Research Articles

CCUS is a central part of every industrial decarbonization roadmap. At its heart, this is a separation challenge, which therefore brings about the question of whether membranes can be used.

For many decades there has been an extensive amount of materials science R&D focussed on developing next-generation gas separation membranes. However, to date, the market is still dominated by those polymeric materials that initially gained commercial adoption in the late 20th century.

Decarbonization is the main market driver across the industrial sector. In every roadmap there is an evolving mix of solutions that span the technology readiness spectrum, each with their own proponents and critics.

Using graphene to improve the performance of energy storage devices has been a key focus ever since the 2D material was isolated. As soon as the first commercial graphene manufacturers were established, there has been a steady stream of announcements related to batteries, but perhaps none are as significant as the 2023 news of Evonik entering the field with their investment in SuperC.

Chemical recycling end-of-life plastic has its champions and its critics. IDTechEx does not believe these advanced recycling solutions are the much-promised silver bullet, but nor do they think they have no role to play in a circular economy.

Is this the year of rapid graphene sales? Are we slipping deeper into a disillusionment phase? Who will emerge as the market leaders? Is consolidation inevitable? 2023 will be a telling year for the industry.

Chemical recycling of plastic waste is gaining momentum. Headlines on investments, planned expansions, and real-world product launches are all accelerating in frequency and scale.

A key requirement for every company in the polymer value chain is to develop and deliver a sustainability roadmap. The market drivers are becoming more significant, and industry activity is responding accordingly.

The field of nanocarbons is not new and it has certainly been the victim of too much hype and false dawns, but things have changed. Across 2022 and into the decade ahead, CNTs and graphene will enter different phases of their industrial expansion.

IDTechEx has launched a new market report providing a technical assessment and independent market outlook on the topic; overall, it is forecast that pyrolysis and depolymerization plants will recycle over 20 million tonnes/year of plastic waste by 2033.

Is Graphene Green? This question comes up an increasing amount. Green drivers and ESG investments are an obvious focus across the supply chain, but where does graphene fit into this discussion? IDTechEx explore the answer in this article.

As of mid-2022, the global graphene and graphene oxide installed capacity easily exceeds 12,000 tonnes per year, but utilization is low as the orders lag significantly behind. Is this a natural part of the commercial journey, or has hype overcome reality? Is this a case of "build it, they will come", or are there real market needs? What does the future hold for these graphene manufacturers? IDTechEx provides an independent perspective on these questions and more.

To date, the commercialization of graphene has been more of a "material push" rather than a "market pull"; a solution looking for a problem. In this first phase, there were numerous technical and commercial barriers to overcome, which in materials science does not happen overnight. IDTechEx believes that this is changing, with graphene entering the next stage, the growth phase, of its commercial journey.

Nanomaterials remain a significant growth area with the potential to enable a wide range of next-generation technologies. This article will focus on CNT yarns and sheets before expanding on to high-aspect-ratio and hybrid materials; these are all at an earlier commercial stage than the main MWCNT market.

Commercializing a new material is not easy. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are the higher-performance variants of the carbon nanotube family, but unlike their multi-walled counterpart, they are still hunting for their killer application.

It is impossible to avoid headlines about the "graphene battery"; the concept of this Nobel Prize winning nanomaterial revolutionizing the energy storage market is naturally very enticing, but it is graphene's older sibling carbon nanotubes that have progressed beyond the hype and disillusionment phases of their commercial journey by finding a value-add high volume energy storage adoption.

The revolutionary promise of nanocarbons has been touted for more than 3 decades, but despite the extraordinary properties and commercial hype, the success has been limited - until now. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may not be as glamorous as their younger sibling graphene, but IDTechEx forecast the annual demand to exceed 70 ktpa by 2032 as for the first time the manufacturers experience a mass-market pull rather than a material push.

The materials science industry is highly competitive. There are large changes in various sectors, such as an electric and autonomous future for vehicles, geopolitical & legislative developments, and new players offering innovative materials looking to gain market share. The key to future success will rely on commercializing R&D activity and remaining agile to market needs, two reasons that developing a materials informatics strategy is imperative.

