfaces are referred to as abrasives. Ultrasonic machining, abrasive jet machining, and magnetic field-assisted polishing all make use of them. In addition, because they aid in the removal of excess material, sizing, and slicing, they are frequently used in the production of intricate components or ultra-smooth surfaces for machines and aircraft. They are also used extensively in the automotive industry to produce components like fuel and de-aeration tanks, valve springs, and mirrors and reduce noise and carbon emissions.

The expanding automotive industry is causing the market to expand at the moment. Additionally, the flourishing electronics and manufacturing sectors contribute to growth. In these industries, abrasives are used to precisely fabricate semiconductors and other electronic equipment by scraping the metal in small quantities.

In addition, major players are concentrating on a variety of product innovations, including the creation of polyester- and fabric-based abrasives. The abrasives market is expanding due to the introduction of advanced coated abrasives for metal fabrication. In addition, sales of super-abrasives like industrial diamonds, which are used for precision grinding and cutting of hard metals, are rising worldwide.

Driving Factors

Increasing demand for the Automotive Industry helps in Market growth

The product is used for cleaning the interior and exterior, sizing engine parts, and auto body repairs. The insides of pipes, smooth welds, smooth edges, and surfaces for oiling, fitting, polishing, or painting are also cleaned with these products.

Grinding wheels are used for automobiles, whereas coated and non-woven products are used to refinish car bodies. The automobile industry’s expansion is directly aided by this high demand from various applications. For non-engine parts and accessories like brakes, steering wheels, wheels, and axles, several abrasive products are used.

To collect tools, brakes have a special abrasive with a non-directional scratch pattern. It is used to reduce heat-sensitive metal discoloration and eliminate the brake squeal. The interior and exterior of automobiles are prepped and polished with abrasive sandpapers. Furthermore, this market is anticipated to be significantly impacted by rising raw material price fluctuations and economic conditions.

Restraining Factors

Limited Access to Raw Materials and Stringent Market Regulations

Ceramics, aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, cubic boron nitride, and synthetic diamond are the most common raw materials for abrasives. Petroleum and other renewable resources are used to obtain these raw materials. The availability of raw materials will decrease as a result of depleting these resources, limiting market expansion.

In addition, governments have taken action and imposed stringent regulations on the use of this product due to growing concerns about protecting the environment and stopping pollution from spreading. This has hampered market expansion.

COVID-19 Impact Analysis

The global abrasives market and some business sectors have been greatly affected by the pandemic’s outbreak. In some countries, the government has ordered lockdowns and shutdowns to stop the coronavirus from spreading. The abrasives industry’s supply chain had been compromised by COVID-19. The market’s growth and development have been hampered as a result. It had a significant impact on the automobile industry, metal processing, and equipment.

The export and import of abrasives were greatly affected by COVID. The decline in international flights caused by the emergence of the coronavirus hampered the expansion of the abrasives market. The abrasives market suffered as a result of the expansion of the lockdown. The abrasive business sector suffers when robust strategies for manufacturing and acquiring raw, abrasive materials are implemented.

By Material Type Analysis

Due to superior properties, the synthetic segment will hold a significant share.

The market is divided into natural and synthetic segments according to the material. Chemical precursors or raw materials are processed into a product known as a synthetic abrasive. Silicon carbide, alumina, and synthetic diamond are among these materials. They can be used for a variety of things because the shape of the abrasive grains can be changed, purity can be changed, and the crystal structure of the grains can be controlled. The expansion of the market is being bolstered by these adaptable properties.

Natural abrasives are widely used in a wide range of domestic, industrial, and technological applications due to the growing consumer preference for organic products. These include corundum, diamond, and emery, which can be mined and processed for use with less variation, as they occur naturally. One of the main drivers of market expansion is the growing use of this product type in the automotive industry.

By Type Analysis

Due to their widespread application, the coated segment is anticipated to generate the greatest revenue.

Grinding wheels, cut-off wheels, segments, cones, and other “bonded” forms of abrasives are examples of bonded abrasives, which are used in a variety of woodworking and metal finishing and cutting applications. Most of the time, bonded abrasives are used with a drill or rotary tool. The purpose of bonding abrasive materials, whether natural or synthetic, is to ensure that the grain bits adhere to one another and produce a hard material for cutting or grinding purposes. Similar to bonded abrasives, coated abrasives are made of metals.

The two types of abrasive layers are closed coat and free coat. Abrasive grain covers 50% to 75% of the cover in an open-coat abrasive. Materials like corundum, garnet, silicon carbide, a light brownish aluminum oxide, heat-treated aluminum oxide, zirconia alumina, and ceramic alumina are included in these grains. Instead of being dug up, synthetic abrasives are made to look like organic material. Coated or bonded, both types of abrasives are frequently used in a wide variety of applications. Grinding rollers, bands, rods, plates, blocks, free grain, sanding sponges, and sheets are all types of abrasives.

By Application Analysis

Due to rising demand for metal equipment, the metal fabrication sector is anticipated to experience a significant cagr.

Automotive, electrical and electronics, metal fabrication, machinery, and other applications make up the market. During the forecast period, it is anticipated that the metal fabrication industry will experience rapid expansion. By bending, cutting, and putting together metal structures, this kind of fabrication is used. With steel-cutting abrasive disks, this product is used as a cut-off saw, also known as a chop saw, to cut metals into the desired shape.

Fiber discs and flap discs, which are mostly used for grinding down metals and blending the surfaces, are two other products of metal fabrication. The product is mostly used as grinding wheels and grinding segments in automotive applications to smooth or roughen surfaces for polishing, fitting, or painting. Segment expansion will result from the growing number of applications for auto part cleaning, deburring, and repair.

