Middle East and Africa Talc Market

The Middle East & Africa talc market size is projected to reach US$ 152.08 million by 2031 from US$ 121.23 million in 2023; the market is expected to register a CAGR of 2.9% during 2023–2031.

Talc is a naturally occurring mineral made up of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and hydrogen. Pure talc and talc-containing rocks are mined from the earth. There are different grades of talc with different degrees of purity. In talc mining, the open-pit mines use large-scale excavators to increase the mining speed. Talc blocks, small talc particles, and talc slag are separated and classified according to different qualities through preliminary selection. Great care must be taken during the mining process to avoid contamination of talc with other rock materials. These other materials can have an adverse effect on the color of the talc. Contamination can introduce hard particles that cause problems in applications where talc is used.

Based on the deposit type, the Middle East and Africa talc market is segmented into talc chlorite and talc carbonate. The talc carbonate segment accounted for the largest Middle East and Africa talc market share in 2023. Talc carbonate is known for its thermal and chemical stability, allowing it to withstand high temperatures and resist chemical reactions in various environments. Further, talc chlorite deposits, characterized by the co-occurrence of talc and chlorite minerals, offer a unique blend of properties. These deposits typically result from metamorphic alteration of ultramafic rocks, producing a talc that is known for its enhanced hardness, chemical resistance, and thermal stability.

Based on the end-use industry, the Middle East and Africa talc market is segmented into plastics (automotive, construction, packaging, and others), pulp and paper, ceramics, paints and coatings, rubber, pharmaceuticals, food, and others. The paper and pulp segment accounted for the largest Middle East and Africa talc market share in 2023. Talc plays a crucial role in enhancing the quality and performance of paper products. Further, talc can be used in several applications in the ceramics manufacturing industry. Talc is primarily used as a fluxing agent in ceramic products. Its unique mineral properties, such as fine particle size and platy structure, are widely utilized in the ceramics industry to enhance the final products' performance and aesthetics.

Key players in the Middle East and Africa talc market include Green Egypt, Avani Group of Industries, Omega Fine Products, Alphastone, Alex International for Mining and Refractories, Gulf Minerals, Imerys SA, SCR-Sibelco NV, Golcha Minerals Pvt Ltd, and IMI Fabi SpA. Players operating in the market focus on providing high-quality products to fulfill customer demand. Also, they focus on adopting various strategies such as new product launches, collaborations, and others in order to stay competitive in the market. For instance, in 2023, Imerys and Seitiss announced joining forces to form a joint venture—Seitiss Imerys Minéraux Circulaires—to aid in government strategies to attain circular economies, which allows the utilization of waste minerals isolated from various industrial activities. Seitiss creates and operates innovative and high-value-added circular value chains, using unique digital tools to locate untapped sources of waste and create value chains to turn them into circular products. Imerys brings its industrial and commercial expertise and know-how, as well as its international deployment capabilities. In 2022, Imerys entered into exclusive negotiations with Syntagma Capital for the potential sale of most of its kaolin, ground calcium carbonate, precipitated calcium carbonate, and talc production assets, which primarily serve the paper industries.

The overall Middle East and Africa talc market size has been derived using both primary and secondary sources. To begin the research process, exhaustive secondary research has been conducted using internal and external sources to obtain qualitative and quantitative information related to the market. Also, multiple primary interviews have been conducted with industry participants to validate the data and gain more analytical insights into the topic. The participants of this process include industry experts such as VPs, business development managers, market intelligence managers, and national sales managers—along with external consultants such as valuation experts, research analysts, and key opinion leaders—specializing in the Middle East and Africa talc market.