Chromatography Accessories & Consumables Market: Growth, Size, Share, and Trends

Hyphenated methods usually combine chromatographic separation with peak identification by using conventional detectors such as UV with modern tools like MS (mass spectrometry), IR (infrared), or NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectrometers. The advanced techniques provide numerous advantages such as faster analysis times, improved reproducibility, increased selectivity, greater automation, and reduced risk of contamination. These benefits have extended the application of hyphenated chromatography to a variety of scientific disciplines. Some of the most frequently employed hyphenated methods are LC-MS, GC-MS, LC-NMR, and LC-FTIR. Of all the new ones available, LC-MS and GC-MS have become notably prominent. LC-MS application for pharmaceutical analysis has increased dramatically over the last few years, and it is now an established instrument in the trade. It is used mainly for detecting and analyzing impurities in drugs. Its efficiency has found major applications in fields such as impurity profiling and total compound identification. Apart from pharmaceuticals, LC-MS finds widespread application in clinical diagnostics, pesticide residue screening, forensic analysis, and food analysis. Ongoing advancements in methods such as LC-MS and their definitive benefits are expected to fuel further market expansion in the coming years.

Chromatography equipment normally has sophisticated features and functionalities, and therefore, they are very costly. Advances in technology have also increased the price because of enhanced developments in innovative systems. For example, the cost of an HPLC system normally ranges from USD 25,000 to 75,000. A single ready-to-use HPLC C18 column from a well-known producer may cost between USD 14,000 to 15,000. Conversely, the price of a GC instrument can range between USD 25,000 and 40,000, while GC consumables can cost between USD 1,000 and 2,500. Small- and medium-sized industries working in industries like oil & gas, food & beverage, and biotechnology & pharmaceuticals—along with educational and research centers—often need these systems. Nevertheless, the enormous capital investment required tends to restrict them from implementing the same. Academic research laboratories, in especially, encounter budget limitations that hinder the making of such a purchase. Beyond the initial cost of purchase, maintenance and indirect operating expenses add up to further increase the total cost of ownership. Therefore, adoption is restricted—particularly among cost-conscious users like research laboratories, academic institutions, and small businesses.

Proteomics has emerged as an important field of biological study, ranging from biomedicine to plant biology. Ongoing developments in mass spectrometry and chromatography have considerably improved the speed and depth of proteomic analysis. For instance, the proteome of simple organisms can now be analyzed within a few hours. Nevertheless, complex organisms such as mammals can still be analyzed in a few hours or even days. Since conventional approaches usually fail to provide accurate and detailed information for complex mammalian proteomes, the market increasingly requires more sophisticated and effective chromatography instruments for this purpose. Chromatography has been the dominant method for protein separation in proteomics over the past few years, replacing 2D gel electrophoresis. The trend is anticipated to propel growth in the market for proteomics, which will consequently make a positive impact on the demand for chromatography consumables and accessories.

A number of methods—high-pressure refolding, charged ultrafiltration membranes, protein crystallization, capillary electrophoresis, two-phase and three-phase aqueous extraction, monoliths, membrane chromatography, precipitation, high-resolution ultrafiltration, crystallization—are identified as efficient alternatives to chromatography. These processes find special applications as alternatives to column chromatography in manufacturing protein therapeutics and monoclonal antibody separation. Column chromatography involves a minimum of two steps in the process of manufacture, which adds to higher production costs. Further, it involves several operations like equilibration, washing, elution, regeneration, and sanitization, thereby increasing the operational costs. In contrast, other methods involve fewer operations and can run large quantities of antibodies in one run. This decreases production costs and enhances the ability to produce more. Consequently, these benefits of alternative procedures can potentially restrict the growth of the chromatography consumables and accessories market.