REPORT HIGHLIGHTS

BCC Research estimates that the global consumption of advanced and nanoscale ceramic powders will rise from $9 billion in 2013 to $12.1 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2% over the next five years.

This report provides:

An in-depth analysis of the advanced ceramics and nanoceramic powders market.

Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2012, estimates for 2013, and projections of compounds annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2018.

Identification of suppliers, major user industries, and major issues related to the production and commercialization of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders.

Examination of the technological as well as business issues related to the commercial production and use of advanced ceramic and nanoceramic powders.

Comprehensive company profiles of key players in the market.

INTRODUCTION

Advanced ceramic and nanoceramic powders generally refer to inorganic nonmetallic granular materials that are fabricated from chemical processes, as differentiated from what are termed industrial minerals. The latter group is mined directly from the earth and purified and reduced in size to particular specifications. The advanced ceramic and nanoceramic powders covered in this report are oxides, carbides, nitrides and borides that, with a few exceptions, are sold as starting materials for solid commercial articles.

The origination of advanced ceramic powders in the post-World War II era was due to two factors: (1) a need for higher purity of ceramics for dielectric applications and (2) a need for a lower and smaller-size defect population for higher-temperature performance parts. These properties were not obtainable with processed minerals and therefore necessitated starting powder production by chemical precipitation and other methods. The fact that precipitated aluminum oxide (alumina) is an intermediate via the Bayer Process in the Hall-Heroult plating of aluminum metal contributed an already existing Advanced Ceramic Powder for utilization in advanced ceramic applications.

From the initial uses of alumina powder for ceramic substrates, where reproducible electric properties were required, use of precipitated powders spread to areas such as the barium titanate family of high-dielectric-constant capacitor materials, where in order to produce the proper ceramic material, pure small-particle-size precursors of barium and titanium oxides are necessary. Structural ceramics such as silicon carbide and silicon nitride had long been identified as favorable materials in high temperature strength applications, but due to the small internal or surface defect size, which can cause fracture of these materials, more uniform chemically pure starting materials became desired than were commonly available in the mid-twentieth century.

The two critical properties of advanced ceramic powders that dominate the quality of fabricated ceramics derived from them are (1) particle size distribution and (2) chemical purity. The use of chemical precipitation or other controlled powder synthesis techniques enable the tailoring of particle size, size distribution and shape, while at the same time the purity can be established at the level of the starting chemicals utilized in the powder manufacturing. These properties are important in controlling every step of the ceramic manufacturing process including ceramic slurry rheology, particle compaction during pressing, initially formed article (green body) strength and drying behavior, microstructure development during heat treatment (sintering) and any subsequent annealing, and finally the properties of the finished part. The latter include the critical performance property(ies) of the finished part for which controlled starting powder is necessary.

The combination of the factors of reduced production costs and identification of appropriate markets has enabled nanoscale ceramic powders to find a commercial presence. Initially only obtainable in microgram quantities via vapor phase condensation techniques, more economical production methods have surfaced, including those adapted from chemical precursor methods developed for ceramic powders.

STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Research published the first report on this subject, entitled Advanced Ceramic Powders, in 1994. Since then a number of new developments have occurred including the commercialization of powders using techniques previously confined to the laboratory and the introduction of nanoscale ceramic powders into the economy.

BCC Research has produced a number of updates in the interim, this being the seventh in the series. The objectives of the current update are to:

Provide an overview of the various advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders and their corresponding production techniques and applications.

Identify the technological and business issues related to the commercial production and use of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders.

Determine the current size and future growth of the markets for oxide, carbide, nitride and boride ceramic powders.

Determine the current size and future growth of the markets for nanosized ceramic powders.

Identify and profile suppliers of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders.

Identify major user industries of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders.

Identify major issues related to the production and commercialization of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders.

CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE STUDY

BCC Research's technical and economic study covers the material types, synthesis techniques, production methods, current and emerging applications, suppliers and trends in consumption of the various types of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders. Current size and future growth are estimated for the years from 2012 to 2018. The report profiles commercially significant suppliers of advanced ceramic and nanosized ceramic powders to the U.S. market.

As to the demarcation between nanoscale or nanosized ceramic powder and conventional ceramic powders, the report defines it as being in the neighborhood of 0.1 to 0.2 micrometers, or 100 to 200 nanometers (nm). This as powder from about 20 micrometers down to the submicron level have been produced for a number of years by fairly standard chemical precipitation techniques. Also, these starting powders behave in component formation and heat treatment according to conventional ceramic powder processing and sintering concepts. The nanoscale powder at 100 nm or less requires specialized precipitation and size control methods and does not behave during component formation and processing according to conventional ceramic technological understanding.

In particular, the term nanotechnology is used today to describe a wide range of new technologies and materials, not all of which are apropos to being described as nanoscale—often done by producers and marketers to attract customer or investor interest to the material product in an otherwise less than exciting product area. This report has been produced to take a realistic look at the advanced ceramic and nanoceramic powder economic sectors and to provide a road map to the technologies and applications that show the most significant commercial promise over the next five years.

SCOPE OF REPORT

For the various advanced ceramic and nanoscale powder types (oxides, carbides, nitrides, borides), the report provides an analysis of the material types in each category along with processing technologies, properties, applications, suppliers, prices and markets.

The technologies utilized in current commercial advanced ceramic powders and nanoscale powders reviewed in the report are categorized as being chemical and vapor- or gas-phase methodologies. The bulk of the technologies used in commercial production, such as the precipitation and sol-gel methods, are chemical based.

The qualitative and quantitative determinations embodied in this report are a valuable contribution to the current knowledge of advanced and nanoscale ceramic powders and their processing techniques, applications and markets. This information would be useful to companies that are facing decisions about their strategies for expansion or entering new business sectors.

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

The findings of this report are based on information derived from interviews with many producers and potential producers of advanced ceramic powders and nanosized ceramic powders, current and potential consumers of advanced ceramic powders and nanosized ceramic powders as well as industry experts and those conducting research and development. Secondary data and supporting data was obtained via governmental and global economic agencies and corporate published economic data. In addition, trade publications, technical journals and BCC Research databases were consulted.

With 2012 as a baseline, projections for each market segment were developed for 2013 through 2018. The projections are based on a combination of a consensus of key market contacts combined with BCC Research's understanding of the key market drivers and their impact from a historical and analytical perspective.

Unless otherwise noted, all dollar projections presented in this report are in 2013 constant U.S. dollars.