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
