Microcrystalline cellulose is renewable and global demand continues to grow

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is produced from natural cellulose through dilute inorganic acid hydrolysis. Its main components are linear polysaccharides bonded with β-1,4-glucosidic bonds. Microcrystalline cellulose appears as white or off-white crystalline powder, has no special odor, is fluid, and is insoluble in water, but can be dispersed in water to form a gel. It is insoluble in most organic solvents and dilute acids, and is partially soluble in dilute alkali.

Microcrystalline cellulose has the advantages of wide source of raw materials, renewable and biodegradable. It can be produced using crop straws and processed biomass residues, and can be widely used in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and other fields. In the pharmaceutical field, microcrystalline cellulose can be used as a disintegrant, stabilizer, adsorbent, suspending agent, etc. in the production of tablets and capsules; in the food field, microcrystalline cellulose can be used as a dispersant, Anticaking agents, emulsifiers, etc., used in the processing of cream, dairy products, ice cream, bread, meat products, etc.

In nature, microcrystalline cellulose widely exists in plant fibers and has strong renewable capacity. It is an important resource with great development and application value, and the number of related companies around the world is constantly increasing. Benefiting from the continued increase in demand for drugs and food, as well as the increasing quality requirements for cosmetics, global consumption of microcrystalline cellulose continues to grow. These factors have jointly promoted the continuous expansion of the global microcrystalline cellulose market, which has grown to US$1.21 billion by 2021. It is expected that the global microcrystalline cellulose market will continue to grow at a growth rate of approximately 6.4% from 2021 to 2026.

Developed countries have developed the industrialization of microcrystalline cellulose earlier. As my country’s market continues to improve the quality requirements for medicines and foods, the demand for microcrystalline cellulose in my country continues to expand, driving its production scale to continue to increase. In the early days, my country’s microcrystalline cellulose production enterprises were mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, with very few large-scale enterprises. The industry concentration was low and the production technology was relatively backward. In the context of the continuous increase in product requirements in the downstream market and the state’s promotion of manufacturing upgrading in the direction of high technology, the survival of the fittest in the microcrystalline cellulose industry is accelerating and the degree of concentration continues to increase.

According to the “Global and China Microcrystalline Cellulose Industry In-depth Research Report 2022” released by the Industrial Research Center, in overseas markets , the main microcrystalline cellulose manufacturers include Germany’s JRS Company, Germany’s DFE Pharma GmbH & Co. KG, France’s Roquette, the United States’ RYAM, Japan’s Asahi Kasei, etc.; in our country’s market, the main microcrystalline cellulose manufacturers include Tianjin Hongri Pharmaceutical industry, Anhui Shanhe Pharmaceutical, Shandong Everbright Technology, Huzhou Zhanzhan Pharmaceutical, Huzhou Linghu Xinwang, etc.

Industry analysts said that microcrystalline cellulose is a biodegradable and renewable fiber extracted from natural cellulose. It has a wide source of raw materials and is environmentally friendly. The demand in pharmaceuticals, food, cosmetics and other fields is increasing, and the market size is expanding. Microcrystalline cellulose used in the pharmaceutical field has a higher technical content, and the product quality needs to be recognized by pharmaceutical companies. In my country, it is mainly produced by pharmaceutical excipient companies, with the highest entry barriers. Microcrystalline cellulose is used in food, cosmetics and other fields. relatively low.