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Carbon Nanotubes 2022-2032: Market, Technology, Players

MWCNTs, FWCNTs & SWCNTs benchmarking study and critical appraisal; VACNTs, sheets, yarns, composites, slurries, and more; granular CNT market forecasts; key manufacturer profiles and analysis; interview-based company profiles


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After years of promise, we are witnessing the first major market adoption of nanocarbons. Although known for several decades, with a large amount of commercial engagement, and some extraordinary properties, CNTs have largely been kept to specific applications and relatively low market sales until now.
 
IDTechEx forecast the CNT market to exceed 70 ktpa annual demand by 2032, driven by the role in energy storage.
 
This market report gives a comprehensive overview of the CNT industry including the manufacturers, material and process landscape, applications, and forecasts.
 
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been known for many decades, but the moment of significant commercial growth is now upon us. Through expansions, partnerships, acquisitions, and greater market adoption there are clear indicators that true market success is being realised for the first time.
 
This report gives granular 10-year market forecasts, player analysis, technology benchmarking, and a deep-dive in core application areas. This detailed technical analysis is built on a long history in the field of nanocarbons and is based on primary-interviews with key and emerging players.
 
Technology
 
The potential for CNTs needs no introduction. If the exciting nanoscale properties, from mechanical to thermal & electrical conductivity and beyond, can be realised, then the global impact will be profound. However, as is well known, the reality is much further from the theoretical ideals.
 
There is a wide range of technology and manufacturing readiness for the different types of nanotubes. Making the nanotubes is just the first step, a large amount of consideration needs to go into understanding how they can be functionalised, purified and/or separated, and integrated. This report goes into extensive detail benchmarking the physical and economic properties of MWCNTs, FWCNTs, and SWCNTs; it extends to key advancements in this post-processing and dispersion technology, which is an essential part for any market success.
 
There is also the trend to making "macro-CNT" products most commonly in the form of sheets/veils or yarns. There are numerous technical challenges in translating the core beneficial properties from the nanoscale but some promising results and emerging applications are being observed; within this vertically aligned CNTs (VACNTs) are one of the most exciting areas taking advantage of the inherent anisotropy of the nanotubes.
 
It is also important to consider the incumbent and emerging competition. In most applications the CNTs are acting as an additive and competing against others from chopped carbon fiber to carbon black and graphene; the combination of properties is essential for adoption and looking beyond to non-tradition figures-of-merit can give indication of where the market potential lies.
 
Players
 
MWCNT production has been established for a long time with most employing a catalytic CVD process, but there remain technical and economic improvements to the MWCNT production and how they are post-processed. This report details the key manufacturers and those further up the supply chain, geographically East Asia has taken a dominant position and leads the way in both installed and planned capacity.
 
For MWCNTs there are 3 key news stories: the funding raised and planned expansion of Jiansgu Cnano Technology, the new LG Chem capacity, and the acquisition of SUSN by Cabot Corporation. Most of this movement is linked with the energy storage market and the role CNTs can play as conductive additives for either electrode in both current and next-generation lithium-ion batteries. However, they are not alone, there are other companies making great strides and with the inevitable consolidation the time for growth is now.
 
This is not the first-time this expansion has been planned, as seen in the figure below. In the build up to 2011, there were several expansions that ultimately proved premature; as a result some players left the field and a subsequent period of capacity stagnation was observed. However, during this period utilisation grew and end-users continued to experiment and find application areas where there is genuine added value. Beyond 2020, we are entering into a new age of expansions, driven by the role in cathodes for lithium-ion battery within the booming electric vehicle market.
 
That is not to say this is a done deal, there is still a large amount of innovation and development from production to functionalisation and integration. This could be in forming unique species with a very high-aspect ratio, forming hybrid products in conjunctions with other additives, using alternative feedstocks or forming highly conductive continuous yarns.
 
SWCNTs are at an earlier stage but there is still a high-level of commercial activity. There is more diversity in the manufacturing from using CO feedstocks to plasma processes and combustion synthesis. This report goes through each of these processes with key profiles and player analysis. With key partnerships being established, some expansion and crucially some market activity these materials are at their start of their commercial journey.
 
Markets
 
This report provides granular 10-year forecasts for MWCNTs and DWCNTs & SWCNTs segmented by end-use application.
 
MWCNTs have numerous application areas from thermal interface materials to coatings but the key sectors are as an additive in energy storage and polymers.
 
Energy storage: Driven by the demand for electrification this market is booming and CNTs are well positioned. The nanotubes act as a conductive additive for either electrode in both current and next-generation lithium-ion battery designs, incorporation of a relatively small weight % can have a significant boost to energy density. The enhanced conductivity is obvious, but the mechanical properties are also very important in providing anchorage that enables thicker electrodes, wider temperature range, or materials that give a higher capacity. How they are dispersed, used with or without a binder, and combined with other additives are all examined in extensive detail within the report. Although lacking the same addressable market, there are also key developments in the role of CNTs for ultracapacitors that are explored in a dedicated chapter.
 
