Although negligible at present, the market for transparent conductors (TCs) using silver nanowires and other silver nanomaterials is expected to generate more than $225 million in revenues by 2019. This is according to a report just published by NanoMarkets titled, “Market for Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductors, 2014-2020.”
Glen Allen, Virginia (February 14, 2014) — Although negligible at present, the market for transparent conductors (TCs) using silver nanowires and other silver nanomaterials is expected to generate more than $225 million in revenues by 2019. This is according to a report just published by NanoMarkets titled, “Market for Silver Nanomaterials as Transparent Conductors, 2014-2020.”
For more details of the report see: http://www.nanomarkets.net/market_reports/report/markets-for-silver-nanomaterials-as-transparent-conductors.
The new report follows a recent NanoMarkets report titled, “Markets for Metal Meshes as Transparent Conductors-2014” that continued the firm’s coverage of the transparent conductor. See more details at: http://www.nanomarkets.net/market_reports/report/markets-for-metal-meshes-as-transparent-conductors-2014.
About the report:
The growth of the touch-screen market has focused efforts on alternative materials that might make a dent in ITO’s dominance as a transparent conductor. Several years ago the hype was all about carbon nanotubes, but now it appears that nanomaterials made from silver are much more likely to gain market share.
In this report, we assess the current state of the market for transparent conductors made with silver nanowires and silver nanoparticles. This report draws from research gathered from NanoMarkets ongoing industry research program in the area of transparent conductors, but we have also brought the story right up to date based on the latest developments in the sector, showing what the current prospects are for silver nanomaterials in the transparent conductor sector.
This report describes the capabilities and strategies of the leading silver nanomaterial-based transparent conductor suppliers and also discusses commercially interesting developments at other firms. In addition, this report contains an updated granular eight-year forecast of the silver nanomaterial market as a part of the larger transparent conductor market and also forecasts the market in all the key applications where silver nanowires have potential to gain traction.
The all-important application here is touch screens, and that is the most likely place for silver materials considered in this report to succeed. But this report also discusses other applications including LCD and OLED displays, OLED lighting and PV panels. NanoMarkets believes that this report will provide the reader with deep strategic insight into new developments and market forecasts for this important sector of the transparent conductor market.
Among the firms that are discussed in this report are: 3M, Cambrios, Carestream, Cima NanoTech, ClearJet, E Ink, Fujimori Kogyo, G24, Heliatek, JTOUCH, LG, NISSHA, Novaled, Saint-Gobain, Samsung, SeaShell Technology, Sumitomo, Tata Steel, Toray, and TPK Film Solutions.
From the report:
Firms offering silver nanomaterial TCs will have to move beyond their current focus on touch panels, since larger displays do not use touch extensively and touch control may eventually be supplanted by gestural control. One possibility is that silver nanomaterial firms will discover TC markets in the solar panel segment or perhaps OLED lighting. Ultimately, however, silver nanomaterial-based TC firms will have to find new business in the mainstream LCD sector, or they will never generate substantial revenues. There are already small signs that this can happen. For example, Cambrios has worked with Sumitomo to incorporate Cambrios’ ink into LCDs. The LCD market is huge, however, so even a tiny penetration of it by silver nanomaterials can lead to substantial revenues. NanoMarkets thinks that more than half of the revenues for suppliers of silver nanomaterial TCs will come from LCDs by 2019.
Silver nanomaterials face strong competition from many other TC materials but can claim certain advantages. Because nanomaterials form a random network, they don’t have the risk of visible Moiré patterns that can be a concern with the increasingly popular metal meshes. Silver nanomaterial TC manufacturers are already using this as a selling point to distinguish their materials from meshes.
Meanwhile, commercial silver nanomaterials TCs have reduced haze to the point where they look better than ITO. Silver nanomaterials can also be patterned by passivating areas in the ink eliminating a need an index matching layer, which is required when ITO is used. In fact, patterning is becoming a market distinguishing feature for silver nanomaterial TC products and each company has its own approach. 3M, for example, provides pre-patterned films and claims that this enables it to be cost-competitive with ITO because it saves the customer the time and expense of etching and patterning. But some TC suppliers firms believe that having customers pattern the films themselves is an advantage because it provides flexibility to create novel sensor and displays designs.
About NanoMarkets:
NanoMarkets tracks and analyzes emerging markets in energy, electronics and other area created by developments in advanced materials. The firm is a recognized leader in industry analysis and forecasts of in the transparent conductor industry.
Visit http://www.nanomarkets.net for a full listing of NanoMarkets’ reports and other services.
Media Contact:
Robert Nolan
NanoMarkets, LC
PO BOX 3840
Glen Allen, VA 23058
(804) 938-0030
rob@nanomarkets.net
