The new “Market Study: Fillers – Europe” from market research company Ceresana provides a description and analysis of the European market for fillers, including forecasts until 2026. Ceresana has already analysed the global market for these important materials several times. Now, the company has published a study on the European fillers market for the first time. Fillers not only make many products cheaper, they often also improve their properties, such as stability, weather-resistance, and electrical conductivity. According to the study, the European demand for ground calcium carbonate (GCC), precipitated calcium carbonate (PCC), kaolin, talc, carbon black, and other fillers will presumably increase to about 18 million t in 2026.
In the current filler study, the individual application areas are analysed in detail. The most important applications for fillers are the production and processing of paper, plastics, paints and varnishes, elastomers as well as adhesives and sealants. The main use in Western and Eastern Europe is quite different: In Western Europe, most fillers are used in the paper industry, while in Eastern Europe, producers of elastomers account for the highest demand. In Europe, the elastomer industry was the major consumer in 2018 with a demand of about 4.3 billion t.
With a market share of about 38 %, the most commonly used filler on the European market is ground calcium carbonate (GCC). In 2018, about 22 % of total European demand for GCC were utilised in Germany. The largest consumer of GCC is the segment plastics, which is likely to increase its demand for fillers even further. The segment paper ranked second, followed by the segment adhesives and sealants. Until 2026, Ceresana forecasts an annual increase of GCC at rates of 1.3 %.
The second largest fillers market is Kaolin with a total European demand of about 2.9 million t. Germany is again the major consumer. The most important application area is the paper industry: Kaolin makes paper more opaque, whiter, and increases the bulk density. The filler also gives the paper a smoother surface as it fills the cavities between the fibres.
Precipitated Calcium Carbonate (PCC) is the third largest sales market. PCC has many properties that are similar to natural GCC, but offers, for example, a lower abrasive effect and a higher chemical purity. Various parameters of PCC can be adjusted to exact applications. PCC is mostly used for paper production, followed by paints and coatings.
The analysts at Ceresana expect a positive development for the European fillers market for the coming years. Until 2026, demand for fillers should increase by about 1.1 % per year. Germany will presumably remain the most important sales market and the elastomer industry the most important application area for fillers in Europe.
In-depth profiles of 56 producers are given, including BASF SE, Calcit d.o.o., Carmeuse, S.A., Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A., HeidelbergCement Group, Imerys SA, LKAB Minerals AB, Nordkalk Corporation, Omya International AG, and Quarzwerke GmbH.