The machinery and electrical and electronics industries have shown a significant amount of interest in the product. This is because new and appealing materials for insulation and wiring blending are now available in the electrical and electronics sector. Rubber-bonded ones are also used for back grinding, CMP pad dressing, IC die-cutting, wafer slicing, and other manufacturing processes in the electronic and semiconductor industries. These are used in advanced ceramics and metal matrix composites as seeded gel, flexible belts, wide belts, and nonwoven fabrics.

Key Market Segments:

By Material Type

• Natural
• Synthetic

By Type

• Bonded Abrasive
• Coated Abrasive
• Super Abrasive

 By Application

• Automotive
• Machinery
• Metal Fabrication
• Electrical & Electronics Equipment
• Aerospace
• Others

Growing Opportunities

Increase in the use of abrasives for a variety of purposes to expand the market

Increase in the use of abrasives for a variety of purposes to expand the market. These abrasives are used for sizing, repairing, and cleaning the body of the vehicle, as well as the engine’s interior and exterior. Oiling, smoothly welding, creating smooth edges, fitting purposes, polishing, and painting all require abrasives.

Additionally, it cleans the pipes’ interior walls. The abrasives market industry can capitalize on the expansion of automotive machinery. The increase in investments in research and development will result in novel, less harmful abrasive materials in the coming years, opening up opportunities that contribute to market size and expansion.

Latest Trends

Growing Use of Abrasives in Construction to Create Opportunities for Growth

During the forecast period, construction is anticipated to be the primary product application. Due to rapid urbanization and improved living conditions, construction activities have increased. Market development is further supported by high renovation activity and economic growth in developing nations. Woodworking and fabrication, metal fabrication, and metal components are just a few of the construction industry’s applications for these products.

The construction industry is expanding primarily in developing nations like China, India, Japan, and other Asian nations. Due to the rise in residential construction, product consumption in these nations has been positively impacted by the rising population. In addition, the major reorganization of western industrialization into smaller nations directly supports the rate of growth in the construction sector, which in turn promotes expansion in the abrasives sector.

Regional Analysis

The global abrasives market share extends to the Asia-Pacific region, the North American region, a portion of the European region, and other occupied regions around the world. The Asia Pacific region controls the majority of the market.

The factors that contribute to the rise in growth in APAC is Infrastructure development as well as increasing investment in the sectors such as manufacturing, and the growth of production of electric vehicle in the developing countries in the APAC is expected to propel this target market over the forecast period.

Key Regions and Countries Covered in this Report:

North America

• The US
• Canada
• Mexico

Western Europe

• Germany
• France
• The UK
• Spain
• Italy
• Portugal
• Ireland
• Austria
• Switzerland
• Benelux
• Nordic
• Rest of Western Europe

Eastern Europe

• Russia
• Poland
• The Czech Republic
• Greece
• Rest of Eastern Europe

APAC

• China
• Vietnam
• Japan
• Indonesia
• South Korea
• India
• Australia & New Zealand
• Singapore
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Philippines
• Rest of APAC

Latin America

• Colombia
• Chile
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Costa Rica
• Rest of Latin America

Middle East & Africa

• Algeria
• Egypt
• United Arab Emirates
• Saudi Arabia
• Kuwait
• Nigeria
• Israel
• South Africa
• Turkey
• Rest of the Middle East and Africa.

Market Share & Key Players Analysis:

3M, Saint-Gobain, Krebs & Riedel, DuPont, and Robert Bosch GmbH are the market’s major manufacturers. Krebs & Riedel is a German grinding wheel manufacturer. Cutting discs, conventional grinding wheels, and cup wheels like diamond and CBN wheels in vitrified bonds are among the company’s numerous offerings. For polishing, shaping, and cutting all kinds of materials, Saint-Gobain, on the other hand, provides a comprehensive collection of high-performance, precise, and comfortable options.

In addition, other major market players have established extensive regional presences, diverse product offerings, and distribution channels. In order to establish value chains, businesses are devising plans to grow their operations and enhance their product portfolio.

Top Key Players in Abrasives Market:

Listed below are some of the most prominent global abrasives market players.

• Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany)
• NIPPON RESIBON CORPORATION (Japan)
• Saint-Gobain (U.S.)
• Asahi Diamond Industrial Co., Ltd. (Japan)
• Fujimi Incorporated (Japan)
• Carborundum Universal Limited (India)
• The 3M Company (U.S.)
• Henkel AG & Co. KGaA (Germany)
• Krebs & Riedel (Germany)
• KWH Mirka (Finland)
• NORITAKE CO., LIMITED (Japan)
• Others

Recent Developments:

• Carborundum Universal Ltd. made the announcement in February 2022 that it would be buying 100% of RHODIUS Abrasives. The company’s global footprint will grow as a result of this acquisition, as well as market-building opportunities.
• Nippon Paint India expanded its LinenForce product line in the automotive sector in December 2020. Abrasives, waxes & polishes, and rubbing compounds make up the new product line. Nippon Paint is anticipated to gain an advantage over competitors in the Indian market as a result of this product launch.
• 3M Cubitron II Net Abrasives were introduced in October 2021 to improve the general productivity, cleanliness, and efficiency of body shops. By providing twice the cut rate and twice the life of other leading net abrasive families, this group of net abrasives is designed to help reduce sanding dust in the air. These net abrasives were developed over two decades of innovation to help enable a cleaner shop environment and provide the most comprehensive dust extraction solutions to the collision industry worldwide as body shops increasingly focus on cleaner workspaces and the removal of in-air contaminants. The open net structure of 3M Cubitron II Net Abrasives makes it virtually dust-free. The hook-and-loop attachment from 3M lets you use new abrasive pieces on the next job.

Report Scope: