Lactate ester has a wide range of applications and the market size continues to grow

Lactic acid ester is a derivative of lactic acid, which refers to an organic ester compound made through esterification reaction using lactic acid and alcohol reagents as raw materials. Lactic acid ester has the advantages of good chemical stability, easy hygroscopicity, and degradability. It has broad application prospects in many fields such as cosmetics, petrochemicals, electronics, medicine, pesticides, food processing, and coatings.

​ ​According to the different alcohol reagents used, lactate esters can be divided into three types: methyl lactate, ethyl lactate and butyl lactate. Ethyl lactate, also known as ethyl 2-hydroxypropionate, is a representative product of lactate, accounting for nearly 60% of the market. It is made from lactic acid and ethanol as raw materials, and is widely used in flavors and fragrances, including fruity flavors. , wine flavors, etc. are its downstream products; the molecular formula of butyl lactate is C7H14O3, which is made from lactic acid and n-butanol as raw materials. It can be used as a cosmetic solvent and coating solvent, and the market demand has maintained a long-term growth trend.

The main application fields of lactate include cosmetics, petrochemicals, electronics and electrical, medicine, pesticides, food processing, coatings, etc. In the field of cosmetics, lactate can be used as preservatives and moisturizers in lotions and creams; in the petrochemical industry, lactate can be used as raw materials for organic synthesis; in the electronic and electrical field, lactate can be used in the electronic cleaning process; In the pharmaceutical field, lactate can be used as pharmaceutical solvents, including carriers, preservatives, co-solvents, etc.

According to the “2023-2028 China Lactic Acid Ester Industry Market In-depth Research and Development Prospects Forecast Report released by the Industrial Research Center, Lactate is a derivative of lactic acid. As the scope of applications continues to expand, the development of the lactate industry has further accelerated. The global lactate ester market size will reach US$230 million in 2022, a year-on-year growth of 3.6%. In the future, with in-depth research and technological advancement, the lactic acid ester market space will be further expanded, and its market size is expected to exceed US$300 million by 2028.

The major global manufacturers of lactic acid esters include GALACTIC of Belgium and Corbion of the Netherlands. The above two companies account for nearly 50% of the global market. In terms of the local market, my country’s lactic acid ester market has many participants, but they are dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises, and the industry concentration is low. Jindan Technology, Hisun Biotechnology, China Starch, Guanghua Weiye, etc. are the main lactic acid ester manufacturers in my country. Jindan Technology focuses on the research, development, production and sales of lactic acid products, with lactate ester and lactate being its main products.

Industry analysts said that lactic acid ester has excellent comprehensive properties and has broad application prospects in many fields. In the future, with the gradual release of market demand, the development trend of the lactate industry will continue to improve. Compared with overseas developed countries, my country’s lactic acid ester industry started late, but its development momentum is rapid. It is expected that companies with high-performance lactate ester mass production capabilities will occupy a larger share of my country’s market in the future.