Global Grease Additives Market 2016-2020

Overview of the global grease additives market

The ability to perform well at high temperatures is extremely crucial for grease additives to be used for different end-user applications. This requirement has augmented the demand for complex soap-based greases as they perform well in different temperature ranges compared to simple soap-based greases. Grease additives influence energy efficiency by reducing the energy losses in engines due to friction in hydrodynamic, lubrication regimes, and elasto-hydrodynamics. The increased adoption of energy-efficient measures through friction modification and viscosity optimization are acting as an effective driver of the global grease additives market. The market is witnessing the use of high-performing biodegradable greases and their additives, which are either vegetable oil-based or based on synthetic esters. These greases do not release harmful residues after use and degrade sooner than the mineral-based alternatives. Moreover, the manufacture of biodegradable greases complies with the regulatory and environmental guidelines and also help in improved profit margins on account of the sales of value-added products. Technavio’s market research analyst predicts the global grease additives market to grow at a sluggish CAGR of 2% by 2020.

APAC is the largest revenue contributing region in the grease additives market and is likely to occupy more than 51% of the total market share by 2020. The automotive industry is the major contributor to the market in the region due to the growing population as well as the demand for automobiles in the region.  The improvement in engine technologies and growing demand for fuel-efficient cars with reduced emissions are some of the major factors boosting the demand for grease additives in APAC.

Competitive landscape and key vendors

The market is primarily dominated by the key vendors. Intense competition prevails in the market which has resulted in increased consolidation by the major vendors who are acquiring smaller vendors. However, in recent years, there has been a consistent rise in the number of local players that manufacture grease additives through different cost-effective production processes. The entry of new players in the market is high as they have easy access to the manufacturing technology. The market will also witness the influx of private labels during the forecast period.

Leading vendors in the market are -

• Afton Chemical
• BASF
• Clariant
• Lubrizol
• Innospec

Segmentation by function class and analysis of the grease additives market

• EP
• Antiwear
• VII
• Antioxidant
• Corrosion inhibitor
• Antiseize

The extreme pressure (EP) additives segment dominated the grease additives market during 2015 and accounted for around 38% of the total market share. A number of EP additives are used in greases including metal dithiocarbamates, sulfurized olefins, chlorinated paraffin, sulfurized esters, and other sulfur-phosphorous materials. These additives mainly act as friction modifiers and show improved performance when used in combination with specific soap-based thickening agents.

Segmentation by end-user and analysis of the grease additives market

• Automotive
• Construction
• Meta working

The automotive industry is the largest end-user of grease additives and accounted for around 60% of the total market share in 2015. Grease additives are used in passenger car motor oil (PCMO), heavy-duty motor oil (HDMO), automatic transmission fluids, automotive gear oils, and tractor hydraulic fluids. HDMO is the largest application area of grease additives in automobiles followed by PCMO. The main purpose of using additives in HDMO is to reduce friction and wear and tear of the moving engine's crankshaft, connecting rods, bearings, and pistons.

 Key questions answered in the report include

• What will the market size and the growth rate be in 2020?
• What are the key factors driving the global grease additives market?
• What are the key market trends impacting the growth of the global grease additives market?
• What are the challenges to market growth?
• Who are the key vendors in the global grease additives market?
• What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the vendors in the global grease additives market?
• Trending factors influencing the market shares of APAC, Europe, MEA, North America, and South America.
• What are the key outcomes of the five forces analysis of the global grease additives market?

Technavio also offers customization on reports based on specific client requirement.

Related reports:

• Global Automatic Lubrication System Market 2016-2020
• Global Lubricant Additives Market 2015-2019