Advanced Materials

Thursday 10 October 2024 - An overview of bioplastics; How new Chinese regulations are transforming the industry; How other countries are approaching bioplastics regulations; The changing landscape of bioplastic applications; Why bio-composites using bioplastics are seeing increased interest and their challenges; IDTechEx's outlook and conclusions

The chemicals industry depends heavily on finite fossil fuel feedstocks and is responsible for 2% of global anthropogenic CO2 emissions. IDTechEx explores how captured CO2 could be utilized as a feedstock for hundreds of different chemicals instead, providing an economic and environmental incentive to capture carbon dioxide and create a circular economy.

With over 100 million electric vehicles (EVs) expected to reach end-of-life over the next two decades, IDTechEx's latest report predicts that the value of critical materials recovered annually by 2045 will surpass US$100B.

The Chinese market has seen an explosion in the production capacity for PLA, a biodegradable bioplastic. One of the effects of this shift in the market is that between 2025 and 2035, IDTechEx has forecast that PLA will increase its market share quite significantly, with it expected to hold around 30% of the bioplastics installed capacity.

Semiconductor manufacturing processes require many chemicals and specialty gases. Owing to its cryogenic properties, exceptional thermal conductivity, chemical inertness, and high diffusivity, helium is used throughout the semiconductor manufacturing line, particularly for wafer cooling where there are no viable alternatives.

Conductive inks are a diverse and versatile technology, with differing price points to suit various applications. Conductivity, stretchability, cost, and durability are just some of the factors of consideration for manufacturers when selecting ink types and materials, and IDTechEx's latest report, Conductive Inks Market 2024-2034: Technologies, Applications, Players, deep dives into the many combinations available.

Tuesday 24 September 2024 - How Chronic Supply Challenges Are Reshaping Helium Use in Key Industries. An overview of global helium production and supply; Impact of supply challenges on different industries e.g. semiconductors and fiber optics manufacturing, cryogenics, and several others; Technological advances to reduce helium consumption (e.g. MRI and NMR); Trends in the adoption of substitutes or reclamation systems; Outlook for global helium production capacity and demand

High-performance computing, 6G communication, autonomous vehicle chips, and consumer electronics are all key markets that benefit from advancing semiconductor packaging. IDTechEx's report, "Advanced Semiconductor Packaging 2024-2034: Forecasts, Technologies, Applications", goes into detail about emerging technologies, including 2.5D and 3D packaging.

Silver-flake-based inks currently dominate the conductive inks market, but the outlook for non-silver inks is set to change dramatically over the coming decade, with a CAGR of 24%. Stretchable/thermoformable inks and copper inks will seize the largest market share, driven by applications such as in-mold electronics, wearable electrodes, and RFID & smart packaging.