Sep 24 2008
According to a new technical market research report, TECHNICAL AND ADVANCED STRUCTURAL CERAMICS (AVM011C) from BCC Research, the North American market for advanced structural ceramics was valued at $2.7 billion in 2007.
This is expected to increase to $3.7 billion in 2012, for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.0%.
The market is broken down by application and includes cutting tools and inserts, wear and corrosion, bioceramics, energy and high temperature, air and aerospace, and armor and military segments. Of these, the bioceramics segment has the largest share of the market and generated $1.8 billion in revenues in 2007. This should reach $2.3 billion in 2012, for a CAGR of 5.0%.
Armor and military is the second largest segment, worth $416.0 million in 2007. This is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.0%, to reach $669.0 million in 2012.
The wear and corrosion segment has the third largest share of the market. This segment generated $337.0 million in 2007. This should reach $427.0 million in 2012, for a CAGR of 5.0%.
In some ways technical and advanced structural ceramics appears to be a maturing industry that is reaching the apex of its growth. What is not so obvious is that there are changes in the fabrications and synthesis of the materials and more complex mixes of the materials to produce the desired material properties.
As the markets and applications for structural and technical ceramics have grown, the materials themselves have begun to be defined by their applications. The materials are valued for their high melting points and exceptions to any niche of stereotypical properties or chemical makeup. The brittleness property of ceramics has been worked around with composites that interfere with crack propagation.
Breakthroughs in advanced ceramics have enabled significant new technology capabilities that are now having far-reaching impacts on the North American economy and society.