Ion Chromatography Market

Global Ion Chromatography Market Size

The global ion chromatography market was valued at USD 3.63 billion in 2024. The global ion chromatography market is predicted to rise at a CAGR of 7.02% during the forecast period. The market size is expected to grow from USD 3.88 billion in 2025 to USD 6.68 billion by 2033.

Ion chromatography is an effective method for determining the concentrations of anions and cations in liquid, gaseous, and solid samples. Organizations such as the ISO, US EPA, ASTM, and AOAC have devised regulatory analysis techniques utilizing this methodology. In ion chromatography, the two detection methods currently used are electrochemical and spectrometric. Based on the nature of the charge on the ion, there are two ion exchange chromatography procedures. Anion exchange chromatography and cation exchange chromatography are the two methods. Ion exchange resins can be used as pharmaceutical carriers and in slow-release applications. For example, Cholestyramine is a dried and ground strong base anion resin that helps to reduce blood cholesterol by binding bile acid.

The ion chromatography market has grown significantly in recent years due to its broad adoption in the food and beverage industry. The food and beverages industry uses ion chromatography to detect and analyze the quality and safety of the products, which is accelerating the adoption rate by upsurging the market. The extensive utilization of ion chromatography techniques in pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries for primary application in quantitative analysis of drugs, biomarkers, pharmacokinetics, and proteomics, and in characterizing new moieties, enhancing the ion chromatography market revenue from the past years. The global ion chromatography market is expected to witness prominent growth during the forecast period due to growing technological advancements, expanding pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, and increasing demand for ion chromatography in water purification activities, further escalating the market demand. The emerging economies of the developing nations, growing environmental awareness, and rapid industrialization will provide growth opportunities to the ion chromatography market over the forecast period. 

MARKET DRIVERS

The growing usage of ion exchange chromatography for purification and the growing need for monoclonal antibodies propel the ion chromatography market growth.

Protein A affinity chromatography is more expensive; the process becomes more expensive. Various attempts are being made to make the process more cost-efficient. Two-column ion exchange (cation and anion exchange) chromatography is one of the most successful methods. The global ion chromatography market is driven by the growing use of ion exchange chromatography for purification and the increasing demand for monoclonal antibodies. Over the last decade, monoclonal antibodies have skyrocketed, and estimates imply that mAbs and their variants account for over a third of all biopharmaceuticals in development, including vaccines and gene therapy. Biopharmaceutical goods must be pure, as any impurity can substantially impact the body's response to the medicine and cause various unneeded difficulties. Typically, a three-column chromatography technique is used to achieve this high level of purification.

One of the critical advantages of ion exchange chromatography is that there is only one interaction in the separation, which is the analytical species interacting with the stationary phase. Because of the vast range of applications and connected markets, the ion exchange chromatography segment has the largest share of the overall market. Technology plays a vital role in product development and improvement. Advances in ion chromatography provide a massive opportunity for the market to cater to many applications, including environmental and chemical analysis. Furthermore, artificial intelligence and automation have already begun to be implemented at a greater level in the industry. As a result, data analysis should be significantly faster and more precise as AI and automation are combined. 

The recent advancements and growing ease in the process of ion chromatography are anticipated to favor the market's growth rate during the forecast period. For instance, the introduction of a new type of organic polymers, the reduction of the diameter of the tube, the rising capacity of ion exchange, growing column efficiency, new chemical layers in the tubes, the introduction of reagent-free ICs and monolithic columns for liquid chromatography, and others are driving the market growth. 

MARKET RESTRAINTS

The global market for ion chromatography is projected to be hampered by the high cost of equipment. Another aspect impeding the market is the need for more skilled personnel to operate the equipment. In addition, obtaining budget approvals for significant capital expenditures is frequently considered challenging. The need of buffer and only charged molecules can be separated by using ion chromatography which is expected to limit the market growth. The availability of various other chromatographic techniques may restrict the expansion of the ion chromatography market across the globe. The presence of stringent regulatory environment particularly in pharmaceuticals where meeting these regulations can be challenging which impacts on the market growth. Various technological limitations in ion chromatography such as detection sensitivity, speed or compatibility with certain analytes hinder their use in specific applications.

REPORT COVERAGE

SEGMENTAL ANALYSIS

By Technology Insights

The ion exchange segment is anticipated to capture the most significant worldwide market share during the forecast period. The growing adoption of ion-exchange technology in various industries such as F&D, wastewater, and other industries to evaluate quality and safety primarily contributes to segmental growth.

On the other hand, the ion-pair chromatography segment is also expected to witness considerable growth during the forecast period due to its several advantages, such as the ability to segregate ionized and non-ionized molecules simultaneously along with its precision and fast detection capability, which enables it to be used in multiple sectors.

