United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market By Type (Oximes and Phenols), By Application (Paints, Printing Inks, Pigment Paste, Others), By Region, Competition, Forecast and Opportunities 2021-2031F

Forecast Period	2027-2031
Market Size (2025)	USD 138.67 Million
CAGR (2026-2031)	13.98%
Fastest Growing Segment	Paints
Largest Market	Midwest
Market Size (2031)	USD 304.06 Million

Market Overview

The United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market will grow from USD 138.67 Million in 2025 to USD 304.06 Million by 2031 at a 13.98% CAGR. Anti-skinning agents are specialized additives incorporated into alkyd-based paints, varnishes, and printing inks to inhibit oxidative cross-linking, thereby preventing the formation of an insoluble surface skin during storage. The primary drivers supporting market growth include robust demand from the architectural and automotive sectors, where product stability and extended shelf life are critical performance metrics. According to the American Coatings Association, in 2024, the United States coatings market volume was projected to increase by 2.6%, underscoring the sustained industrial requirement for these essential stabilizing compounds.

A significant challenge impeding market expansion is the intensifying regulatory scrutiny regarding the toxicity of traditional oxime-based agents such as Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime. The industry faces mounting pressure to transition toward oxime-free alternatives, a shift that entails higher raw material costs and complex reformulation requirements. This compliance burden forces manufacturers to divert capital toward research and modification rather than capacity expansion, potentially constraining broader market development.

Key Market Drivers

The expansion of the U.S. construction and infrastructure industry serves as a primary catalyst for the anti-skinning agents market. As federal initiatives fund large-scale renovation and building projects, the consumption of architectural coatings—particularly alkyd-based enamels that require stabilizing additives—has escalated. These agents are essential for ensuring that high-volume industrial paints maintain viscosity and application properties by preventing oxidative cross-linking in the can. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, September 2024, in the 'Monthly Construction Spending, July 2024' report, construction spending during July 2024 was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of $2,162.7 billion. This massive investment in residential and non-residential structures directly correlates with increased orders for oxime and phenol-based additives to secure the shelf life of heavy-duty protective coatings.

Concurrently, the rising demand from the automotive and transportation sectors significantly influences market consumption. Manufacturers of automotive OEM and refinish coatings utilize these additives to prevent surface defects, such as bits and seeds, ensuring the integrity of complex formulations during storage. According to the National Automobile Dealers Association, October 2024, in the 'Market Beat' report, new light-vehicle sales totaled 13.02 million units through the first ten months of the year, driving the need for pristine protective finishes. Furthermore, the broader industrial environment supports this additive demand through recovering supply chains. According to the American Chemistry Council, June 2024, in the 'Mid-Year Situation & Outlook 2024', chemical output volumes in the United States were projected to grow by 2.2% in 2024, signaling a resurgence in the domestic manufacturing base that underpins additive production.

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Key Market Challenges

The intensifying regulatory scrutiny regarding the toxicity of traditional oxime-based agents constitutes a substantial barrier to the progress of the United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market. As regulatory bodies increasingly target compounds like Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime (MEKO) due to health concerns, manufacturers are compelled to reformulate products with oxime-free alternatives. This transition involves complex chemical engineering that necessitates significant research and development expenditure, as new formulations must maintain critical performance metrics such as drying time and film hardness without the stability provided by traditional agents. The high cost of these non-toxic substitutes and the resource-intensive nature of reformulation divert capital that would otherwise be allocated to capacity expansion, thereby stifling broader market development.

Consequently, this compliance-heavy environment creates operational headwinds that directly contract the industry's output potential. The economic strain on the sector is reflected in broader production trends for specialized additives. According to the American Chemistry Council, in 2024, production volumes of specialty chemicals in the United States were projected to decline by 3.2%. This contraction underscores the difficulty manufacturers face in sustaining growth momentum while navigating a landscape defined by rigorous safety standards and escalating raw material requirements.

Key Market Trends

The emergence of bio-based anti-skinning chemistries is fundamentally reshaping the United States market as manufacturers prioritize renewable feedstock sourcing to lower Scope 3 emissions. Unlike the regulatory push for non-toxic alternatives, this trend is driven by voluntary sustainability mandates from major coating producers who require additives derived from natural phenols and vegetable oils. This shift creates a premium segment for green additives that offer oxidative stability without fossil-fuel reliance. According to Sherwin-Williams, May 2025, in the '2024 Sustainability Report', the company highlighted its advancement in sustainable formulations by producing industrial wood coatings containing up to 40% plant-based ingredients, signaling a robust trajectory for bio-renewable additive integration.

