The Global Market for Conductive Inks to 2027

The global market for conductive inks has grown considerably in recent years due to their utilization in printed and flexible electronics, although many impressive materials are still in development (e.g graphene, nanotubes).

There is an increasing demand for printable conductive inks for applications such as smart packaging, flexible displays, OLEDs, thin film transistors, OPV and smart textiles.

Not only will demand across all current markets grow, but the development of new materials and processes is leading to the creation of new market opportunities for conductive ink producers and suppliers in flexible, customized and 3D printed electronics Opportunities explored in this report include:

• Flexible and stretchable electronics
• Printed electronics for smartphones (printed antennas, touch screens)
  
• Printed circuit boards
  
• 3D printing
  
• Smart packaging
  
• Photovoltaics
  
• Flexible lighting
  
• Flexible displays
  
• Wearables and IoT
  
• Healthcare wearable monitoting
• Smart textiles

Copper and silver inks will continue to dominate the market for the next few years but growth in flexible electronics necessitates the development of new materials Conductive ink materials explored in this report include:

• Copper ink
  
• Silver ink (Flake, nanoparticles, nanowires, ion)
  
• Conductive polymers
  
• Copper nanoparticles
  
• Metal nanoparticles
  
• Carbon nanotubes
  
• Graphene

Report contents include:

• Conductive inks market forecasts.
  
• In-depth assessment of conductive ink types including properties, advantages, disadvantages, prospects, applications and revenues.
  
• Opportunity assessment by application and market including photovoltaics, touch screens, flexible displays, automotive, 3D printing, sensors, printed circuit boards, electronic textiles and wearables, RFID, printed memory and transistors, printed heaters, conductive pens etc.
  
• Latest products
  
• >100 company profiles

The Global Market for Conductive Inks to 2027
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

