A Dive into Rare Earths, Advanced Coatings, and Aerogels

Rare earth magnets, advanced coatings, and aerogels, are just a few of the technologies researched and included in IDTechEx's portfolio of Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals Research Reports. These materials are rising in popularity, with their individual benefits proving to open opportunities for developments across a wide number of industries, including thermal management, electric vehicles, robotics, and energy storage.

 

 

Rare earth magnets are a type of metal permanent magnet and the strongest commercially available products on the market in 2025. As a result of their high magnetic strength and resistance to demagnetization, they are routinely applied in high performance applications in electric motors, actuators, and acoustics. While rare earth magnets are more expensive and have lower working operating temperatures than competing samarium-cobalt, ferrite, and Alnico magnets, they remain best-in-class for high performance applications.

 

Contrary to their name, rare earth magnets exist in many technology sectors, including electric vehicles, consumer electronics, data centers, aerospace, and energy. Energy generators in wind turbines and e-motors in EVs are some of the most common applications for rare earth magnets today, alongside motors for industrial and automotive applications, highlighting the diverse markets for rare earth magnets.

 

Rare earth magnets gain their critical material status from their growing economic importance in decarbonized energy and transport markets, as well as intensifying supply risks associated with strategic material supply for defense and national security applications. IDTechEx's latest research report, "Rare Earth Magnets 2026-2036: Technologies, Supply, Markets, Forecasts", evaluates emerging rare earth supply chains, material trends, global magnet demand, emerging recycling technology, and provides 10-year supply and demand forecasts.

 

IDTechEx's "Critical Material Recovery 2026-2046: Technologies, Markets, Players" research report concludes that by 2046 over 8.1 million tonnes of critical materials are expected to be recovered from waste and secondary raw materials, representing a recoverable value of over US$66B.

 

 

Sustainability and efficiency requirements are becoming increasingly apparent, requiring materials such as advanced coatings within industries including EV batteries, aerospace, data centers, and energy, to meet stricter standards. These materials are described by IDTechEx as being a 'critical enabler of reliability and performance', as they have the potential to provide numerous benefits to manufacturing processes, such as increasing the lifetime of a product, and allowing for higher performances. IDTechEx's report, "Advanced Coatings 2026-2036: Market, Technologies, Players", highlights the economic importance of advanced coatings in the current landscape, with rising electrification being seen worldwide.

 

Fire protection, EMI shielding, anti-corrosion, thermally conductive, and self-healing, are some of the types of advanced coatings covered in the report, with various properties explored based on their intended application. In aerospace applications, for example, the coatings require a light weight, whilst also being able to withstand UV, abrasion, and extreme temperatures.

 

 

Within electric vehicle thermal management and fire protection applications, aerogels are up and coming as a material which boasts low thermal conductivity, low density, and fire retardancy. They have the ability to be tailored to extremely lightweight applications, such as within aerospace and aircraft, and are therefore listed within IDTechEx's portfolio of Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals Research Reports.

 

Aerogels are highly porous and extremely lightweight solid materials consisting of interconnected nanostructures, and are described in IDTechEx's report, "Aerogels 2025-2035: Technology, Market, Forecasts", as being like a gel without the liquid component. The main types currently circulating the market include silica and silica composites, though other types such as polymer aerogels, are in development. IDTechEx forecasts the aerogels market to grow at a CAGR of 12.2% and reach US$3.29bn by 2035. This highlights the successful prospects for these materials, as being a sought-after option in thermal management and fire protection for electric vehicles, industrial settings, as well as oil & gas and energy applications. The report also outlines the key players operating within the market, explores trends, and provides benchmarking of different types and their best suited applications.

 

For more information on the latest advanced materials and their roles within the electric vehicle and thermal management sectors, visit IDTechEx's portfolios of Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals Research Reports.