Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "The Global Market for Carbon Nanotubes to 2020" report to their offering.
Once the most promising of all nanomaterials, carbon nanotubes are in danger of being usurped in conductive applications by graphene and in composites by nanocellulose. However, nanotubes will remain competitive, especially in composites and electronics applications. Production volumes for nanotubes have been scaled up considerably over the last few years and currently exceed several thousand tons per year. Companies such as CNano, Showa Denko and Bayer are producing hundreds of tons of nanotubes per year, although their actual capacity exceeds production. Prices of MWNTs now range from $45-70/kg, depending on quality, with Chinese manufacturers offering MWNTs at lower prices. SWNTs are currently too expensive for widespread application but will make a large impact in electronics applications by 2020. Technology transfer of nanotubes from the lab to widespread industrial application has been largely unfulfilled and not at a stage of development expected 5 years ago, due to the difficulty in material synthesis and laborious processing. Challenges in the technology and application development, as well as complexity along the value chain have meant that commercial application has not been as widespread as expected.
Bulk CNT powders have been incorporated in diverse commercial products ranging from rechargeable batteries, automotive parts, and sporting goods to boat hulls and water filters. Advances in CNT synthesis, purification, and chemical modification are enabling integration of CNTs in thin-film electronics and coatings. Although not yet providing the required mechanical strength or electrical or thermal conductivities for many applications, CNT yarns and sheets show promising performance for applications including supercapacitors, actuators and lightweight electromagnetic shields.
Main end user markets at present for nanotubes are composites for sporting goods, conductive additives for lithium-ion batteries, fuel system components, AFM tips and plastics additives. Nanotube additives in lithium-ion battery electrodes were one of the first nanotube applications marketed by Showa Denko, which has a capacity of 500 tons/year. Product development thus far has generally been as a result of collaboration between large multi-national companies and small application developers and innovative producers. Collaborations include ApNano Materials, Inc. (nanotube lubricants), Applied Nanotech, Inc. and Arima Eco Energy Technologies Corporation (photovoltaics), Nanomix and Dupont (field emission displays) and Nanoledge and a number of companies including Structil, Seal, SK Chemicals, Look Cycle, Babolat, Cobra, Suzlon Huntsman and Bayer in the sporting goods sector.
Main markets companies supply nanotubes to include:
- Academia and university laboratories
- Plastics and electronics manufacturers
- Materials and Battery companies, catalyst and automobile manufacturers
- Sensors developers
- Field emission companies
- Polymer composites and additive producers
- Aerospace.
Over the next few years nanotubes will find wider application in conducting films, supercapacitor electrodes, field emission displays, displays, chemical and biosensors, hydrogen storage, adhesives and printing inks. An interesting development is the development of nanotube-graphene hybrid materials that could have important implications for composites and conductive additives. Long-term applications will be witnessed in power transmission, aerospace and potentially photovoltaics and drug delivery.
This 204 page report maps the current and future market for carbon nanotubes and includes:
- Production volumes for CNTs to 2020
- End user markets
- Commercialization timelines
- Profiles of over 139 companies
- Research centre profiles.