Polyacrylonitrile Market Report

Polyacrylonitrile Market Overview

The Polyacrylonitrile Market size was valued at USD 8594.66 million in 2024 and is expected to reach USD 9171.26 million by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 3.3% from 2025 to 2033.

The polyacrylonitrile market plays a critical role in the global chemical and synthetic fibers industries, with over 2.1 million metric tons of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) produced in 2023. The market is primarily driven by its widespread use in acrylic fibers, which accounted for more than 58% of total PAN consumption. An estimated 1.2 million metric tons of PAN were used in textile manufacturing, making it one of the dominant applications worldwide. Another 640,000 metric tons were processed as precursors for carbon fiber, a key material in aerospace, automotive, and wind energy sectors. Asia-Pacific led the production landscape, manufacturing over 1.5 million metric tons of PAN, with China contributing nearly 60% of the regional output. North America and Europe together accounted for around 450,000 metric tons, mainly for high-performance applications such as carbon fiber production and high-strength concrete reinforcement. Key raw materials, such as acrylonitrile, accounted for 65–70% of production costs. With more than 320 manufacturing facilities globally dedicated to PAN processing and downstream applications, the market shows robust industrial integration. High-performance grades of PAN used in carbon fiber exhibited tensile strengths exceeding 3.5 GPa, aligning with structural demands in lightweight transportation and renewable infrastructure. Sustainability initiatives are also accelerating, with over 75,000 metric tons of PAN derived from bio-based acrylonitrile in 2023.

Key Findings

Driver: Expansion in aerospace and automotive industries requiring carbon fiber precursors.

Country/Region: China, with over 1.2 million metric tons of polyacrylonitrile produced in 2023.

Segment: Acrylic staple fiber, accounting for more than 58% of global consumption.

Polyacrylonitrile Market Trends

In 2023, global consumption of polyacrylonitrile surged past 2.1 million metric tons, reflecting the ongoing demand for durable, lightweight, and high-strength materials across diverse sectors. Acrylic fibers, which dominate the market, saw over 1.2 million metric tons utilized across apparel, home furnishings, and outdoor textile products. These fibers offer excellent resilience, quick-drying properties, and resistance to sunlight and chemicals, making them suitable for varied climates and industrial conditions. The use of PAN as a carbon fiber precursor grew significantly, accounting for over 640,000 metric tons in 2023. PAN-based carbon fibers are integral to automotive, aerospace, and wind turbine applications due to their light weight and high mechanical strength. Carbon fibers derived from PAN enable weight reductions of 25–50% in structural components, improving fuel efficiency and reducing emissions in automotive design. Emerging eco-friendly PAN production practices gained traction, with more than 75,000 metric tons produced using bio-based acrylonitrile, reflecting an increase of 22% compared to 2022. Recycling programs focused on PAN-based fibers expanded in Europe and Japan, collecting 12,000 metric tons of used acrylic fiber for reprocessing.

In textiles, modified PAN fibers with flame-retardant properties accounted for over 190,000 metric tons in 2023, widely used in protective clothing for firefighting, military, and industrial environments. The demand for colored acrylic fibers also rose, with over 280,000 metric tons processed using solution-dye techniques that minimize water usage by 85% compared to traditional dyeing. Technological upgrades continued across production lines. Approximately 70 manufacturing plants globally adopted continuous polymerization technology, reducing processing time by 28% and enhancing polymer quality consistency. New solvent systems introduced in Japan and Germany reduced toxic waste emissions by 34% while maintaining polymer conversion efficiency above 92%. Market consolidation trends also became evident, with over 15 strategic alliances and joint ventures formed in 2023 to secure acrylonitrile supply and expand PAN-to-carbon fiber production capacity. Investment in automation and digital controls expanded across 40% of PAN manufacturing plants, improving defect detection and reducing labor costs by 18%.

Polyacrylonitrile Market Dynamics

DRIVER

Rising demand for lightweight carbon fiber components in aerospace and automotive sectors.

In 2023, demand for carbon fiber precursors surged as more than 640,000 metric tons of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) were used globally for carbon fiber production. The aerospace sector alone accounted for 38% of this volume, with manufacturers incorporating PAN-derived carbon composites into fuselage components, interiors, and cargo structures. Automotive OEMs utilized PAN-based carbon fiber for electric vehicle battery enclosures, achieving weight savings of up to 45 kilograms per unit. Additionally, the wind energy sector required 72,000 metric tons of PAN-based carbon fiber to produce high-strength turbine blades. These applications reflect PAN's ability to meet structural performance benchmarks exceeding 3.5 GPa in tensile strength, fueling its essential role in next-generation lightweight technologies.