1.1 The evolution of electronics 19

1.2 The wearables revolution 20

1.3 Flexible, thin, and large-area form factors 21

1.4 From rigid to flexible and stretchable 23

1.5 Organic and printed electronics 25

1.6 New conductive materials 26

1.7 Applications 30

1.8 Main markets for conductive inks 31

2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

3 MATERIALS UTILIZED IN CONDUCTIVE INKS

3.1 Conductive ink types 34

3.1.1 Nanoparticle ink 36

3.2 Sintering 36

3.3 Conductive Filaments 37

3.4 Conductive films, foils and grids 37

3.5 Printed conductive seed layers 37

3.6 Printing methods 38

3.7 Inkjet printing Iin flexible electronics 43

3.7.1 Desktop PCB printing 43

3.8 SILVER INK (Flake, nanoparticles, nanowires, ion) 44

3.8.1 Silver flake 44

3.8.2 Silver (Ag) nanoparticle ink 45

3.8.2.1 Conductivity 46

3.8.3 Silver nanowires 47

3.8.4 Prices 50

3.8.4.1 Cost for printed area 50

3.9 COPPER INK 51

3.9.1 Silver-coated copper 52

3.9.2 Copper (Cu) nanoparticle ink 52

3.9.3 Prices 54

3.10 CARBON NANOTUBES 54

3.10.1 Properties 54

3.10.2 Properties utilized in printed electronics 55

3.10.2.1 Single-walled carbon nanotubes 56

3.10.3 Applications 58

3.11 CONDUCTIVE POLYMERS (CP) 61

3.11.1 Properties 61

3.11.1.1 PDMS 61

3.11.1.2 PEDOT: PSS 62

3.11.1.2.1 Transparency 62

3.11.2 Properties utilized in printed electronics 63

3.11.3 Applications 64

3.12 GRAPHENE 66

3.12.1 Properties 66

3.12.2 Properties utilized in printed electronics 68

3.12.3 Applications in electronics 69

3.13 OTHER TYPES 72

3.13.1 Gold (Au) nanoparticle ink 72

3.13.2 Siloxane inks 73

4 THE GLOBAL MARKET FOR CONDUCTIVE INKS 

4.1 MARKET DRIVERS 73

4.2 APPLICATIONS 75

4.2.1 Current products 75

4.2.2 Advanced materials solutions 76

4.2.2.1.1 Graphene conductive inks 80

4.2.3 Applications 81

4.2.3.1 RFID 81

4.2.3.2 Smart labels 82

4.2.3.3 Printable sensors 83

4.2.3.4 Printed batteries 83

4.2.3.5 Printable antennas 85

4.2.3.6 In-mold electronics 86

4.2.3.7 Printed transistors 87

4.3 MARKETS FOR CONDUCTIVE INKS 89

4.3.1 WEARABLE ELECTRONICS AND IOT 92

4.3.1.1 Market drivers and trends 92

4.3.1.2 Applications 97

4.3.1.2.1 Transparent conductive films 97

4.3.1.2.2 Printable sensors 102

4.3.1.2.2.1 Graphene 104

4.3.1.2.3 Electroactive polymers (EAPs) 106

4.3.1.2.4 Wearable gas sensors 107

4.3.1.2.5 Wearable strain sensors 108

4.3.1.2.6 Wearable tactile sensors 108

4.3.1.2.7 Industrial monitoring 109

4.3.1.2.8 Military 110

4.3.1.2.9 3D printed electronics 110

4.3.1.3 Global market size 2015-2027 111

4.3.2 CLOTHING AND APPAREL 115

4.3.2.1 Market drivers and trends 115

4.3.2.2 Applications 118

4.3.2.2.1 Smart clothing 118

4.3.2.2.2 Stretchable inks 122

4.3.2.2.3 Conductive yarns 123

4.3.2.2.4 Conductive coatings 123

4.3.2.2.5 Smart helmets 126

4.3.2.2.6 Solar energy harvesting textiles 126

4.3.2.3 Global market size 2015-2027 128

4.3.3 HEALTHCARE (WEARABLES AND BIOSENSORS) 132

4.3.3.1 Market drivers and trends 132

4.3.3.2 Applications 135

4.3.3.2.1 Glucose strip sensors 140

4.3.3.2.2 Skin sensors 141

4.3.3.2.3 Nanomaterials-based devices 141

4.3.3.2.4 Patch-type skin sensors 145

4.3.3.2.5 Skin temperature monitoring 148

4.3.3.2.6 Hydration sensors 149

4.3.3.2.7 Wearable sweat sensors 150

4.3.3.2.8 UV patches 152

4.3.3.2.9 Smart footwear 154

4.3.3.3 Global market size 2015-2027 154

4.3.4 RFID 156

4.3.4.1 Applications 156

4.3.4.1.1 Smart labels 159

4.3.4.2 Global market size 2015-2027 160

4.3.5 ENERGY STORAGE AND CONVERSION 162

4.3.5.1 Market drivers and trends 162

4.3.5.2 Photovoltaics (PV) 164

4.3.5.2.1 Conductive pastes 164

4.3.5.2.2 Silver nanoparticle inks 165

4.3.5.3 Flexible and stretchable printed batteries 165

4.3.5.4 Flexible and stretchable supercapacitors 167

4.3.5.5 Stretchable piezoelectric energy harvesting 170

4.3.5.6 Stretchable triboelectric energy harvesting 171

4.3.5.7 Global market size 2015-2027 172

4.3.6 OTHER MARKETS 175

4.3.6.1 AUTOMOTIVE 175

4.3.6.1.1 Conductive pastes for automotive glass 175

4.3.6.1.1.1 Laser transfer printing 175

4.3.6.1.2 Displays 176

4.3.6.2 FLEXIBLE DISPLAYS 176

4.3.6.2.1 Flexible LCDs 177

4.3.6.2.2 Flexible OLEDs (FOLED) 178

4.3.6.2.3 Flexible AMOLED 180

4.3.6.2.4 Flexible electrophoretic displays 182

4.3.6.3 OLED FLEXIBLE LIGHTING 182

4.3.6.4 IN-MOLD ELECTRONICS 184

4.3.6.5 PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARDS 185

4.3.6.5.1 Conductive interfaces and Out-of-Plane Interconnects 187

4.3.6.5.2 Conductive coatings for shielding 188

4.3.6.6 TRANSISTORS 188

5 COMPANY PROFILES 189-237 (105 company profiles)

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Evolution of wearable devices, 2011-2017 20

Table 2: Advanced materials for printable, flexible and stretchable sensors and Electronics-Advantages and disadvantages 27

Table 3: Sheet resistance (RS) and transparency (T) values for transparent conductive oxides and alternative materials for transparent conductive electrodes (TCE) 28

Table 4: Companies developing metal nanoparticles for applications in printable, flexible and stretchable electronics 30