By Application Insights

The pharmaceutical industry is expected to grow at the fastest CAGR over the forecast period. Ion chromatography is an extensively utilized analytical technique for characterizing new drug ingredients and therapeutic products in the pharmaceutical segment. It is used throughout the process, from method development to dosage analysis. The approach has made sample analysis more comfortable in recent years. This process saves a lot of time and money because it may be done overnight with multiple samples. In addition, small molecules or giant molecules, such as proteins, can be analyzed.

However, the food segment is anticipated to hold a considerable share of the worldwide market during the forecast period owing to the growing usage of ion chromatography in the F&B industry to test the impurities of F&B products. Furthermore, the increasing need to eliminate the diseases associated with food and water further propels segmental growth. In addition, the stringent government regulations around F&B packaged products favor the segment's growth.

REGIONAL ANALYSIS

The North American ion chromatography market captured the largest share of the worldwide market and is estimated to continue leading during the forecast period. The growing focus on limiting the incidence of diseases that spread through consuming poor-quality food and water is accelerating regional market growth. In addition, well-established healthcare infrastructure, key market participants, and increasing investments from the market participants to conduct R&D in this space promote regional market growth. Furthermore, the stringent regulations imposed by the North American governments favor the growth of the North American market. The emergence of novel ion separation techniques and rapid adoption of technological advancements are further fuelling the growth rate of the North American market. The U.S. led the North American market in 2021, followed by Canada.

During the forecast period, the European ion chromatography market is expected to grow promisingly owing to increasing R&D activities. In addition, the increasing healthcare infrastructure is promoting regional market growth. As a result, countries such as the UK, Germany, and Italy are expected to hold a significant share of the European market during the forecast period.

The APAC ion chromatography market is estimated to grow at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period. Several market participants are investing considerably in the Asia-Pacific region to conduct R&D around ion chromatography, one of the key factors driving the APAC market growth. From Asia-Pacific, the Japanese market is anticipated to hold a considerable share of the regional market during the forecast period; China is anticipated to witness a healthy CAGR in the coming years. The growing adoption of ion chromatography techniques in this region's F&D and pharmaceutical industries supports the APAC market's growth rate. In addition, the rising water and air pollution levels are contributing to the growth of the APAC market.

The Latin American region is expected to hold a considerable share of the worldwide market during the forecast period.

The market in MEA is forecasted to grow at a moderate CAGR in the coming years.

KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL ION CHROMATOGRAPHY MARKET

Thermo Fisher Scientific, Metrohm, Qingdao Shenghan, Tosoh Bioscience, Shimadzu, Qingdao Ion Chromate Tograph, MembraPure, Mitsubishi Chemical Analytics, Qingdao Puren Instrument, East & West Analytical Instruments, Qingdao Luhai, Sykam, and Cecil Instruments are some of the prominent companies operating in the global ion chromatography market.

RECENT HAPPENINGS IN THE MARKET

• In October 2023, Thermo Fisher Scientific increased its manufacturing capacity in St. Louis to produce complex biological therapies. The expansion aimed to enhance production growth from 2000l t5000L0l, allowing the company to produce complex biologic treatments for a range of diseases, including cancer, autoimmune conditions, and rare diseases.
• In September 2023, Shimadzu LC and LC-MS were synced with third-party software for pretreatment units. This step by the Shimadzu corporation is to implement labor-saving and automation initiatives in laboratories, saving money. 
• In June 2022, Bio-Rad launched EconoFit Chromatography Column packs, which offer various resins in ipre-packeded format, including mixed-mode, cation, and anion exchange resins. The pack is also designed for polyhistidine protein purification.
• In May 2022, Thermo Fisher launched quat pesticide determination and quantification workflows to protect the food supply. These workflows support scientists in determining accurate cationic pesticides. 
• In June 2020, Waters Corporation announced Waters Arc HPLC System, a new HPLC for testing in the pharmaceutical, food, academic, and materials markets.
• Researchers from the University of Verona in Italy announced in July 2020 that they had developed and validated a liquid chromatography-tandem spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) technique for simultaneously quantifying 15 bile acid species in serum samples.
• Thermo Fisher released a new high-pressure ion chromatography system that improved performance in February 2018.

MARKET SEGMENTATION

This research report on the global ion chromatography market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on technology, application, and region.

By Technology

• Ion-exchange Chromatography
• Ion-exclusion Chromatography
• Ion-pair Chromatography

By Application

• Environmental Testing
• Pharmaceutical Industry
• Food Industry
• Chemicals Industry
• Other Applications

By Region

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East and Africa