Asia Pacific & Russia Ammonium Chloride Market: Introduction
The ammonium chloride market in Asia Pacific and Russia was valued at US$ 1 Bn in 2020 and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of ~4% during the forecast period of 2021 to 2031. Ammonium chloride is primarily manufactured using the Hou’s process in Asia. The Hou’s process is also known as modified Solvay process. Hou’s process yields ammonium chloride, along with soda ash as a byproduct, which has higher price value than that of the traditional Solvay process. Ammonium chloride is a widely used fertilizer in paddy cultivation. Being a nitrogenous fertilizer, its demand is estimated to intensify with higher growth in rice cultivation globally. This is expected to boost the ammonium chloride market in Asia Pacific and Russia during the forecast period. Ammonium chloride is used as a flux in preparing metal to be tin coated, galvanized, or soldered. It works as a flux by cleaning the surface of work pieces by reacting with metal oxides at the surface to form a volatile metal chloride. For that purpose, it is sold in blocks at hardware stores for usage in cleaning the tip of a soldering iron. It can also be included in solder as flux.
 
 
Key Drivers of Asia Pacific & Russia Ammonium Chloride Market
 
Ammonium chloride is employed as an adjunct in the treatment of urinary tract infections when low urinary pH is desired. During therapy with methenamine salts, ammonium chloride is used to acidify the urine to ensure the dissociation of formaldehyde from methenamine. Some clinicians, however, discourage the use of the drug in this manner due to the occurrence of concurrent systemic acidosis. Acidosis can be avoided by administering other acidifying agents such as ascorbic acid. Ammonium chloride is also used to increase the solubility of calcium and phosphate ions in the management of patients with phosphatic calculi in the urinary tract and to increase calcium ionization in alkaloid tetany. Thus, increase in usage of ammonium chloride in the pharmaceutical industry is projected to boost the ammonium chloride market during the forecast period.
 
Ammonium chloride is also employed as an ingredient in various personal care and cleansing products such as facial cleansers, conditioners, bath oils, shampoos, dishwashing detergents, bleaches, and hair color. Another significant use of ammonium chloride is as an electrolyte in dry cell batteries, owing to its ionic compound. Rise in usage of ammonium chloride as fire extinguisher and curing agent in formaldehyde-based adhesives is expected to create lucrative opportunities for the ammonium chloride market. The demand for ammonium chloride in the food industry has been increasing. This is projected to boost the ammonium chloride market in Asia Pacific and Russia during the forecast period. The yeast nutrient used in the bread making process is made of ammonium chloride. Ammonium chloride is used extensively as food additive. Rise in usage of ammonium chloride as feed supplement for cattle is anticipated to create lucrative opportunities for the ammonium chloride market in Asia Pacific and Russia during the forecast period.
 
Ammonium chloride is commonly used as nitrogen source in fertilizers in Russia. Its other applications include flux for preparation of tin coated, soldered, or galvanized metals; expectorant in cough medicine; food additive in food; and laboratory to produce low temperatures in cooling baths and its solutions with ammonia as buffer solutions.
 
 
Side Effects Associated with Ammonium Chloride and Dearth of Universal Directives Pertaining to Applications of Ammonium Chloride to Hamper Global Market
 
Side effects of ammonium chloride include metabolic acidosis, rash, EEG abnormalities, seizures, mental confusion, irritability, drowsiness, and injection site reactions. Ammonium chloride should be consumed under medical supervision and with prior registration, as it may be harmful for some people, such as those who have been diagnosed with cirrhosis or liver disease. This salt should never be used as treatment of metabolic alkalosis, as it can cause renal dysfunction. The presence of strict regulations in the healthcare industry is likely to hinder the ammonium chloride market in the near future. Ammonium chloride has low nitrogen content compared to urea or ammonium nitrate. This is estimated to impede the expansion of the ammonium chloride market during the forecast period.