What’s next in the commercial phase of graphene

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.

In the latest version of a longstanding independent market report on graphene, IDTechEx brings the latest developments across the industry, as well as looking at historical progression and a critical view of the application outlook. Despite the hype, from a revenue and sales volume perspective, the graphene material market is small, however significant growth is occurring, and IDTechEx’s latest forecast expects the market to narrowly exceed US$1 billion by 2032.

IDTechEx forecast that the graphene market will grow from <$100m in 2020 to exceed US$1bn by 2032. Source: IDTechEx

The graphene market is very complex, it is not a single product nor being proposed for a single application. Products and processes are at varying stages of technology readiness with engagement from many players spanning the various value chains. The technology also continues to evolve not only for graphene but also in the larger emerging 2D material family.

Technology overview and trends:

• Understanding the broad graphene family and production processes:

• Processes: Exfoliation, oxidation-reduction, CVD, epitaxial, plasma, and more
• Types: Mono- and bilayer graphene, few-layer graphene (FLG), graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO), and functionalized graphene related materials
• Forms: Graphene powders, sheets, films, wafers, fibers, membranes; various intermediates including masterbatches and liquid dispersions

• Assessment of emerging manufacturing processes, including alternative sustainable solutions
  • Benchmarking studies for critical graphene properties
  • Analysis of 2D materials beyond graphene, including boron nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides (MoS2, WSe2 etc), MXenes, phosphorene, and more

• Market landscape:
  
  • Overview of the complete value chain, including various grades and forms of graphene related material, functionalization, integration in various intermediates and final products
  • Full player analysis: products, revenue, profit/loss, capacity, partnerships, and more
  • Detailed overview of Chinese manufacturers
  • Full comprehensive list of graphene and graphene oxide manufacturers
  • Detailed price comparisons and progressions
  • Competitive material commercial landscape with specific analysis on conductive carbon additives (e.g. carbon black and CNTs)
  • Patent analysis. Observing trends, key patents, and notable assignees
  • Primary information from interviews with hundreds of companies across the value chain; over 60 dedicated company profiles, including independent IDTechEx assessment

Market forecasts & application outlook:

• 10-year granular market forecasts split by 18 application areas in both value and volume
• Analysis of the various addressable markets and their barriers to entry, unmet needs, drivers, and key users
• Applications include: energy storage (batteries and supercapacitors), thermal management materials, polymer composites, metal composites, concrete, conductive inks, coatings, sensors, photonics, TCFs, transistors, membranes, and textiles
• Technology readiness, market status, and roadmap for key applications

Dr Richard Collins, Principal Analyst, IDTechEx, Cambridge, UK

Click here for more information on the report.