Polymer additives: Either in a standalone polymer matrix or within a fiber reinforced polymer composite, CNTs can play a significant role through their blend of properties. This can range from improving interlaminar strength in composite layups to improving the electrostatic discharge capabilities. There have been some longstanding success stories here including for fuel systems and electronic packaging, but with energy storage dramatically increasing the volume and the price correspondingly dropping more applications will open up over the next decade.
 
SWCNTs will compete with MWCNTs, particularly as additives for energy storage and elastomer applications, but given their unique properties they are also gaining traction in novel areas such as memory, sensors, and other electronic applications.
 
Carbon Nanotubes 2022-2032: Market, Technology, Players provides a definitive assessment of this market. IDTechEx has an extensive history in the field of nanocarbons and their technical analysts and interview-led approach brings the reader unbiased outlooks, benchmarking studies, and player assessments on this diverse and expanding industry.
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Table of Contents
1.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
1.1.Introduction to Carbon Nanotubes (CNT)
1.2.Key Takeaways: Status and outlook
1.3.The hype curve of the nanotubes and 2D materials
1.4.CNTs: ideal vs reality
1.5.Key Company Expansions
1.6.Not all CNTs are equal
1.7.Price position of CNTs (from SWCNT to FWCNT to MWCNT)
1.8.Price evolution: past, present, and future (MWCNTs)
1.9.Production capacity of CNTs globally
1.10.Progression and outlook for capacity
1.11.CNTs: value proposition as an additive material
1.12.Energy storage: Supply chain analysis
1.13.CNT: snapshot of market readiness levels of CNT applications
1.14.Application Overview - CNT
1.15.CNT-polymer composite: performance levels in different polymers
1.16.CNTs vs. Graphene: general observations
1.17.Regulation
1.18.Company Profiles
2.MARKET PROJECTIONS
2.1.Methodology and assumptions
2.2.Ten-year market forecast for MWCNTs segmented by applications in tonnes
2.3.Ten-year market forecast for MWCNTs segmented by applications in value
2.4.Ten-year market forecast for SWCNTs/DWCNTs segmented by application in value
2.5.Ten-year market forecast for SWCNTs/DWCNTs segmented by application in tonnes
3.MARKET PLAYERS
3.1.Production capacity of CNTs globally
3.2.Progression and outlook for capacity
3.3.Market Leader Analysis: Cnano
3.4.Market Leader Analysis: LG Chem
3.5.China taking a dominant position
3.6.Key Player Analysis: JEIO
3.7.MWCNT Company List
3.8.SWCNT Company List
3.9.OCSiAl (SWCNT) - Overview
3.10.OCSiAl & Daikin Industries - Overview
3.11.Carbon Black - Market Overview
3.12.Specialty Carbon Black - Market Overview
3.13.Carbon Fiber - Market Overview
4.CNT PRODUCTION
4.1.Benchmarking of different CNT production processes
4.2.Production processes: laser ablation and arc discharge
4.3.Production processes: chemical vapour deposition overview
4.4.Production processes: vertically aligned nanotubes
4.5.Varieties of vertically-aligned pure CNTs
4.6.Production processes: HiPCO and CoMoCat
4.7.Production processes: eDIPS
4.8.Production processes: Combustion synthesis
4.9.Production processes: Plasma enhanced
4.10.Hybrid CNT Production
4.11.Advanced carbon structures made from CO2: Players
4.12.Methane Pyrolysis
5.MORPHOLOGY OF CNT MATERIALS
5.1.Variations within CNTs - images
5.2.Variations within CNTs - key properties
5.3.High Aspect Ratio CNTs
5.4.Variations within CNTs - key properties (2)
5.5.Double, Few and Thin-Walled CNTs
5.6.Significance of dispersions
6.MACRO-CNT: SHEETS AND YARNS
6.1.Trends and players for CNT sheets
6.2.Types of nanocarbon additives: CNT yarns
6.3.Dry Self-Assembly of CNT sheets
6.4.CNT yarns: can they ever be conductive enough?
6.5.Post yarn modification and challenges for integrators
6.6.CNT yarns: what material properties parameters impact performance
6.7.CNT yarns: outperforming Cu in non-traditional figures-of-merit (specific capacity)
6.8.CNT yarns outperforming Cu in non-traditional figures-of-merit: ampacity
6.9.CNT yarns outperforming Cu in non-traditional figures-of-merit: lower temperature dependency
6.10.Early CNT Yarn Applications
6.11.Secondary CNT Yarn Applications
7.ENERGY STORAGE - BATTERIES
7.1.The energy storage market is booming
7.2.Energy storage: Supply chain analysis
7.3.CNTs in lithium-ion batteries: overview
7.4.Types of lithium battery
7.5.Lithium-ion battery technology roadmap
7.6.Improvements to cell energy density and specific energy
7.7.Battery technology comparison
7.8.Why nanocarbons in Li batteries?
7.9.Comparing cathodes
7.10.Cathode market share
