High-quality optical properties, improved impact strength, and ability to replace expensive plastic resins make it the preferred material for various applications. Polymer fillers provide industries with immense development opportunities of newer materials, which have enhanced properties and improved molding properties, thus driving the market growth. The global polymer filler market has experienced a remarkable growth over the past decade is expected to continue growing well. The polymer fillers market size is estimated to reach US$53.10 bln by 2020 at a CAGR of 3.3% between 2015 and 2020, as per Markets and Markets. The growing popularity of polymer fillers in various types plays a significant role in driving the market. Salts, silicates, oxides, and hydro-oxides are its most important types. The rising demand for low-cost fillers in countries, such as China, and India, is projected to increase their demand in the coming years. The Indian government has started investment promotion programs to assist companies that are developing and manufacturing salts, oxides, and silicates pushing the growth of this market upward. The Chinese government is focusing on the growing manufacturing sector that is driving the consumption of plastics-related products, domestically and hence increase the demand for polymer fillers in the Asia-Pacific region.

Asia-Pacific was the largest and North America was the second-largest market for polymer fillers in 2014. Asia-Pacific also registered the highest growth rate between 2015 and 2020. Innovations, developments, and demand in the consumer industries for better products are directly affecting the rise in the use of polymer fillers. The excessive growth and innovation, along with industry consolidations, are projected to ascertain a bright future for the industry in the region. The high demand in Asia-Pacific is due to growth in the building & construction as well as packaging industries in the last few years. There is an increase in the use of polymer fillers for building & construction, packaging, and automotive industries in Asia-Pacific due to the continued industrialization and rise in the manufacturing sector of the region.

The global Polymer Filler Market is expected to reach US$62.54 bln by 2024, according to a report by Grand View Research, Inc. The surge in demand for low-density fillers with better impact strength is likely to propel the market growth. Polymer fillers are likely to emerge as a cheaper alternative to costly plastic resins over the forecast period. Increasing demand for low-cost fillers from various end-use industries in both developed and emerging countries such as the U.S., Germany, India, China, etc. is expected to propel the market growth. Stringent regulations pertaining to automotive pollution has forced automotive manufacturers in the U.S. and Europe to use lightweight materials for manufacturing. Development of novel low-density fillers is expected to propel the market growth. Inorganic fillers were the leading product segment and accounted for 78.9% of total market volume in 2015. However, organic fillers are expected to witness a brisk growth of 5.6% over the forecast period. Increasing environmental concerns have attracted more industries to opt for organic filers rather than traditional inorganic fillers. Abundant availability along with renewable nature of the natural fibers such as wood, cellulose, etc. is also expected to have a positive impact on the market growth.

Further key findings from the report suggest:
*Global Polymer Filler Market demand was 31.75 million tons in 2015 and is expected to reach 49.72 million tons by 2024, growing at CAGR of 5.1% from 2016 to 2024
*Automotive and building & construction collectively accounted for over 40% of total market volume in 2015. Increasing demand for high strength plastic composites in all these end-use industries is expected to drive the market growth. Automotive is also expected to witness the highest growth of 5.9% over the forecast period.
*Asia Pacific emerged dominated the global market with demand share exceeding 45% in 2015. Burgeoning building & construction industry along with favorable governmental regulations in India, China, Indonesia, and Thailand is likely to drive the regional market. Increasing demand for lightweight polymer composites in the U.S. is expected to propel the North American market over the forecast period.
*Key market players include Quarzwerke group, 20 Micron Limited, GCR group, Omya AG, Imerys S.A., Hoffman Minerals, Minerals Technologies, Unimin Corporation, LKAB group.

Global polymer fillers industry is fragmented in nature, and the threat of new entrants is high due to lower initial investment. Despite presence of a large number of market players, the value chain is mainly dominated by end-use industries as most of the polymer composites are manufactured considering the application requirements.

The global market for industrial fillers is forecast to increase from US$29.3 bln in 2014 to US$36 bln in 2019, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.2% for the five-year period. This market growth will be driven by the increasing use of polymers in the construction, automotive, electronics and packaging industries, according to BCC Research. The study expects carbon black fillers to have the highest growth prospects over the forecast period. Increased polymer production in the construction, automotive and packaging industries will drive growth in the global industrial fillers market. BCC Research reveals in its new report that carbon black is expected to have the highest growth prospects over the forecast period. Carbon black is prominently used as reinforcing filler in a variety of rubber products including tires, pipes, hoses and footwear. In addition, it is used in other applications such as films, adhesives, plastics and paints for improving the reinforcement properties of the final product.

Fillers are inexpensive materials added to other base materials such as plastics, rubbers, paper, and concrete to enhance their reinforcement properties. They can replace expensive base materials, thus reducing overall product cost while enhancing the reinforcement properties of plastics, adhesives, sealants, rubbers, paints, concrete, and paper. Favorable government support towards promoting the shale gas industry and petrochemicals production is expected to boost the production of polymers, which should increase the use of fillers, particularly the popularly used filler material, carbon black. "The addition of fillers to a polymer formulation lowers the compound cost or improves properties such as mechanical strength and improvement, "says BCC research analyst Tanmay Joshi. "In addition, increasing demand for plastics from the automotive, building, construction, electronics and packaging industries, coupled with growing consumption of carbon black in plastics, is expected to fuel market demand for plastics over the forecast period."