COVID-19 Impact on Self-Healing Hydrogels Market
- On January 30, 2020, the International Health Regulations Emergency Committee of the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak a public health emergency of international concern. Originating in China, the virus has spread to at least 214 countries and territories around the world.
- Several governments and private sector businesses are operating at a limited capacity or have ceased operations completely due to recent events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic
- Manufacture of various consumer goods and other products across the globe came to a halt due to the unavailability of raw materials, shortage of labor, etc. This is expected to hamper the self-healing hydrogels market.
Key Drivers and Restraints of Self-healing Hydrogels Market
- Self-healing hydrogels are primarily used in medical infrastructure. Gels and its potential applications have become a part of the technology of active research. Their mechanical, structural, and rheological properties make them suitable for self-healing the wounds. The feature of a self-healing hydrogel is the ability to change the structure, color, and properties according to environmental changes. This is driving the global self-healing hydrogels market.
- High demand for effective wound care devices accompanied by growing cases of critical injuries and wounds across the globe is also boosting the market. Increase in application scope of these gels owing to the continuous research and developments efforts as well as rapid increase in the applicable markets and industries are likely to drive the demand for self-healing hydrogels during the forecast period.
- Technological advancements in gel technologies are also immensely impacting the self-healing hydrogels market. These gels have wide applications in wound dressing, as they possess excellent properties. The ubiquitous properties including adequate flexibility, high sensitivity to the physiological environment, and hydrophilic nature of the material, make them highly preferable in biomedical applications. Thus, demand for self-healing hydrogels is high in the health care sector. This is likely to propel the global self-healing hydrogels market.
Self-Healing Hydrogels: Type Segment
- In terms of type, the global self-healing hydrogels market can be divided into chemical crosslinking and physical crosslinking
- The physical crosslinking segment is projected to hold major share of the global self-healing hydrogels market during the forecast period. Physical crosslinking with metallic ions results in a stronger hydrogel. Physical crosslinked hydrogels are formed by molecular entanglements, and/or secondary forces including ionic, H-bonding, or hydrophobic forces.
- The chemical crosslinking segment is projected to follow the physical crosslinking segment during the forecast period. Chemical crosslinked hydrogels are produced by grafting functional monomers into the polymer network or using a crosslinker to couple the two polymer chains.
Self-Healing Hydrogels: Application Segment
- Based on application, the global self-healing hydrogels market can be segmented into tissue engineering and regeneration, polymer scaffold, drug delivery system, sealant, and others
- The drug delivery system segment is projected to gain higher share of the global market during the forecast period. Soft self-healing hydrogels with shear-thinning properties are used in cell/drug delivery and 3D printing due to injection through narrow needles and retention at target sites.
- The tissue engineering and regeneration segment is also projected to hold key share of the global self-healing hydrogels market in the near future. Self-healing hydrogels have been used as one of the most common tissue engineering scaffolds over the past two decades due to their ability to maintain a distinct 3D structure, provide mechanical support for cells in engineered tissues, and simulate the native extracellular matrix. They are also used in skin regeneration and have shown promising results such as fibroblast and keratinocyte proliferation. This is expected to drive the global self-healing hydrogels market during the forecast period.
North America to Hold Leading Share of Self-Healing Hydrogels Market
- In terms of region, the self-healing hydrogels market can be segregated into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa
- North America is expected to hold major share of the global self-healing hydrogels market, followed by Asia Pacific and Europe, during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the presence of several key players in the region. Key players in North America such as Cardinal Health and Cytogel Pharma are investing in R&D activities, signing patent license agreements, and launching new products based on polymers and resins catering to wide range of applications. Moreover, advancements in medical & pharmaceutical industry and increase in medical expenditure are some of the major factors boosting the self-healing hydrogels market in North America.
Key Manufacturers Operating in Self-Healing Hydrogels Market
The self-healing hydrogels market was consolidated in 2020. Major players have prominent presence in developed and developing countries. Key manufacturers operating in the self-healing hydrogels market include:
- Teijin Aramid
- Akzo Nobel N.V.
- Covestro AG
- Evonik Industries AG
- Autonomic Materials Inc.
- Arkema Group
- Solvay
- DowDuPont
- RIKEN
- Cardinal Health
- Cytogel Pharma
Self-Healing Hydrogels: Research Scope
Self-Healing Hydrogels Market, by Type
- Chemical Crosslinking
- Physical Crosslinking
Self-Healing Hydrogels Market, by Application
- Tissue Engineering and Regeneration
- Polymer Scaffold
- Drug Delivery System
- Sealant
- Others
Global Self-Healing Hydrogels Market, by Region
- North America
- Europe
- Germany
- U.K.
- France
- Italy
- Spain
- Russia & CIS
- Rest of Europe
- Asia Pacific
- China
- India
- Japan
- ASEAN
- Rest of Asia Pacific
- Latin America
- Brazil
- Mexico
- Rest of Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
- GCC
- South Africa
- Rest of Middle East & Africa
Self-Healing Hydrogels: Introduction
- Self-healing hydrogels are a type of special polymer products, which have the capability to heal them when the bonds present within the polymer chain are broken. They help get new bonding among these polymer chains. They also have high water content and a structure similar to a net, which develops the capacity to attain elasticity in its structure.
- Self-healing hydrogels with shear-thinning properties can be potentially used as vehicles for drug/cell delivery or bio-inks for 3D printing by reversible sol-gel transitions. Therefore, self-healing hydrogels have received rapidly growing attention as biomedical materials in recent years.