Table 5: Markets, main applications and market revenues for conductive inks 32

Table 6: Typical conductive ink formulation 34

Table 7: Characteristics of analog printing processes for conductive inks 39

Table 8: Characteristics of digital printing processes for conductive inks 40

Table 9: Properties of CNTs and comparable materials 54

Table 10: Companies developing carbon nanotubes for applications in printable, flexible and stretchable electronics 59

Table 11: Types of flexible conductive polymers, properties and applications 63

Table 12: Properties of graphene 66

Table 13: Companies developing graphene for applications in printable, flexible and stretchable electronics 70

Table 14: Market drivers for printable, flexible and stretchable conductive inks 73

Table 15: Printable electronics products 75

Table 16: Comparative properties of conductive inks 76

Table 17: Applications in conductive inks by type and benefits thereof 77

Table 18: Applications in flexible and stretchable batteries, by nanomaterials type and benefits thereof 84

Table 19: Price comparison of thin-film transistor (TFT) electronics technology 88

Table 20: Conductive inks in the flexible and stretchable electronics market 2017-2027 revenue forecast (million $), by ink types 91

Table 21: Market drivers for conductive inks for wearables and IoT 92

Table 22: Transparent conductive switches-PEDOT 98

Table 23: Comparison of ITO replacements 98

Table 24: Applications in printable, flexible and stretchable sensors, by advanced materials type and benefits thereof 100

Table 25: Graphene properties relevant to application in sensors 104

Table 26: Global market for wearable electronics, 2015-2020, by application, billions $ . 111

Table 27: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in wearables and IoT, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 114

Table 28: Market drivers for conductive inks in electronic clothing and apparel 115

Table 29: Applications in textiles, by advanced materials type and benefits thereof 119

Table 30: Applications and benefits of graphene in textiles and apparel 124

Table 31: Global market for smart clothing and apparel, 2014-2021, units and revenues (US$) 128

Table 32: Global smart clothing, interactive fabrics and apparel market 129

Table 33: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in clothing and apparel, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 132

Table 34: Market drivers for conductive inks in medical and healthcare sensors and wearables 132

Table 35: Wearable medical device products and stage of development 136

Table 36: Applications in flexible and stretchable health monitors, by advanced materials type and benefits thereof 142

Table 37: Potential addressable market for smart textiles and wearables in medical and healthcare 153

Table 38: Opportunities for advanced materials in printed electronics 156

Table 39: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in RFID, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 160

Table 40: Market drivers for conductive inks in energy storage and conversion 161

Table 41: Applications in flexible and stretchable batteries, by materials type and benefits thereof 165

Table 42: Potential market size for printable batteries 171

Table 43: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in energy storage and conversion, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 173

Table 44: Applications in flexible and stretchable circuit boards, by advanced materials type and benefits thereof 184

Table 45: Price comparison of thin-film transistor (TFT) electronics technology 185

Table 46: Price comparison of thin-film transistor (TFT) electronics technology 188

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Evolution of electronics 20

Figure 2: Wove Band 23

Figure 3: Wearable graphene medical sensor 25

Figure 4: Applications timeline for organic and printed electronics 26

Figure 5: Revenues for silver flake conductive ink, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 45

Figure 6: Silver nanocomposite ink after sintering and resin bonding of discrete electronic components 46

Figure 7: Flexible silver nanowire wearable mesh 49

Figure 8: Revenues for silver nanoparticles/nanowire conductive ink, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 49

Figure 9: Copper based inks on flexible substrate 51

Figure 10: Revenues for copper conductive ink, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 52

Figure 11: Revenues for copper nanoparticle conductive ink, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 53

Figure 12: Schematic of single-walled carbon nanotube 57

Figure 13: Stretchable SWNT memory and logic devices for wearable electronics 58

Figure 14: Revenues for CNT conductive ink, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 60

Figure 15: Revenues for conductive polymers, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 65

Figure 16: Graphene layer structure schematic 68

Figure 17: Flexible graphene touch screen 68

Figure 18: Vorbeck Materials conductive ink products 69

Figure 19: Foldable graphene E-paper 70

Figure 20: Revenues for graphene conductive ink, 2015-2027 (millions USD) 72

Figure 21: BGT Materials graphene ink product 81

Figure 22: Flexible RFID tag 82

Figure 23: Enfucell Printed Battery 85

Figure 24: Graphene printed antenna 86

Figure 25: Printed antennas for aircraft 86

Figure 26: Stretchable material for formed an in-molded electronics 87

Figure 27: Wearable patch with a skin-compatible, pressure-sensitive adhesive 87

Figure 28: Thin film transistor incorporating CNTs 88

Figure 29: Conductive inks in the printed and flexible electronics market 2015-2027 revenue forecast (million $), by end user market 90

