According to MarketsandMarkets' report "Wax Emulsion Market by Material Base (Synthetic, Natural), Type (PE, PP, Paraffin, Carnauba), End-use Industry (Paints & Coatings, Adhesives & Sealants, Cosmetics, Textiles), Region (APAC, North America, Europe, MEA, SA) - Global Forecast to 2024," the global wax emulsions market is expected to reach $2 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 4.9% from 2019 to 2024.

A key driving factor for the growth of the wax emulsion market is a consequent rise in the demand for paints and coatings, adhesives and sealants, and cosmetics.

The paints and coatings segment is the largest contributor to the global wax emulsion market in terms of volume. The paints and coatings industry consume almost one-third of the global wax emulsion produced. This is attributed to better chemical stability and environment-friendly characteristics of wax emulsions. The absence of substitutes also drives the growth of wax emulsion market.

Solvent systems are expected to be replaced by wax emulsions in paints and coatings, which is an eco-friendlier option for the manufacturers.

The natural base segment is in its maturity stage and is relatively costlier than synthetic wax emulsions, thus being used in only high-end applications where there is a need for more chemical stability. The growth of natural base wax emulsion segment is being witnessed in North America and Europe. This growth can be attributed to the regulations imposed by the government for the usage of wax emulsion in the packing of food products and rising demand for the use of organic ingredients in the cosmetics products.

Polyethylene, in terms of volume, has been widely used in the paints and coatings and adhesives and sealants industry across major regions. Polyethylene and paraffin are used mainly due to better slip, scratch resistance, and water resistance on the surfaces. Cost-effectiveness and easy availability of polyethylene makes it a most preferred raw material over other raw materials for wax emulsions.

The Asia Pacific wax emulsion market is anticipated to grow at the highest CAGR between 2019 and 2024. China, Japan, and India together accounted for the lions share of the Asia Pacific wax emulsion market in 2018. China is a major consumer of wax emulsions in Asia Pacific due to the extensive use of the product in various industries, such as paints & coatings and adhesives and sealants. Abundant availability of raw material and cheap labor in the region, also make it one of the largest manufacturers of the product.