• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Printed Electronics
    • Raw Materials
    • Equipment
    • Services
    • Suppliers Guide
    • Resources
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Printed Electronics
  • Raw Materials
  • Equipment
  • Services
  • Suppliers Guide
  • Resources
  • Current & Past Issues
    Features
    Editorials
    Digital Edition
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Breaking News
    Experts Opinion
    Financial News
    Manufacturers News
    Mergers and Acquisitions
    Online Exclusives
    Personnel
    Product Releases
    Suppliers News
    Live From Shows
    Displays and Lighting
    Photovoltaics
    Printed Batteries
    Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics
    Flexible and Printed Electronics
    RFID and NFC
    Sensors and Wearables
    Smart Cards and Packaging
    Touch Screens
    Adhesives, Barriers and Encapsulants
    Chemicals, Metals and Powders
    Conductive Inks and Coatings
    Electronic Materials
    Film, Paper, Glass and Substrates
    Graphene, Perovskites and Carbon Nanotubes
    Nanomaterials
    Printed Electronic Components
    Research Reports
    Semiconductors and Quantum Dots
    Energy Curing Equipment
    Lab and Testing Equipment
    Manufacturing Equipment
    Printing Equipment
    3D Printing
    Contract Manufacturing Services
    Product Design and Testing
    Research and Consulting
    Research Institutions
    Research Reports
    Universities
    Equipment
    All Companies
    Materials
    Categories
    Converting
    Printed Electronics Systems
    Associations
    Research and Services
    Used Machinery
    Add New Company
    Industry Events
    Live from show events
    Podcasts
    Videos
    Blogs
    Slideshows
    Infographics
    Webinars
    Whitepapers
    Equipment and Services
    Glossary
    • Magazine
      • Current & Past Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Edition
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Editorial Guidelines
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • Breaking News
    • Suppliers Guide
      • Suppliers Guide
      • Add Your Company
    • Printed Electronics
      • Photovoltaics
      • Printed Batteries
      • Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics
      • Flexible and Printed Electronics
      • RFID and NFC
      • Sensors and Wearables
      • Smart Cards and Packaging
      • Touch Screens
    • Raw Materials
      • Adhesives, Barriers and Encapsulants
      • Chemicals, Metals and Powders
      • Conductive Inks and Coatings
      • Electronic Materials
      • Film, Paper, Glass and Substrates
      • Graphene, Perovskites and Carbon Nanotubes
      • Nanomaterials
      • Semiconductors and Quantum Dots
    • Equipment
      • Energy Curing Equipment
      • Lab and Testing Equipment
      • Manufacturing Equipment
      • Printing Equipment
      • 3D Printing
    • Services
      • Contract Manufacturing Services
      • Product Design and Testing
      • Research and Consulting
      • Research Institutions
      • Research Reports
      • Universities
    • Online Exclusives
    • Slideshows
    • Blog
    • Videos
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live from show events
      • Webinars
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise With Us
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Online Exclusives

    The 2021 Conductive Ink Market

    The conductive ink industry is growing with new applications on the horizon, but there are improvements that would help the market grow.

    The 2021 Conductive Ink Market
    Conductivities of conductive inks. (Chart courtesy of IDTechEx)
    David Savastano, Editor04.07.21

    Conductive inks and pastes are key to the creating of flexible and hybrid electronics.

     

    Conductive materials allow the printed portion of the device to function electronically. It is also a sizable market: estimates place the conductive ink segment at more than $2 billion.

     

    Conductive inks can be made from any material that is, well, conductive. Silver and carbon-based inks are the primary choices, with copper of interest. However, copper has issues with oxidation that make it less ideal for printing. Nanoparticle-based and particle-free alternatives are also emerging, but they are higher cost.

     

    Dr. Matthew Dyson, technology analyst with IDTechEx, notes that IDTechEx estimates the current conductive ink market size as $2.3 billion, with silver the primary material for conductive inks.

     

    “Almost 80% is silver flake-based ink that is used to make the conductive fingers on silicon solar panels,” Dr. Dyson reported. “While the market for this application is established and may even decline in the future as new technologies are adopted, there is extensive growth in flake-based inks for other applications, and also in emerging categories of conductive inks such as nanoparticle-based and particle-free inks.”

     

    Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, CEO of TechBlick, a year-round event series with more than 350+ analyst-selected live online presentations and 10-plus masterclasses, talked about the latest dynamics of the conductive inks market.

     

    “Conductive inks are found in anything from a baby diaper to a precision missible,” Ghaffarzadeh said. “This makes the market wonderfully diverse and excellent at always adapting itself, rejuvenating itself, and reinventing itself.”

     

    Photovoltaics is the largest market, as conductive materials are used on the back of solar cells. Aside from photovoltaics, sensors, wearables and in-mold electronics are potentially sizable markets.

     

    “This market is growing,” said Ghaffarzadeh. “Broadly speaking, we can talk of established and emerging applications. In the latter bucket, we have the huge, almost irreplaceable, solar cell market as well as other important markets like printed HMIs, LTCC metallization, and others.

