The Global Hydrogel Market size was accounted for USD 23,036 Million in 2021 and is estimated to reach USD 38,156 Million by 2030, with a CAGR of 6.1% from 2022 to 2030.

Hydrogels are crosslinked polymer networks that can absorb and hold a substantial amount of water in three dimensions (3D). They are very absorbent while still retaining well-defined shapes. These qualities underpin a variety of applications, particularly in the biomedical field. Hydrogels often do not disintegrate because of chemical or physical cross-links and/or chain entanglements. They can be found naturally in the form of polymer networks like collagen or gelatin, or they can be synthesized. Hydrogel materials have been used in a variety of medicinal and technical applications due to their tunable properties and varied production methods, spanning from regenerative medicine and tissue engineering to soft robotics and wastewater treatment. Surging emphasis on the use of biodegradable products is a hydrogel market trend that is likely to have a positive impact in the coming years.

Hydrogel Market Dynamics

Market Growth Drivers:

• Growing popularity of contact lenses
• Increasing demand for personal care and hygiene sector
• Rising application in drug delivery

Market Restraint:

• Potential environmental hazard
• Complex process and high production cost

Market Opportunities:

• Growth in research & development activities
• High growth potential from the Asia-Pacific region

Report Coverage

Personal care and hygiene products have gathered a significant amount of hydrogel market revenue throughout the forecast period. Personal hygiene products are an indispensable aspect of urban life. It has provided sick individuals, women, and children with comfort, dependability, and flexibility. The hygiene items containing hydrogels (superabsorbent polymer) for absorbing a large number of body fluids are the lucrative inventions of modern science. Hair gel, toothpaste, cosmetics, disposable diapers that absorb urine and sanitary napkins are examples of hydrogel-based hygienic products. Hydrogels reduce diaper rash and promote skin health by keeping moisture away from the skin. As a result, they are in high demand in the hygiene goods business.

Another factor that is fueling the growth of the market is the growing application of hydrogels in contact lenses. Acrylate-siloxane hydrogels are the most common contact lens material. They have taken the place of hard contact lenses. One of their most appealing features is their oxygen permeability, which is essential because the cornea lacks vasculature.

However, the market is being hampered by environmental hazards as well as the high production cost of hydrogels. Furthermore, the increasing numbers of research & development activities are anticipated to reduce the environmental hazard and the production cost of the hydrogel. This, in turn, will create lucrative growth prospects for the market in the coming years.

Hydrogel Market Segmentation

Raw material type, composition, form, product, end-use, and region are all used to segment the worldwide hydrogel market.

Market by Raw Material Type

• Natural
• Synthetic
• Hybrid

On the basis of raw material type, the synthetic segment achieved maximum hydrogel market share in 2021. Common polymers used for the preparation of synthetic hydrogels include polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, acrylate polymers, sodium polyacrylate, and copolymers thereof. Synthetic polymers for structural applications, or plastics, are typically hydrophobic or have very low polarity. Additionally, they can be generalized to have good mechanical and thermal properties, as well as they, are chemically more resistant compared to natural polymers, which are typically more susceptible to chemical oxidation. These characteristics enable the segment to lead during the projected years.

Market by Composition

• Polyacrylate
• Silicone-Modified Hydrogels
• Polyacrylamide
• Others (Agar, PEG, PVP, PVA, gelatin, and other polysaccharides)

The other composition segment accounted for the leading market share in 2021. Agar, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), polyethylene glycol (PEG), gelatin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), are all included in the other composition segment. Among them, PEG hydrogels are widely employed in a variety of biomedical applications such as matrices for the controlled release of regenerative medicine scaffolds and biomolecules. In addition to that, the silicone-modified hydrogels also occupied a significant amount of share owing to their growing applications in contact lenses.

Market by Form

• Amorphous
• Semi-Crystalline
• Crystalline

Among forms, the semi-crystalline segment is anticipated to account for an impressive market share throughout the forecast period 2022 – 2030. Semi-crystalline hydrogels are mechanically robust and extremely stretchy hydrogels with melt-processability, self-healing, and shape memory characteristics. At the melting temperature, they can undergo an abrupt and reversible transformation from a solid-like to a liquid-like state, allowing for a variety of applications such as injectable gels, shape-memory hydrogels, chemical motors, and smart inks for 3D or 4D printing.

Market by Product

• Amorphous Gels
• Semicrystalline Buttons
• Impregnated Gauze
• Hydrogel Sheets
• Films & Matrices

The films and matrices segment gathered a substantial market share in 2021, displaying a consistent growth rate over the projected years from 2022 to 2030. Hydrogel films, which can be utilized as membranes or coatings, are vital elements of biologically interfaced devices. Hydrogel films are employed in a variety of biomedical applications, including drug administration, wound healing, anti-adhesive membranes, soft tissue repair, and cell culture.

Market by End-Use

• Contact Lenses
• Wound Care
• Hygiene Products
• Tissue Engineering
• Drug Delivery
• Others (Agriculture, Research, and Forensics)

In 2021, the contact lenses segment occupied a noteworthy amount of share in the end-use sector. Commercially, synthetic hydrogels, usually comprised of silicone, are utilized to create contact lenses because they are simple to work with and inexpensive. Hydrogel materials used in contact lenses must have a high-water content, strong mechanical qualities, oxygen permeability, surface wettability, good optical properties, hydrolysis and sterilization stability, nontoxic, and have enough biological tolerance for live cells.

Hydrogel Market Regional Overview

North America

• U.S.
• Canada

Europe

• U.K.
• Germany
• France
• Spain
• Rest of Europe

Latin America

• Mexico
• Brazil
• Rest of Latin America

Asia-Pacific

• India
• Japan
• China
• Australia
• South Korea
• Rest of Asia-Pacific

The Middle East & Africa (MEA)

• Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)
• South Africa
• Rest of the Middle East & Africa