RESTRAINT

Volatile acrylonitrile prices impacting raw material supply chain.

Acrylonitrile, the key monomer for PAN production, experienced price fluctuations of up to 22% across 2023 due to supply chain disruptions, primarily in Asia-Pacific. This instability directly affected over 70% of global PAN manufacturing facilities, where acrylonitrile costs represent 65–70% of total production expenses. Raw material shortages in Taiwan and South Korea led to a 15% output reduction in those regions during Q3 2023. The volatility discouraged smaller firms from long-term procurement, limiting capacity expansion. Additionally, environmental regulations on acrylonitrile production in the EU increased compliance costs by 17%, further adding pressure on manufacturers.

OPPORTUNITY

Technological advancements in bio-based PAN production.

Bio-based PAN, derived from renewable acrylonitrile alternatives, emerged as a critical innovation driver in 2023, with over 75,000 metric tons manufactured globally—a 22% increase from the previous year. North American and European facilities led bio-PAN innovation, introducing feedstock derived from glycerol and bio-propane. The adoption of catalytic dehydration and enzymatic synthesis processes helped lower carbon emissions by 38% compared to conventional methods. Companies investing in bio-PAN technologies reported production efficiency rates above 88% and projected further scale-up across 12 new facilities under construction in 2024. The textile sector began incorporating bio-PAN into flame-retardant and solution-dyed fiber lines, producing 9,800 metric tons of environmentally certified materials.

CHALLENGE

High energy consumption and environmental impact of PAN manufacturing.

Polyacrylonitrile manufacturing processes remain energy-intensive, requiring temperatures exceeding 200°C for polymerization and stabilization. On average, producing one metric ton of PAN consumes 2.3 MWh of electricity and generates 1.1 metric tons of CO₂ emissions. In 2023, global production resulted in an estimated 2.3 million metric tons of CO₂ emissions, prompting scrutiny from regulators and sustainability-focused buyers. European manufacturers faced new emission caps, reducing operating time by 12% in compliance zones. Despite the adoption of closed-loop solvent recovery systems in 28% of plants, energy optimization remains underdeveloped across much of the Asia-Pacific market. Meeting stricter carbon intensity thresholds by 2025 will require capital upgrades across more than 140 production units worldwide.

Polyacrylonitrile Market Segmentation

The polyacrylonitrile market is segmented by type and application. In 2023, acrylic staple fiber dominated usage with more than 1.2 million metric tons, followed by carbon fiber precursors and other technical applications. By application, textiles accounted for over 58% of total PAN consumption, followed by aerospace and construction.

By Type

Acrylic Staple Fiber: Over 1.2 million metric tons of PAN were converted into acrylic staple fiber in 2023. This form is extensively used in apparel, home furnishings, and industrial textiles due to its softness, thermal insulation, and UV resistance. The Asia-Pacific region produced more than 720,000 metric tons of staple fiber, with high volumes directed to domestic and export markets.
Acrylic Tow: Acrylic tow production totaled approximately 610,000 metric tons in 2023, mainly for conversion into spun yarns. This segment serves both the textile and technical fiber industries. Acrylic tow exhibited strong demand in North America and Europe, where more than 270,000 metric tons were used for high-performance fabrics and outdoor gear.
Others: Other PAN types, including high-tenacity fibers and co-polymer variants, accounted for 290,000 metric tons. These materials are deployed in filtration, medical textiles, and composites. Japan and Germany led in the innovation of specialty PAN grades, producing a combined 94,000 metric tons tailored for advanced performance criteria.

By Application

Textiles: PAN used in textiles exceeded 1.2 million metric tons, encompassing both staple fibers and acrylic tow. Apparel applications made up 53% of this segment, followed by home textiles and industrial safety gear. Demand was concentrated in China, India, and Turkey, with each nation consuming over 100,000 metric tons.
Precursors to Carbon Fiber: This application utilized over 640,000 metric tons of PAN. Aerospace, automotive, and wind energy sectors were major consumers, particularly in Japan, the U.S., and Germany. The segment grew by 12% year-over-year, driven by lightweight design priorities.
Fiber-Reinforced Concrete: PAN fibers totaling 48,000 metric tons were integrated into construction materials for bridges, tunnels, and high-rise buildings. These fibers enhance tensile strength and crack resistance, with key markets in the UAE, South Korea, and Brazil.
Others: Additional applications such as filtration media, protective clothing, and biomedical devices accounted for 92,000 metric tons. Use in high-temperature filtration alone represented 39,000 metric tons, with major activity in the EU and the U.S.