7.11.Results showing impact of CNT use in Li-ion electrodes
7.12.Results showing SWCNT improving in LFP batteries
7.13.Improved performance at higher C-rate
7.14.Thicker electrodes enabled by CNT mechanical performance
7.15.Thicker electrodes enabled by CNTs
7.16.Significance of dispersion in energy storage
7.17.Hybrid conductive carbon materials
7.18.Value proposition of high silicon content anodes
7.19.How much can silicon improve energy density?
7.20.Silicon anode value chain
7.21.Material opportunities from silicon anodes
7.22.New innovations for CNT enabled silicon anodes
7.23.Top 3 patent assignee Si-anode technology comparison
7.24.NEO Battery Materials anode performance
7.25.Lithium-Sulphur: CNT enabled
7.26.SWCNT in next-generation batteries
8.ENERGY STORAGE - SUPERCAPACITORS
8.1.Batteries vs Supercapacitors
8.2.Supercapacitor technologies
8.3.Performance of carbon nanotube supercapacitors
8.4.Potential benefits of carbon nanotubes in supercapacitors
8.5.Nanocarbon supercapacitor Ragone plots
8.6.Supercapacitor players utilising CNTs - NAWA Technologies
8.7.NAWA Technologies Overview
8.8.Supercapacitor players utilising CNTs - Nanoramic Laboratories
8.9.Supercapacitor players utilising CNTs - other companies
8.10.Binder-free CNT film as supercapacitor electrode
8.11.Challenges with the use of carbon nanotubes
9.CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS AND ELASTOMERS
9.1.How do CNTs do in conductive composites
9.2.MWCNTs as conductive additives
9.3.Summary of CNT as polymer composite conductive additive
9.4.CNT success in conductive composites
9.5.Key advantages in thermoplastic applications
9.6.Examples of products that use CNTs in conductive plastics
9.7.Tensile strength: Comparing random vs aligned CNT dispersions in polymers
9.8.Elastic modulus: Comparing random vs aligned CNT dispersions in polymers
9.9.Thermal conductivity: using CNT additives
9.10.Elastomers
9.11.Silicone advantages
9.12.Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels (COPVs)
10.FIBER REINFORCED POLYMER COMPOSITES
10.1.Role of nanocarbon as additives to FRPs
10.2.Routes to incorporating nanocarbon material into composites
10.3.Routes to electrically conductive composites
10.4.Technology adoption for electrostatic discharge of composites
10.5.Lightning Strike Protection
10.6.Enhanced thermal conductivity - application overview
10.7.Electrothermal de-icing - Nanocarbon patents
10.8.Interlaminar strength
11.METAL COMPOSITES
11.1.Comparison of copper nanocomposites
11.2.CNT copper nanocomposites
11.3.Multiphase copper nanocomposite with CNT core
11.4.Multiphase composite with a Cu Core
11.5.Homogeneous nanocomposite with high %vol CNT
11.6.Homogeneous low volume percentage
12.TIRES
12.1.CNT applications in tires
12.2.Michelin quantifying nanoparticle release
12.3.SWCNT in tires - benchmarking
12.4.CNT enabled tire sensors
13.CNT TRANSPARENT CONDUCTIVE FILMS
13.1.Different Transparent Conductive Films (TCFs)
13.2.Transparent conducting films (TCFs)
13.3.ITO film assessment: performance, manufacture and market trends
13.4.ITO film shortcomings: flexibility
13.5.ITO film shortcomings: limited sheet conductivity
13.6.ITO films: price considerations
13.7.Indium's single supply risk: real or exaggerated?
13.8.Carbon nanotube transparent conductive films: performance
13.9.Carbon nanotube transparent conductive films: performance of commercial films on the market
13.10.Carbon nanotube transparent conductive films: matched index
13.11.Carbon nanotube transparent conductive films: mechanical flexibility
13.12.Carbon nanotube transparent conductive films: stretchability as a key differentiator for in-mould electronics
13.13.Hybrid materials (I) : Properties
13.14.Hybrid materials (II): Chasm
14.THERMAL INTERFACE MATERIALS
14.1.Introduction to Thermal Interface Materials (TIM)
14.2.Summary of TIM utilising advanced carbon materials
14.3.Challenges with VACNT as TIM
14.4.Transferring VACNT arrays
14.5.Notable CNT TIM examples from commercial players
15.SENSORS
15.1.CNTs in gas sensors: Overview
15.2.CNT based gas sensor - Alpha Szenszor Inc.
15.3.CNT based gas sensor - C2Sense
16.OTHER APPLICATIONS
16.1.EMI Shielding
16.2.EMI Shielding - high frequency
16.3.Coatings: Corrosion resistance
16.4.Coatings: Shielding
16.5.3D printing material
16.6.CNTs for transistors
16.7.CNFET research breakthrough
16.8.CNFET case study
16.9.3D SOC
16.10.Transistors - intramolecular junction
16.11.Fully-Printed Transistors
16.12.RFID
16.13.Nantero and Fujitsu CNT memory
16.14.Concrete and Asphalt
16.15.Quantum Computers
17.COMPANY PROFILES
17.1.31 company profiles linked
 

Report Statistics

Slides 216
Forecasts to 2032
ISBN 9781913899929
 
 
 
 

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