According to our (Global Info Research) latest study, the global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market size was valued at US$ 37.26 million in 2025 and is forecast to a readjusted size of US$ 21.52 million by 2032 with a CAGR of 2.1% during review period.
Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) is a class of synthetic hydrophobic chemicals derived from long-chain fatty acids of vegetable oils and supplied in the form of pale-yellow waxy solids or emulsions. It is the most important fiber-reactive neutral sizing agent and upstream wax raw material in neutral/alkaline papermaking systems. Industrially, high-carbon fatty acids from vegetable oils are first converted into fatty acid chlorides by acyl-chlorination, and these are then dimerized under appropriate catalytic and temperature conditions to produce AKD wax. The wax is further emulsified with starch, cationic emulsifiers and protective colloids under high shear to form a stable AKD emulsion, which is used in the wet-end of the paper machine or in surface sizing operations. When AKD emulsion is added to the pulp slurry or surface-sizing solution and the sheet is dried and cured, AKD migrates and orients on the fiber surface and reacts by esterification with cellulose hydroxyl groups to form a stable hydrophobic alkyl layer. This markedly reduces the absorption of water and aqueous solutions by paper and paperboard (lowering the Cobb value), enhances water resistance, moisture resistance and resistance to liquid penetration, and at the same time improves printability and dimensional stability while reducing equipment corrosion and deposits associated with acidic sizing systems. As a result, AKD supports calcium-carbonate-filled neutral–alkaline papermaking processes and enables stable, long-lasting sizing performance in cultural papers, packaging boards and various specialty papers.
Alkyl ketene dimer (AKD) has evolved from a simple “chemical raw material” into a fundamental sizing technology in neutral/alkaline papermaking systems. Major producers (such as Kemira, Solenis, Arakawa, CHEMIPAZ and Aries) generally define AKD as a fiber-reactive neutral sizing agent: it is derived from long-chain fatty acids of vegetable oils, converted into waxy AKD through acyl-chlorination and dimerization, and then emulsified into a cationic AKD emulsion. This emulsion is added at the wet end of the paper machine or during surface sizing and, after drying and curing, reacts with cellulose hydroxyl groups to form a stable hydrophobic alkyl layer on the fiber surface. Compared with conventional rosin-based acidic sizing, AKD can significantly reduce Cobb values and enhance the water resistance, moisture resistance and liquid-penetration resistance of paper and paperboard, while also improving printability and dimensional stability. It has thus become a key chemical underpinning calcium-carbonate-filled neutral and alkaline papermaking processes.
In terms of product and process configuration, the AKD industry has already shifted from simply “selling wax” to system-level competition built around “wax + emulsion + application solutions.” Chinese producers such as Tiancheng, Lansen, Tianan and Ludao, as well as Taiwan’s GO YEN, all present on their websites complete product packages that combine AKD wax, high-solids emulsions, emulsifiers/stabilizers and sizing auxiliaries, emphasizing high purity, low acid value, pale-yellow flake or granular form, and excellent emulsion stability and paper-machine runnability. Kemira, Solenis and CHEMIPAZ go a step further by offering surface sizing agents, promoter resins and technical services, providing integrated solutions that cover both wet-end and surface treatment. This indicates that the focus of industry competition is shifting away from the unit price of a single chemical toward a set of composite process indicators such as “purity and reaction efficiency,” “emulsion stability and retention,” and “suitability for high-speed machines and high-filler systems.”
From an industry-structure perspective, AKD is characterized by a multi-polar competitive landscape in which multinational chemical companies coexist with leading Asian local players, and China has become a critical production and export base. On the one hand, multinationals such as Kemira, Solenis, Arakawa, CHEMIPAZ and Aries possess mature product portfolios and global service networks, and they combine technological advantages with local raw materials and capacity by partnering with or investing in plants operated by firms such as Tiancheng and Wilmar in China. On the other hand, regional companies including Shandong Tiancheng, Wuxi Lansen, Shandong Tianan, Shandong Ludao and GO YEN leverage advantages in vegetable-oil resources, cost and scale to build large, export-oriented capacities in AKD wax and neutral-sizing emulsions. Driven by growing downstream demand for packaging board, food-contact paper and specialty papers, together with regulatory preferences for low-solvent, low-VOC sizing systems, the AKD industry is evolving along a trajectory of “capacity moving eastward + product upgrading + solution-oriented competition.”
This report is a detailed and comprehensive analysis for global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses are presented by manufacturers, by region & country, by Type and by Application. As the market is constantly changing, this report explores the competition, supply and demand trends, as well as key factors that contribute to its changing demands across many markets. Company profiles and product examples of selected competitors, along with market share estimates of some of the selected leaders for the year 2025, are provided.
