Global Lactic Acid Polymer Market - 2020-2027

Global Lactic Acid Polymer Market - 2020-2027

Market Overview
Lactic acid is another pyruvic acid product formed during the reduction of this acid by lactate dehydrogenase. Increasing demand for anti-acne and anti-aging products is expected to boost the lactic acid demand because it improves collagen & elastin synthesis, skin lightening effects and accelerates shedding & cell renewal. Moreover, it has attracted much attention in biomaterials and packaging materials during the forecast period due to its property like biodegradable, low toxic, and bioresorbable in the human body and nature. In addition, polylactic acid is the first commodity plastic produced from renewable resources and made through the chemical and fermentative method founded in biomedical and packaging materials.
The global lactic acid polymer market is estimated to reach USD XX billion by 2027 from the recorded market size of worth USD XX billion in 2019, growing at a CAGR of XX% during the forecast period.

Market Dynamics
Lactic acid has high antimicrobial properties, which can be used as an ideal flavoring agent, pH regulator, and preservative. This property is expected to boost the Lactic acid polymer market in the forecast period. Lactic acid is mostly used in beer brewing, creme fraiche, pickled vegetables, whipped butter, cheese making and confectionery goods. Moreover, increasing demand for cosmetic products due to changing customer lifestyles, rising disposable income, and growing skincare concerns is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. The cosmetic product includes hair dyes, colors, shampoos, makeup, moisturizers, and cleaning products to its excellent exfoliation, humectant, collagen renewal, and complex enhancement capabilities. According to industry analysis, skincare is the top category, estimating 39% of the global market. Haircare products made up more than 21%, while makeup accounted for 19% in 2018, and it is predicted that skincare will remain the most profitable product category, as its market value is grown by 20.1 billion USD between 2014 and 2019.
Furthermore, the growing demand for polylactic acid (PLA) is expected to boost the lactic acid polymer market. PLA is a flexible lactic acid-derived biodegradable polyester and is a commercial option to thermoplastics. A commodity is a bioplastic form with properties close to traditional polymers like acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polyethylene terephthalate, and polypropylene. For various items like plastic films, bottles, medical devices and 3D printing, the product is ideal. These characteristics of PLA are better than conventionally produced plastics in terms of tensile strength and flexibility. In addition, the growing awareness among consumers about the need for sustainability, recyclability, and green packaging solutions has directed manufacturers to adopt eco-friendly packaging. Around 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year. Growing demand for plastics will increase greenhouse gas sources, which will increase the eco-friendly plastic, which will boost the polylactic acid market in the forecast period.
However, the polylactic acid mechanical property and its thermal stability are limited, restricting end-users' use demanding high performance. Hence, to meet the increasing demand of the market, the product should be engineered for better performance, and the production of polymer should be hiked according to the demand.

Segment Analysis
By optical isomeric, the market is segmented into L-lactate and D-lactate. By form, the market is segmented into liquid and foam. By production, the market is segmented into polylactic acid, a biopolymer, and ethyl lactate, a biodegradable solvent. The market is segmented into cleaning products, forgery, cosmetics, biodegradable polymers, food & beverages, personal care products, pharmaceutical products, and others by End User.
L-lactic acid is a natural compound of human metabolism, whereas D-lactic acid is produced by some strains of microorganisms or by some less relevant metabolic pathways. While L-lactic acid is an endogenous compound, D-lactic acid is a harmful enantiomer. Exposure to D-lactic acid can happen in various ways, including contaminated food and beverages and microbiota during some pathological states like short bowel syndrome. D-Lactic acid is not an extremely toxic compound representing severe threats to human life, and it is a significant marker and poisonous metabolite that can cause health problems and hinder other pathologies. Toxic cannot be easily diagnosed because elaborative analytical methods are necessary to identify the two isomers precisely. Moreover, the study on the mechanism of how D-lactic acid is produced, how to limit complications, and how to diagnose poisoning is restricted because exposure to D-lactic acid cannot be analyzed because the standard analytical methods are not suitable for distinguishing between the two enantiomers. The economic importance of D-lactic acid will grow because of the production of biodegradable materials where D-lactic acid is also used.

Geographical Analysis
North America is holding the largest share of the lactic acid polymer market due to key manufacture that boosts the lactic acid market's growth. North America is the largest growing segment in industrial, food & beverages, and pharmaceutical.
The Asia Pacific is the second largest region and is expected to continue dominance during the forecast period due to the rapid industrialization of personal care products in developed economic countries like China, India, and Japan. Government regulation and support towards infrastructure development are expected to drive industry growth over the next seven years. In addition, the industrial shifts and technological advancements have made lactic acid available for a wide range of End Users like biodegradable polymers and food & beverages. The rise in consumer awareness toward the mitigation of food wastage in the region has also helped the demand for lactic acid in the food & beverages industry. Moreover, consumers' changing lifestyles have inclined them toward convenience food products with higher shelf-life due to the changing consumer preferences toward convenience food stores, supermarkets, and quick-service restaurants. The UK is expected to be the primary consumer of pharmaceutical End Users in Europe due to easy access to healthcare services, rising older people, and increasing disease rate. According to the British Pharmaceutical Industry Association, the pharmaceutical industry is the sixth-highest funding provider for economic development.
Brazil and Argentina are expected to drive overall industry demand in the Central & South America region due to the increasing demand for the cosmetic industry. On account of increasing expenditure on beauty and personal care products, and the rising personal care industry is expected to force FMCG companies to increase their production capacity in Brazil.

Competitive Landscape
The lactic acid polymer market is fragmented with the presence of regional and global players. The competitive outline lies with the rising in the regional company and growing investment in upstream End User. Total S.E, DuPont, Nature Works LLC, Cargill, Galactic, DOW Chemical, Unitika, Henan Jindan Lactic Acid Technology, Sulzer, Musashino Chemical are the major player in the polymer market. The major players are adopting several growth strategies such as product launches, acquisitions, and collaborations, contributing to growing the lactic acid polymer market globally.
Total S.E
The total has manufactured the new product named luminy PLA. It is a biobased and biodegradable polymer made from annually renewable resources, offering a reduced carbon footprint versus many traditional plastics and includes high heat and standard PLA grades, which is an innovative material used in a wide range of markets such as fresh food packaging, consumer goods, fibers, food service ware, and 3D-printing, and others.