Market Profile: Process Raman Spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy has rapidly become an established analytical technique in the lab, in the field, and online. Its inherent advantages make it very well suited for industrial applications, which has led to the rise of significant demand from a broad range of industries. Strong potential growth for process Raman remains, even after the impact of the recent recession.

Technological barriers have long limited the broad development of Raman spectroscopy, but the development of better laser, optics, and probe technology helped propel all variants of Raman spectroscopy over the past two decades. Improvements in fiber-optic probes have been particularly beneficial to the process Raman market, and has accounted for major growth in the associated aftermarket as well.

Process Raman spectroscopy demand for 2009.

The pharmaceutical and petroleum industries are the two largest industries for process Raman, although demand from the petroleum industry took a much deeper hit to demand during the recession. Demand from the pharmaceutical industry has grown at a more consistent pace, despite the inordinate amount of publicity regarding the FDA's Process Analytical Technology (PAT) initiative. Demand from the polymers and chemicals industries was hit hard by the recession, while demand for Raman from the hard-disk manufacturing industry is now rebounding well. The overall process Raman market was worth more than $25 million in 2009 and should see double-digit annual growth as demand bounces back from the recession.

The foregoing data are based on research conducted for SDi's Market Analysis and Perspectives (MAP) report program. For more information, contact Stuart Press, Vice President, Strategic Directions International, Inc., 6242 Westchester Parkway, Suite 100, Los Angeles, CA 90045, (310) 641-4982, fax: (310) 641-8851, www.strategic-directions.com