Figure 30: Conductive inks in the printed and flexible electronics market 2015-2027 revenue forecast (million $), by ink types 91

Figure 31: Panasonic CNT stretchable Resin Film 100

Figure 32: C2Sense flexible sensor 104

Figure 33: Wearable gas sensor 108

Figure 34: BeBop Sensors Marcel Modular Data Gloves 109

Figure 35: BeBop Sensors Smart Helmet Sensor System 109

Figure 36: Torso and Extremities Protection (TEP) system 110

Figure 37: Global market for wearable electronics, 2015-2020, by application, billions $ 111

Figure 38: Global transparent conductive electrodes market forecast by materials type, 2012-2025, millions $ 113

Figure 39: Global market size for conductive ink in wearables and IoT 2015-2027 114

Figure 40: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in wearables and IoT, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 115

Figure 41: Omniphobic-coated fabric 119

Figure 42: Conductive yarns 123

Figure 43: Work out shirt incorporating ECG sensors, flexible lights and heating elements 126

Figure 44: Schematic illustration of the fabrication concept for textile-based dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) made by sewing textile electrodes onto cloth or paper 127

Figure 45: Global smart clothing and apparel market 2014-2021 revenue forecast (million $) 129

Figure 46 Global smart clothing, interactive fabrics and apparel sales by market segment, 2016 130

Figure 47: Global market size for conductive ink in clothing and apparel 2015-2027 131

Figure 48: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in clothing and apparel, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 131

Figure 49: Connected human body 135

Figure 50: Flexible, lightweight temperature sensor 136

Figure 51: Prototype ECG sensor patch 140

Figure 52: Graphene-based E-skin patch 141

Figure 53: Wearable bio-fluid monitoring system for monitoring of hydration 144

Figure 54: Smart mouth guard 144

Figure 55: Smart e-skin system comprising health-monitoring sensors, displays, and ultra flexible PLEDs 146

Figure 56: Graphene medical patch 147

Figure 57: TempTraQ wearable wireless thermometer 148

Figure 58: Mimo baby monitor 148

Figure 59: Nanowire skin hydration patch 149

Figure 60: Wearable sweat sensor 150

Figure 61: GraphWear wearable sweat sensor 151

Figure 62: My UV Patch 152

Figure 63: Overview layers of L’Oreal skin patch 153

Figure 64: Global market size for conductive ink in healthcare 2015-2027 154

Figure 65: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in healthcare, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 155

Figure 66: Flexible RFID tag 155

Figure 67: Graphene printed antenna 157

Figure 68: Printed antennas for aircraft 158

Figure 69: Global market size for conductive ink in RFID 2015-2027 160

Figure 70: The market for conductive inks in RFID (retail), by conductive ink type, 2018-2027. 161

Figure 71: Energy harvesting textile 163

Figure 72: Printed 1.5V battery 165

Figure 73: Energy densities and specific energy of rechargeable batteries 167

Figure 74: Stretchable graphene supercapacitor 168

Figure 75: Enfucell Printed Battery 168

Figure 76: StretchSense Energy Harvesting Kit 169

Figure 77: LG Chem Heaxagonal battery 169

Figure 78: Demand for thin film, flexible and printed batteries 2015, by market 172

Figure 79: Demand for thin film, flexible and printed batteries 2027, by market 173

Figure 80: The market for nanomaterials-based conductive inks in energy storage, by conductive ink type, 2018-2027, conservative estimate 174

Figure 81: Flexible LCD 176

Figure 82: “Full ActiveTM Flex” 177

Figure 83: FOLED schematic 178

Figure 84: Foldable display 179

Figure 85: Stretchable AMOLED 180

Figure 86: LGD 12.3” FHD Automotive OLED 180

Figure 87: LECTUM® display 181

Figure 88: LG OLED flexible lighting panel 182

Figure 89: Flexible OLED incorporated into automotive headlight 182

Figure 90: Stretchable material for formed an in-molded electronics 183

Figure 91: Wearable patch with a skin-compatible, pressure-sensitive adhesive 184

Figure 92: Thin film transistor incorporating CNTs 185

Figure 93: Thin film transistor incorporating CNTs 188