Global demand to rise 21% yearly through 2013
Global demand has matched the considerable hype that nanotechnology has generated over the past decade and a half, nanomaterials have managed to attain an appreciable commercial presence in recent years. Global nanomaterial demand will continue to rise, posting robust 21 percent annual gains to $3.6 billion in 2013. By 2025, Global demand for nanomaterials is expected to reach over $34 billion in sales.
Health care, electronics to be key markets
Many of the initial uses for nanomaterials which have had the greatest commercial impact have involved relatively low-tech materials and applications. These include nano scale versions of conventional materials, including silica, alumina, titanium dioxide, clay’s and metals such as gold and silver. These nanomaterials have found widespread applications as wafer polishing slurries for semiconductor processing, personal care products such as sunscreen, and anti bacterial treatments for consumer products. In the next decade or two, however, some of the relatively novel nanomaterials particularly carbon nanotubes, will account for a larger share of overall nano material demand, as these products find increasing use in electronics and motor vehicle components.
US to remain largest market through 2025
In 2014, the US and Japan combined to account for over half of Nanoshel nanomaterial demand, while Western Europe and two high-income Asian nations, Taiwan and South Korea, represented an additional 34 percent. While virtually all nanomaterial markets will experience robust double-digit gains in demand, the fastest gains are forecast for the rapidly industrializing countries of China and India. By 2025, it is expected that China will rise to overtake Japan as the second largest market for nanomaterials in the world behind the United States, accounting for twelve percent of global demand.