Polyacrylonitrile Market Regional Outlook

The polyacrylonitrile market exhibited distinct regional performance patterns in 2023, with production and consumption closely tied to industrial output and application needs. Asia-Pacific dominated with a volume of more than 1.5 million metric tons, accounting for over 71% of global consumption. North America and Europe followed with combined usage of around 450,000 metric tons.

North America

In North America, polyacrylonitrile demand reached over 260,000 metric tons in 2023. The U.S. led the region with 82% of total volume, driven by its advanced aerospace and defense manufacturing sectors. Carbon fiber precursor applications accounted for 45% of PAN usage. Additionally, the U.S. construction industry integrated 21,000 metric tons of PAN into fiber-reinforced concrete. Investments in bio-based PAN technologies were also prominent, with North America producing 28,000 metric tons of renewable PAN.

Europe

Europe consumed over 190,000 metric tons of PAN in 2023, with Germany, the UK, and France accounting for 66% of regional demand. The automotive and wind energy sectors drove usage of 72,000 metric tons for carbon fiber production. Textiles accounted for 68,000 metric tons, particularly in protective clothing and home furnishings. Europe also led in PAN recycling initiatives, collecting 9,400 metric tons of post-consumer acrylic fibers.

Asia-Pacific

Asia-Pacific remained the largest market, producing over 1.5 million metric tons and consuming more than 1.2 million metric tons. China dominated with 820,000 metric tons, followed by India at 180,000 metric tons and Japan at 140,000 metric tons. Textiles accounted for over 720,000 metric tons, reflecting strong domestic and export markets. Japan and South Korea led the adoption of PAN in electronics, medical filtration, and carbon composites. Carbon fiber precursor applications in the region totaled 380,000 metric tons.

Middle East & Africa

The Middle East & Africa accounted for 52,000 metric tons of PAN usage in 2023. The UAE and Saudi Arabia consumed a combined 31,000 metric tons, primarily in construction and textiles. Fiber-reinforced concrete incorporating PAN was utilized in 8,400 metric tons across major infrastructure projects. South Africa led the continent in protective textile demand, using 7,200 metric tons for industrial safety applications. The region also reported a 16% year-over-year increase in PAN demand due to growing industrial investments.

List Of Polyacrylonitrile Companies

DOLAN GmbH
AKSA
Montefibre Carbon
Dralon
Formosa Plastics
Toray
Taekwang Industrial
TOYOBO
Ineos
Thai Acrylic Fibre
Pasupati Acrylon
SGL Carbon
Polimir Novopolotsk
Toho Tenax
BASF

AKSA: Produced over 390,000 metric tons of polyacrylonitrile in 2023, commanding an estimated 18.5% of global production. The company operates multiple manufacturing facilities across Turkey and Southeast Asia, with dedicated PAN lines for both textile and carbon fiber precursors.

Toray: Accounted for more than 320,000 metric tons of PAN in 2023. It remains a leading supplier of high-purity PAN for carbon fiber applications, especially in aerospace and defense, with plants in Japan, the U.S., and France.

Investment Analysis and Opportunities

In 2023, global investments in polyacrylonitrile production infrastructure and R&D surpassed $1.8 billion, with a strong focus on bio-based production, advanced polymer grades, and downstream carbon fiber integration. Asia-Pacific attracted over $960 million in capital investment, primarily in China and South Korea. China initiated 12 new PAN plant expansions, aiming to increase its annual production by 480,000 metric tons by 2026. North America saw investments exceeding $410 million, centered around renewable PAN synthesis and carbon fiber precursor applications. At least 5 new pilot-scale bio-based PAN facilities began construction in the U.S. in 2023, with combined capacities of 35,000 metric tons. Canada invested $78 million in reinforcing its PAN-carbon fiber supply chain to support domestic EV battery component production.

European markets focused on environmental compliance and process optimization. Germany and France collectively allocated $260 million toward energy efficiency retrofits and solvent recovery upgrades in PAN plants. European producers also partnered with recyclers to establish 8 PAN fiber recovery hubs that collected over 9,000 metric tons in 2023. In emerging markets, infrastructure development in the Middle East drove $52 million in PAN expansion projects, with two new acrylic fiber plants under construction in the UAE. India and Brazil jointly invested $84 million into specialty PAN fibers for protective and industrial textiles, adding 70,000 metric tons in new capacity. Future investment opportunities lie in low-carbon PAN processing, integration of AI in polymerization control, and expansion of vertical PAN-to-carbon fiber production lines. More than 22 patents related to green PAN technologies were filed in 2023, and over 37 public-private partnership grants were approved for research into sustainable alternatives.

