Apr 3 2009
According to a new technical market research report, AEROGELS (AVM052B) from BCC Research, the global market for aerogels was worth $82.9 million in 2008. This should increase to $646.3 million in 2013, for a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.8%.
The aerogels market accounted for 1,011.0 metric tons of materials in 2008. This is expected to increase to 9,646 metric tons in 2013, for a CAGR of 57.0%.
Aerogels are ultra-light, low density, nanoporous materials that can be made from inorganic, organic or hybrid materials. Aerogels are characterized by ultra-fine cell size and open-cell structure. They are formed by interconnected polymeric-type chains that create continuous porosity. Pore sizes are generally below 100 nanometers, and aerogel particle sizes are typically below 20 nanometers.
The market for aerogels is still quite small, with a very limited number of players; consequently, any change in a firm’s activities and/or location has a major impact on both manufacturing and sales distribution.
There are nine industrial segments where aerogels have current or potential applications. These include thermal and acoustic insulation, electronics, chemical/environmental, medical/biological/pharmaceutical/personal care, sensors and instrumentation, energy, aerospace and space exploration, consumer and defense applications.