The global graphene market size was estimated at $78.7 million in 2019 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 38.7% from 2020 to 2027.
Increasing demand for renewable, lightweight, and flexible materials that offer durability is expected to drive the product demand. Excellent product characteristics, such as high electrical and thermal conductivity, coupled with high electron mobility and high permeability is anticipated to expand the application scope of graphene. Rising product penetration in various applications including energy storage, semiconductors, and sensors is anticipated to further fuel the market.
The U.S. dominated the North America market for graphene in 2019 and is expected to continue leading over the forecast period. The U.S. market has witnessed a large number of collaborations among manufacturers and research institutions over the past few years owing to increasing focus on research and development activities. The country is one of the key exporters of graphene-based products.
The market has witnessed volatility in graphite prices over the historic period, owing to a rise in export taxes. However, the fluctuations in graphite prices don't have a significant impact on product prices, since a single graphite mine can supply' sufficient quantity of raw material required for the production of graphene.
Increasing the adoption of renewable energy across various sectors across the globe is expected to drive market growth. In addition, stringent regulations imposed by various governments to reduce carbon emissions are anticipated to further drive the product demand for energy storage applications.
The industry is characterized by the overcapacity of Chinese manufacturers. The market has witnessed a huge demand and supply, where supply exceeds demand by a large margin. This is expected to adversely impact the bargaining power of suppliers. Aggressive production by Chinese manufacturers has impacted the market. Hence, supplier power is expected to be low over the forecast period.
Graphene nanoplatelets are expected to witness a significant rise in demand on account of their wide range of applications in various sectors including electronics, aerospace, medical, and energy storage and generation. The segment is estimated to reach $303.4 million by 2027 and is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period.
Graphene oxide is an extremely critical product owing to its wide range of applications including transparent conductive films for various supercapacitors, smartphones, flexible electronic devices, optoelectronic devices, and medical devices. Superior product characteristics such as including high thermal and electrical conductivity, permeability, transparency, and strength play a major role in boosting its demand.
Other graphene-based products include multi-layer graphene and reduced graphene oxide. These products are employed in various applications including inks, coatings, and different types of composites.
Automotive and aerospace industries are expected to be key application sectors for graphene-based composites over the next few years owing to the superior product characteristics such as high strength and lightweight.
Electronics application segment accounted for 36% of the global graphene market volume share in 2019 and is expected to exhibit significant growth over the forecast period, owing to its wide range of applications in semiconductors, transistors, capacitors, and sensors. The segment is expected to observe growth in emerging economies in Asia owing to a rise in manufacturing activities.
Composites applications account for a significant demand for graphene-based products, as Graphene-based composites are employed in a wide range of applications including construction, automotive, aerospace, batteries, coatings, metals, and plastics. It exhibits high potential as a replacement for carbon nanotubes owing to its enhanced capabilities.
Electrochemical energy storage solutions are expected to drive the product in the energy sector in various storage solutions including electrochemical capacitors, lithium-ion batteries over the forecast period. Graphene coatings are used in various batteries, conductors, and generators to improve energy efficiency and the overall performance of the devices.
Other applications include graphene inks, coatings, catalysts smart packaging, and automotive. Graphene conductive inks and coatings are being increasingly used for manufacturing conductive paper for DNA analysis. Medical device coatings contain graphene to improve their performance and efficiency.
Europe dominated the market in 2019, accounting for 33.1% of the total revenue share and is anticipated to witness strong growth over the forecast period, on account of rising investments in R&D activities. The European Research Council (ERC) granted €1 billion for investments in emerging and potential technologies, which is expected to benefit the market.
The North American market is dominated by a number of small and medium-scale manufacturers. These players have a strong distribution and supplier networks, which plays an extremely important role in the value chain owing to the responsibility of the distributors and suppliers to maintain a loyal customer base for their manufacturers.
Asia Pacific is projected to witness the fastest CAGR of 39.9% over the forecast period, owing to the presence of a large number of manufacturers and consumers. Increasing production in various sectors including automobile, defense, marine, and aerospace are expected to drive the regional product demand over the forecast period.
Over the forecast period, the market in the rest of the world is expected to experience slower growth as compared to other regions owing to weak government policies, overproduction, and poor performance of economies in various countries. However, graphene is anticipated to remain a key material owing to its superior characteristics.