With the pandemic still raging, supply chain disruptions, the chip shortage, climate catastrophes, and geopolitical turbulence, it is safe to say 2021 has not been smooth sailing. The materials and chemical sector provides the backbone of every industry and remains under pressure from all these challenges. In this article, IDTechEx highlights the key news from their independent perspective on this crucial industry.

Digital transformation is the buzzword in every sector; materials science and chemistry R&D is behind the curve but certainly no exception. The prospects are, of course, very attractive, but the reality far, far harder. This article looks at the status of this transformation, the enabling solutions, and those unresolved pain points.

The ability to develop new materials and bring them to market ever faster is an obvious goal. There continues to be countless developments that improve chemistry and materials science R&D, but perhaps none represent the same paradigm shift that materials informatics offers. Major industry players are waking up to this as the technology matures.

Electric vehicle battery packs have increasing requirements concerning their thermal runaway mitigation strategy. Meanwhile, the aerogel industry is overly dependent on oil & gas and in need of diversification. Could this be the perfect match between a problem looking for a solution and a solution looking for a problem?

Additive manufacturing of composites is approaching an inflection point. In their new report "3D Printing Composites 2021-2031: Technology and Market Analysis", IDTechEx forecast the market to reach $2bn by 2031.

3D printing of fiber-reinforced polymers is rapidly approaching a commercial tipping point. This is quickly becoming one of the most exciting and impactful areas of 3D printing; over the next decade the market will grow to $2 billion, the installed base and applications will expand, and technology will continue to mature.

Practically no graphene manufacturer is making significant revenue, let alone a profit, so continued funding will still be essential - but is there still enough cash being injected?

As with nearly all manufacturing of functional materials and beyond, there has been a shift to China, and the aerogel industry has been no exception.

The 3D printing market is diverse; certain materials and applications are seeing significant commercial growth while others are still overcoming technical and economic barriers to adoption.

For a long time, graphene has been cited as the wonder material that will change the world. The reality has been very different; disillusionment has started to grow as the hype has not translated into revenue. Is the "tipping point" finally approaching?

Thermal management is one of the most important topics in a wide range of applications; from electric vehicle battery packs through to consumer electronics, there is a pressing need to dissipate heat efficiently. Thermal interface materials (TIM) come in numerous types and play a crucial role in the thermal transfer from a heat source. This article looks at what the major innovations are for these materials and why those developments are significant.

The aerogel market is forecast to exceed $700m within the next decade. This may appear modest for a unique material family that has been known for nearly a century, but after long periods of stagnation and several market failings this would represent a significant growth from the market status in 2020. This article will look at what will be driving this growth.

Given the exciting properties, graphene has always been linked as a revolutionary material for the electronics industry. CVD graphene is cited as the ideal solution in providing a perfect single layer produced in a low cost continuous R2R process, but the manufacturing and commercial reality have proved very different. After a long period of research, and with players regularly exiting and entering the field, we are only now starting to see this technology mature and the dawn of the commercial reality.

Multiple drivers are emerging for graphene as the value-added material of choice. One market driver that is perhaps surprising but will have a major impact over the next decade is sustainability.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the 3D printing sector and its end users (such as printing bureaus), new directions of travel have nonetheless emerged. Some opportunities have even been directly prompted by the pandemic.

Not a single country or industry has been unaffected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact will be felt for years to come. Despite this, there have still been some notable industrial activity and commercial progression within materials science. IDTechEx provides a round-up and highlights some of these key developments.

Following decades of development, 2021 and 2022 are set to be notable years for the graphene industry, as it finally approaches an inflection point. Some in the graphene sector are now seeing their labors bear fruit in the form of commercial success - but that is not the case for everyone.

Despite a temporary setback owing to the COVID-19 pandemic, the market for 3D printing of metals is expected to see a significant rise over the next decade. Within that, it is anticipated that most of the revenue will be attributed to material sales.