     

    “Those are fundamental to the industry, but the excitement is really in the emerging applications. Now here I could list many opportunities such as in-mold electronics, eTextiles, 5G filters, EMI shielding, sintered die attach paste, electrodes and skin patches, electrodes in CGMs and other biosensors, uLED substrate metallization, and many more,” Ghaffarzadeh added.

     

    “In the near term, the biggest growth opportunities would appear to be wearable electronic skin patches and in-mold electronics,” Dr. Dyson observed. “Electronic skin patches require stretchable conductive ink, along with printed conductive electrodes in many cases, and are projected by IDTechEx to reach a market size of $38 billion by 2030.

     

    “In-mold electronics (IME), and the closely related film-insert molding, is another application opportunity. Integrating electronics within plastic panels reduces weight, complexity and assembly costs. IME is thus highly applicable to automotive interiors, household appliances and even some consumer goods,” he added.

     

    Toward the end of the decade, Dr. Dyson sees applications in partially additive electronics manufacturing, for example, printing wiring onto existing 3D structures, and also in smart packaging.

     

    “Even further into the future, electro-magnetic meta-surfaces that assist in the propagation and directing of the higher frequencies that will be used for telecommunications may represent a huge market for conductive ink,” he noted.

     

    “The wide variety of applications for printed electronics means that there are many opportunities for differentiation within conductive inks,” Dr. Dyson noted. “Wearable electronics require inks that are stretchable to various extents and can withstand repeated mechanical flexing. The requirements for IME are slightly different, in that inks need to withstand the temperature and pressure associated with thermoforming.

     

    However, there are still requirements that conductive ink manufacturers need to address. Dr. Florian Ullrich, business developer with InnovationLab, said that there are several important factors when selecting conductive inks. In particular, Dr. Ullrich pointed to price and availability, delivery time and shelf life, adhesion to substrate, scratch resistance and batch to batch reproducibility as important aspects when InnovationLab selects inks.

     

    Dr. Ullrich noted that there are areas where conductive inks can be improved, beginning with less hazardous solvents, lower curing temperature or UV curing, higher material load and higher conductivity, and a long time for handling without drying.

     

    “Considering conductive inks more broadly, the main challenges are durability and cost,” added Dr. Dyson. “Utilizing printed inks in harsh environments, such as automotive applications, means that they need to withstand repeated thermal cycling from -40°C to 80°C, while of course, silver-based inks are vulnerable to metal price rises.”

    Suggested For You
    Jabil’s May Yap Awarded 2021 CIO of the Year by IDC Singapore Jabil’s May Yap Awarded 2021 CIO of the Year by IDC Singapore
    Integrated Electronics Trend to Drive In-Mold Electronics to $1.5 Billion by 2032: IDTechEx Integrated Electronics Trend to Drive In-Mold Electronics to $1.5 Billion by 2032: IDTechEx
    The 2021 Conductive Ink Market The 2021 Conductive Ink Market
    SEMI: North American Semiconductor Equipment Posts $3.65 Billion in Billings in August 2021 SEMI: North American Semiconductor Equipment Posts $3.65 Billion in Billings in August 2021
    RDS Launches Tianma 13.3-inch Full HD TFT RDS Launches Tianma 13.3-inch Full HD TFT
    Sustainability and the Flexible and Printed Electronics Industry Sustainability and the Flexible and Printed Electronics Industry
    Sensirion Opens New Sensor Production Site in Hungary Sensirion Opens New Sensor Production Site in Hungary
    Jabil Board of Directors Appoints CEO Mark Mondello as Chairman of the Board Jabil Board of Directors Appoints CEO Mark Mondello as Chairman of the Board
    Sensirion Acquires Machine Diagnostics Start-up AiSight Sensirion Acquires Machine Diagnostics Start-up AiSight
    Sogegross Group Increases Productivity with Zebra Technologies Sogegross Group Increases Productivity with Zebra Technologies
    Flex Receives Third Consecutive European Lenovo Logistics Excellence Award Flex Receives Third Consecutive European Lenovo Logistics Excellence Award
    JOLED Display Adopted for Newly-Announced ASUS OLED Monitor for HDR Content Creators JOLED Display Adopted for Newly-Announced ASUS OLED Monitor for HDR Content Creators
    ams OSRAM to Showcase Sensor Portfolio at Sensors Converge 2021 ams OSRAM to Showcase Sensor Portfolio at Sensors Converge 2021
    eMagin Finalizes $33.6 Million US DoD Contract for OLED Microdisplays eMagin Finalizes $33.6 Million US DoD Contract for OLED Microdisplays
    Seven in 10 Hospital Executives See Need to Invest More to Maximize Staff Efficiency Seven in 10 Hospital Executives See Need to Invest More to Maximize Staff Efficiency

    Related Breaking News

    • Breaking News | Contract Manufacturing/Printing | Flexible and Printed Electronics | Manufacturers News | Personnel
      Jabil’s May Yap Awarded 2021 CIO of the Year by IDC Singapore

      Jabil’s May Yap Awarded 2021 CIO of the Year by IDC Singapore

      Award recognizes her exemplary work in digital transformation.
      09.23.21

    • Manufacturers News | Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics | Research Reports | Suppliers News
      Integrated Electronics Trend to Drive In-Mold Electronics to $1.5 Billion by 2032: IDTechEx