Simultaneously, the market is witnessing intense specialization for high-solids and low-VOC coatings, necessitating anti-skinning agents that function effectively in solvent-constrained environments. As industrial formulations increase solid content to meet environmental standards, the risk of surface skinning intensifies, demanding highly active stabilizing agents that do not compromise drying times or film hardness. This transition is evident in the commercial strategies of key industry players who are pivoting toward high-performance, eco-efficient product lines. According to PPG, May 2025, in the '2024 Sustainability Report', the company reported that 41% of its total sales were generated from sustainably advantaged products, underscoring the critical industrial demand for environmentally compliant coating technologies that rely on these advanced additives.

Segmental Insights

The Paints segment is currently recognized as the fastest growing category within the United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market. This expansion is primarily driven by substantial demand from the residential and commercial construction sectors, where high-performance coatings are essential for surface protection. Manufacturers increasingly rely on these agents to prevent unwanted surface film formation during storage, thereby ensuring extended shelf life and product consistency. Additionally, strict adherence to Volatile Organic Compound standards set by the Environmental Protection Agency has compelled the adoption of effective additives that maintain stability in compliant formulations, further solidifying the segment's market dominance.

Regional Insights

The Midwest United States holds the dominant position in the Anti-Skinning Agents Market, primarily driven by its status as the nation's central industrial and manufacturing hub. This region houses a significant concentration of automotive and heavy equipment manufacturers, creating a steady demand for industrial paints and coatings that utilize these essential additives. Additionally, ongoing urbanization and infrastructure projects across the Midwest further bolster the consumption of architectural coatings. Manufacturers in this region also actively align with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency standards regarding volatile organic compounds, ensuring the widespread adoption of compliant formulations.

Recent Developments

• In August 2025, AdvanSix and Arxada reached a comprehensive agreement to resolve patent litigation and establish a commercial sourcing partnership for anti-skinning agents. Under the terms of the settlement, Arxada agreed to source a specific 2-pentanone oxime-based anti-skinning agent from AdvanSix and co-brand downstream sales of the composition for the coatings market. This collaboration secured a reliable supply chain for this MEKO-free alternative, which is used in alkyd-based paints to prevent skin formation, and validated the intellectual property rights surrounding the technology in the United States, facilitating wider adoption of safer anti-skinning solutions.
• In February 2025, Arxada announced the commercial launch of a new multifunctional additive under its LEAP innovation platform, designed to address complex formulation challenges in the paint and coatings industry. The product was developed to improve both pH and viscosity stability in various paint formulations while enabling reduced preservative usage rates, complementing the company's existing portfolio of anti-skinning agents and biocides. This launch followed extensive research and development efforts and successful evaluations at major multinational manufacturing facilities, aiming to provide formulators with a versatile solution that enhances flow control and overall product stability while meeting stringent environmental standards.
• In December 2024, Borchers: A Milliken Brand entered into a strategic collaboration with Brenntag, appointing the company as the exclusive distributor for its coating additives portfolio in the United States. Effective January 2025, this agreement expanded the companies' existing European partnership to the North American region, granting the distributor responsibility for the sales and marketing of Borchers’ range of catalysts, wetting agents, and anti-skinning agents. The partnership was established to leverage the distributor's extensive logistics network to enhance service delivery for U.S. customers seeking high-performance solutions, including cobalt-free driers and MEKO-free anti-skinning alternatives used in paints and coatings.
• In July 2024, Patcham USA LLC was granted a patent for a breakthrough composition regarding an efficient MEKO-free anti-skinning agent. The newly patented formulation comprises a mixture of cyclohexanone oxime or a petroleum distillate soluble zinc carboxylate dissolved in methyl propyl ketoxime. This research development addressed the critical industry requirement for safer, regulatory-compliant alternatives to traditional anti-skinning agents like Methyl Ethyl Ketoxime (MEKO), which faces increasing scrutiny due to toxicity concerns. The innovation provides the United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market with a clear, homogenous solution that maintains drying performance and stability in alkyd-based coating materials while adhering to evolving safety standards.

Key Market Players

• Valspar Corporation
• The Sherwin‑Williams Company
• PPG Industries Inc
• Akzo Nobel N.V.
• BASF SE
• Dow Inc.
• Eastman Chemical Company
• Huntsman Corporation
• Allnex USA Inc
• Lanxess AG

By Type	By Application	By Region
Oximes Phenols	Paints Printing Inks Pigment Paste Others	Northeast Midwest South West

Report Scope:

In this report, the United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market has been segmented into the following categories, in addition to the industry trends which have also been detailed below:

• United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market, By Type:

• Oximes
• Phenols

• United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market, By Application:

• Paints
• Printing Inks
• Pigment Paste
• Others

• United States Anti-Skinning Agents Market, By Region:

• Northeast
• Midwest
• South
• West