New Product Development

In 2023, the polyacrylonitrile market witnessed over 120 new product developments targeting high-performance and sustainable applications. AKSA launched a flame-retardant PAN fiber line with a thermal degradation threshold of above 410°C, which was adopted in over 200 military-grade textile projects globally. Toray introduced a high-purity PAN precursor optimized for carbon fiber, improving molecular alignment and increasing tensile strength by 12% across structural-grade composites. BASF developed a bio-based PAN blend using biopropylene feedstock, with pilot-scale batches yielding 88% conversion efficiency and demonstrating a 38% lower CO₂ footprint compared to conventional PAN. This formulation has been tested across five industrial partners for integration in filtration and protective textile manufacturing. Thai Acrylic Fibre launched solution-dyed PAN yarns with reduced water consumption of 84% and incorporated anti-pilling properties that improved durability across 90 washing cycles. Dralon introduced a colorfast PAN staple fiber designed for UV exposure exceeding 700 hours, specifically tailored for outdoor furniture and marine textiles. Montefibre Carbon developed a PAN precursor for industrial carbon fiber with rapid stabilization kinetics, reducing processing time by 28%. Smart PAN technologies emerged as a growing subsegment. Formosa Plastics released a PAN-based conductive fiber variant with surface resistivity below 1,000 ohms/sq, enabling application in wearable electronics. TOYOBO introduced a PAN microfiber with enhanced capillary performance, improving filtration efficiency by 22% in medical applications. These innovations represent a transition toward multifunctional and environmentally responsible PAN-based materials.

Five Recent Developments

AKSA completed a $120 million expansion of its PAN-carbon fiber integrated plant in Turkey, adding 100,000 metric tons of annual PAN capacity.
Toray signed a long-term supply agreement with a European aerospace OEM for 80,000 metric tons of high-performance PAN fiber through 2029.
Thai Acrylic Fibre commissioned a new zero-liquid-discharge PAN plant in India, processing 55,000 metric tons annually.
BASF filed 11 patents in 2023 focused on bio-based PAN synthesis from industrial fermentation residues.
Dralon partnered with a Japanese textile consortium to develop UV-resistant PAN fibers, deploying over 18,000 metric tons across Asia-Pacific outdoor textile markets.

Report Coverage of Polyacrylonitrile Market

This report on the polyacrylonitrile (PAN) market provides comprehensive quantitative and qualitative analysis across key global regions, covering more than 45 countries and profiling over 30 active market participants. It tracks volume-based production, consumption, trade, innovation, and regulatory activities that shaped the industry throughout 2023 and early 2024. With global PAN production surpassing 2.1 million metric tons, the report captures dynamics across key segments such as acrylic staple fiber, acrylic tow, and carbon fiber precursors. Over 820 data points are integrated from verified industry sources, offering metrics on material properties (e.g., tensile strength exceeding 3.5 GPa, moisture regain rate around 1.5%, and fiber linear density ranging from 1.4–5.0 dtex). The scope includes life cycle assessments, comparative cost structures, and polymerization efficiency rates above 92% for leading technologies. Application segments such as textiles, fiber-reinforced composites, and filtration media are evaluated based on annual volume metrics and emerging functional requirements.

Coverage extends to emerging trends like bio-based PAN production (with 75,000 metric tons recorded in 2023), closed-loop manufacturing practices, and digitalization across PAN production lines. Trade flow analysis spans over 85 bilateral trade relationships, tracking intra-regional movements especially among Asia-Pacific, North America, and the EU. The study also presents detailed profiles of top manufacturers including production capacities, plant locations, and vertical integration with downstream industries like carbon fiber and technical textiles. The report addresses strategic imperatives including sustainability benchmarks, energy usage trends averaging 2.3 MWh per metric ton, and emission profiles of 1.1 metric tons CO₂ per metric ton of PAN produced. Regulatory insights cover chemical compliance, emission standards, and waste management directives applicable in the EU, U.S., China, India, and Brazil. Detailed case studies from 12 manufacturers provide operational insights into production efficiency, logistics cost reduction, and workforce optimization. In addition, the report includes forecasts on anticipated technological shifts and capacity additions through 2027, with more than 14 new facilities under construction globally. Stakeholders ranging from raw material suppliers, OEMs, public policymakers, to R&D leaders can leverage this study for decision-making in procurement, investment, market entry, and sustainability planning. The report concludes with a strategic assessment matrix evaluating 23 innovation clusters that hold potential for disruptive change in the PAN value chain.