Focus on Sustainable Chemicals: Ceresana Market Study on Bio-Based Solvents

KONSTANZ, Germany - July 31, 2025 - PRLog -- Bio and beauty go well together: Cosmetics are increasingly made using natural materials, from fragrances, colors, and emulsifiers to packaging made from bioplastics. Beauty and care products are one of the most important applications for bio-based solvents. Ceresana predicts that the global market for bio-based solvents will continue to grow and reach around USD 9.3 billion by 2034. For vegetable oils, alcohols such as bioethanol or biobutanol, and other organic solvents, the company's market researchers expect average annual growth of 4.2% worldwide.

Natural Alcohols Instead of Petrochemicals

Water is a good and popular solvent. However, if, for example, nail varnish, acrylic paint, or even asphalt residues are to be removed, stronger chemicals are required. Industrial solvents from coal, crude oil, or natural gas are highly effective, but some of them are unfortunately also highly toxic. Volatile organic compounds in particular are considered a danger to health and the environment. In contrast, sustainable solvents based on biomass are often still more expensive, but ideally they are harmless and even biodegradable. Alcohols are by far the most commonly used type of green solvent. For example, ethylene glycol, a bivalent alcohol or diol, can be obtained from fructose or cellulose. Glycerol is a triol that can be produced from used cooking oil or other natural fats, but is also produced in the manufacture of biodiesel.

Bio-Solvents for the Bio-Economy

One advantage of bio-based solvents is the possibility of utilizing biomass residues that were previously hardly used. For example, ethyl acetate, one of the most important solvents for plastics and adhesives, can be fermented from whey or molasses, i.e. from waste products from dairy processing or the sugar industry. The paint industry can use D-limonene, which can be obtained from waste peel from orange juice production. Furthermore, a by-product of paper production is used as an organic solvent for household cleaners and perfumes or for the extraction of food additives: Alpha-pinene, a terpene from coniferous tree oils.

Solutions for Many Economic Sectors

Solvents are required in many sectors and are among the chemicals with the greatest industrial demand worldwide. The largest consumers also include manufacturers of printing inks, adhesives, and pharmaceutical products. The food industry uses solvents, for example, to decaffeinate coffee, to dilute flavors, or to degrease surfaces. Solvents are also used for chemical manufacturing processes, cooling circuits, and de-icing agents.

Market study "Biobased Solvents – World Report" (2nd edition): https://ceresana.com/en/produkt/biobased-solvents-market-...