Key Features:
Global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market size and forecasts, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (MT), and average selling prices (USD/Kg), 2021-2032
Global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market size and forecasts by region and country, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (MT), and average selling prices (USD/Kg), 2021-2032
Global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market size and forecasts, by Type and by Application, in consumption value ($ Million), sales quantity (MT), and average selling prices (USD/Kg), 2021-2032
Global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market shares of main players, shipments in revenue ($ Million), sales quantity (MT), and ASP (USD/Kg), 2021-2026
The Primary Objectives in This Report Are:
To determine the size of the total market opportunity of global and key countries
To assess the growth potential for Alkyl Ketene Dimer
To forecast future growth in each product and end-use market
To assess competitive factors affecting the marketplace
This report profiles key players in the global Alkyl Ketene Dimer market based on the following parameters - company overview, sales quantity, revenue, price, gross margin, product portfolio, geographical presence, and key developments. Key companies covered as a part of this study include Shandong Tiancheng Chemical Co., Ltd., Wuxi Lansen Chemicals Co., Ltd., Shandong Tianan Chemical Co., Ltd., Wilmar International Limited, Kemira Oyj, GO YEN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. (GYC GROUP), Solenis LLC, Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd., CHEMIPAZ Corporation, Akkim Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş., etc.
This report also provides key insights about market drivers, restraints, opportunities, new product launches or approvals.
Market Segmentation
Alkyl Ketene Dimer market is split by Type and by Application. For the period 2021-2032, the growth among segments provides accurate calculations and forecasts for consumption value by Type, and by Application in terms of volume and value. This analysis can help you expand your business by targeting qualified niche markets.
Market segment by Type
AKD wax solid (raw material)
AKD emulsion
Market segment by Performance
Internal sizing grade AKD
Surface sizing AKD
Other
Market segment by Function
AKD-1840
AKD-1865
AKD-1895
Liquid
Market segment by Application
Copper base Paper
Copy Paper
Archival Paper
Dictionary Paper
other
Major players covered
Shandong Tiancheng Chemical Co., Ltd.
Wuxi Lansen Chemicals Co., Ltd.
Shandong Tianan Chemical Co., Ltd.
Wilmar International Limited
Kemira Oyj
GO YEN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD. (GYC GROUP)
Solenis LLC
Arakawa Chemical Industries, Ltd.
CHEMIPAZ Corporation
Akkim Kimya Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş.
GO YEN CHEMICAL INDUSTRIAL CO., LTD.
Aries Chemical, Inc.
Shandong Ludao Chemical Co., Ltd.
Market segment by region, regional analysis covers
North America (United States, Canada, and Mexico)
Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe)
Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia)
South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Rest of South America)
Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa)
The content of the study subjects, includes a total of 15 chapters:
Chapter 1, to describe Alkyl Ketene Dimer product scope, market overview, market estimation caveats and base year.
Chapter 2, to profile the top manufacturers of Alkyl Ketene Dimer, with price, sales quantity, revenue, and global market share of Alkyl Ketene Dimer from 2021 to 2026.
Chapter 3, the Alkyl Ketene Dimer competitive situation, sales quantity, revenue, and global market share of top manufacturers are analyzed emphatically by landscape contrast.
Chapter 4, the Alkyl Ketene Dimer breakdown data are shown at the regional level, to show the sales quantity, consumption value, and growth by regions, from 2021 to 2032.
Chapter 5 and 6, to segment the sales by Type and by Application, with sales market share and growth rate by Type, by Application, from 2021 to 2032.
Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, to break the sales data at the country level, with sales quantity, consumption value, and market share for key countries in the world, from 2021 to 2026.and Alkyl Ketene Dimer market forecast, by regions, by Type, and by Application, with sales and revenue, from 2027 to 2032.
Chapter 12, market dynamics, drivers, restraints, trends, and Porters Five Forces analysis.
Chapter 13, the key raw materials and key suppliers, and industry chain of Alkyl Ketene Dimer.
Chapter 14 and 15, to describe Alkyl Ketene Dimer sales channel, distributors, customers, research findings and conclusion.
Summary:
Get latest Market Research Reports on Alkyl Ketene Dimer. Industry analysis & Market Report on Alkyl Ketene Dimer is a syndicated market report, published as Global Alkyl Ketene Dimer Market 2026 by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2032. It is complete Research Study and Industry Analysis of Alkyl Ketene Dimer market, to understand, Market Demand, Growth, trends analysis and Factor Influencing market.