      Integrated Electronics Trend to Drive In-Mold Electronics to $1.5 Billion by 2032: IDTechEx

      Among other applications, IME is an efficient approach to making curved touch-sensitive interfaces.
      IDTechEx 09.22.21

    • Conductive Inks and Coatings | Flexible and Printed Electronics | Manufacturers News | Photovoltaics | Printed Circuit Boards/Membrane Switches/In Mold Electronics | Sensors and Wearables | Smart Cards and Packaging | Suppliers News
      The 2021 Conductive Ink Market

      The 2021 Conductive Ink Market

      The conductive ink industry is growing with new applications on the horizon, but silver prices remain a concern.
      David Savastano, Editor 09.22.21


    • Breaking News | Research Reports | Semiconductors and Quantum Dots

      SEMI: North American Semiconductor Equipment Posts $3.65 Billion in Billings in August 2021

      The billings figure is 5.4% lower than final July 2021 billings of $3.86 billion and 37.6% higher than August 2020 billings of $2.65 billion.
      09.22.21

    • Breaking News | Displays and Lighting | Manufacturers News
      RDS Launches Tianma 13.3-inch Full HD TFT

      RDS Launches Tianma 13.3-inch Full HD TFT

      Designed to meet the demanding requirements of the industrial and medical display markets.
      09.22.21

    Loading, Please Wait..
    Trending
    • NXP Semiconductors Announces Changes To Board Of Directors
    • Evonik Partners With ProductionToGo For Industrial 3D Printing Materials
    • Infineon Board Member Constanze Hufenbecher Will Not Extend Contract
    • Zebra Technologies Secures JOSCAR Accreditation
    • Nicolas Dufourcq Named STMicroelectronics Chairman
    Breaking News
    • Weekly Recap: Smart Skis, Universal Display Top This Week’s Stories
    • Wiliot Appoints Antony Yousefian as VP of Climate & Circularity
    • HID Unveils Eco-friendly Bamboo Access Cards
    • NXP Semiconductors Announces Changes to Board of Directors
    • Nicolas Dufourcq Named STMicroelectronics Chairman
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    Winter 2021

    • Printed Electronics Now’s International Suppliers’ Directory
    • The Automotive Market and Flexible and Printed Electronics
    • Flexible and Printed Electronics in Healthcare
    • Flexible and Printed Electronics Make Gains in Smart Packaging
    • PAPERONICS: Low-cost multisensory paper and packaging applications
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Premium Label & Packaging Solutions Receives Safe Quality Food (SQF) Certification
    Inulinase Enzymes May Benefit Gut Symptoms of FODMAP Digestion
    Verdure Sciences’ Boswellia Ingredient Receives USP Verification
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    OQ Chemicals Launches Cost-Cutting Program and Organizational Realignment in Germany
    BASF Strengthens R&D with More Powerful Supercomputer
    Safic-Alcan Expands its Presence in Africa with the Launch of Safic-Alcan East Africa in Kenya
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    Vascular Surgeon Imprisoned and Fined for Decade-Long Healthcare Fraud
    Remote Monitoring, Digital Health Help Advance Wound Care Treatment
    MLM Biologics Developing Wound Infection Prevention Device for Military
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Catalent Adds New Cryogenic Capabilities at Japanese Facility
    Lifecore Biomedical Enters into $150M New Financing Deal
    WuXi Biologics Receives 2023 ISPE Facility of the Year Award
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    How Robots & Artificial Intelligence are Transforming Unilever's Material Innovation Factory
    Top 10 Most Popular Hair Care Brands in the U.S.—Ranked by Searches
    Aloette Cosmetics Launches Daily Mineral Shield Sunscreen
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    BBW’s Fabric Softener Launch, Ameon’s New Ambassador
    Mielle Organics Taps Angel Reese as New Ambassador
    Winnie Harlow’s Cay Skin Launches Isle Nourishing Body Mist SPF 50
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Weekly Recap: INX Digital, Mexar and hubergroup Top This Week’s Stories
    Richnerstutz AG Acquires an EFI VUTEk Q5r Superwide Roll-to-Roll Printer
    BASF Strengthens Its R&D with More Powerful Supercomputer
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    Sun Chemical releases Spring 2023 Regulatory Newsletter
    Tageos unveils new RAIN RFID inlays
    Sandon Global joins FINAT
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Weekly Recap: Corman, Tosama Develop Biodegradable Plastic Tampon Applicator, Trevira Changes Name
    Suominen Appoints SVP, Transformation Management Office
    Minnesota Signs PFAS Ban in Consumer Products
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    AlloSource Launches AlloMend Duo Acellular Dermal Matrix
    TendoNova Inks Partnership With AcCELLerated Biologics
    Stryker Achieves First Surgeries Using Q Guidance System with Cranial Guidance Software
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    Weekly Recap: Smart Skis, Universal Display Top This Week’s Stories
    Wiliot Appoints Antony Yousefian as VP of Climate & Circularity
    HID Unveils Eco-friendly Bamboo Access Cards

    Copyright © 2023 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login