Ceramic Fibre Market - Forecast(2022 - 2027)

Ceramic Fibre Market is forecast to reach $2.8 billion by 2027, after growing at a CAGR of 10% during 2022-2027. High thermal efficiency over substitutes and their growing usage in high-temperature applications are the main market factors responsible for the ceramic fibre market development. Owing to the increasing use of ceramic fibre in the iron & steel and petrochemical industry for insulation purposes the ceramic fiber market is expected to witness substantial growth. Due to features such as lightweight, high thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, high-temperature stability, and high chemical resistance, the growing use of ceramic fibers in the end-usage industries is expected in the forecast period to drive growth in the ceramic fibre industry.

Report Coverage

The: "Ceramic Fibre Market Report - Forecast (2022-2027)", by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the ceramic fibre market.

By Type: Refractory Ceramic Fibre (RCF), AES Wool, Polycrystalline Fibre, and Others.

By Form: Blanket, Boards, Rope, Paper, Textile, Additive, and Others.

By End Use: Refining &Petrochemical Industry, Iron & Steel Industry, Ceramic & Tile Industry, Chemical Industry, Glass Industry, Transportation Industry, Aerospace & Aviation Industry, and Others.

By Geography: North America, South America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Middle East & Africa.

Key Takeaways

Ceramic fibre has shown a positive trend towards textiles, owing to the rising demand for technical textiles from various end-user industries such as automotive and industrial applications. Over the coming years, the market for technical textiles is expected to remain strong due to rising developments in the global economy which will boost the market for Ceramic fibre in the forecast era.

Increasing demand from the power industry and the growing use of the high-temperature industrial furnace will anticipate boosting the ceramic fibre market in the forecast era.

Owing to the ability to withstand high temperatures, ceramic fibres are used as insulation materials primarily for lining furnaces and kilns.

Effect of COVID-19 has a direct impact on the ceramic materials, owing to the disruption in the supply chain, longer downtime, lockdown scenario, and insufficient raw materials that would hamper the production and demand for ceramic fibres in the various end-use industries.

Ceramic Fibre Market Segment Analysis - By Type

Refractory ceramic fibre (RCF) is extensively used in the ceramic fibre market.

These fibres tend to be more durable. Refractory Ceramic Fibre has high chemical resistance due to which it is mainly used for products in industrial high-temperature applications. Refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) material used for lining fired heaters in the oil refining and petrochemical industries. It has excellent handleability, heat capacity, good resistance to pollutants, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures. These characteristics make it ideally suited to prolong the life of fired heaters and improve their energy efficiency and reliability. Thus, increasing demand for refractory ceramic fiber (RCF) will drive the market for ceramic fibre market.

Ceramic Fibre Market Segment Analysis - By Form

Blankets are the widely used form of the ceramic fibre market. In shipbuilding, high-temperature resistant ceramic blankets and boards are used as insulation to prevent fire spread and general heating containment. The cabin walls and ceilings of ships for this purpose could be fitted with blankets, rigid boards and semi-hard boards. In automotive industry and aircraft and space vehicle engines, ceramic blankets are used as insulation for catalytic converters. Ceramic blankets on the interior of the furnaces are used in the metal industry as insulation. The use of self-melting, also the melting of the production process made of long silk spinning, double-sided acupuncture fibers made of intertwined, can be directly as a hot flame, set fire heat, insulating in one, in the long-term neutral, oxidizing and partial reducing atmosphere, can still retain a good strength, durability.

Ceramic Fibre Market Segment Analysis - By End Use

Refining & petrochemicals held the largest share in the ceramic fibre market in 2019 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7% during the forecast period 2022-2027. Ceramic fiber is mainly used in boilers, fired heaters and fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCUs) to provide effective energy-related solutions in the refining & petrochemical industry. Ceramic fiber products are manufactured to withstand harsh and corrosive manufacturing conditions in the petrochemical industry, in addition to high-temperature requirements. In the petrochemical industry, ceramic fiber and bio-persistent fiber products have well-established and efficient thermal control, filtration and fire safety solutions. The use of in-organic specialist high-temperature fibers to save electricity, mitigate emissions and improve fire safety to make the environment greener, healthier and safer. Hence all these properties are anticipated to boost the growth of global ceramic fibre market over the forecast period.

Ceramic Fibre Market Segment Analysis - Geography

Asia Pacific held the largest share with 38% in ceramic fibre market. Asia Pacific has grown to the world's largest market share, because of the upcoming developments in the manufacturing, oil, chemical, and automotive industries will drive the global market for ceramic fibre in the coming years. Owing to the unique properties, including high-temperature durability and high elastic modulus ceramic fibers are particularly valuable for use in metal and ceramic composites for automotive applications in this region. In addition, due to the increase in automotive, easy accessibility of low-cost ceramic fibers is expected to expand in the near future in China and India. According to the ITA, the Chinese government expects car production to reach 30 million units by 2022 and 35 million by 2027, and is the largest vehicle market in the world. More than 27 million vehicles were sold in 2018, as per the Chinese association of car manufacturers. Also, in 2018, China's specialty auto parts industry reached around $3.5 million, showing an annual growth rate of about 30%.

Ceramic Fibre Market Drivers

Increasing demand for ceramic fibre in aerospace industries

Owing to the lightweight, high temperature resistance, electrical insulation, high energy of ablation, resistance to corrosion, chemical stability, wears resistance, and ability to withstand vibration ceramic fibres are used in aerospace industry. In the construction of engine parts such as turbine blends, compressors and exhaust buckets, aerospace rockets, ceramic-fiber reinforced composites are used. Ceramics are used in aerospace application as they are lighter than metals and allow quicker speeds, lower fuel consumption, higher payloads and longer space times for spacecraft to be explored. Ceramics are mainly used in engine and exhaust systems, thermal safety devices, and ultra-high-speed moving vehicle structures for aerospace applications. Also, Ceramic and ceramic matrix composites that can withstand temperatures as high as 1.600 ° C are used to produce lightweight turbine components that need less cooling air, such as vanes, blades, nozzles and combustion liners, and exhaust system components that improve acoustic attenuation and have a long service life due to their abrasion and corrosion resistance.

Higher thermal performance in comparison with substitutes

The usage in the iron and steel industry of ceramic fibre is increasingly being produced as a refractory lining for heat treatment and preheating furnaces. This is mainly due to its superior thermal efficiency per unit thickness compared to the insulating fire brick. Lightweight and low conductive ceramic fibre helps in conserving energy by preventing the escape of heat from furnaces and kilns. It helps in saving up to nearly 20% of energy, thereby reducing the overall production cost. Compared to substitutes, ceramic fiber has superior wear resistance, high-temperature resilience and chemical stability. Glass and metals are other conventionally used alternatives for heat insulation. Yet manufacturers continue to use ceramic products in furnaces, boilers, and kilns due to poor performance characteristics of metals and glass at extremely high temperatures. The furnace gases produced in glass-melting furnaces provide a high amount of thermal energy. At temperatures above 1,200°C, these gases get polluted due to the melted glass components. For high-temperature ranges glass furnaces are therefore not favored.

Ceramic Fibre Market Challenges

Health effects of ceramic fibre

Ceramic fiber of less than 1 im diameter is considered carcinogenic, and a thinner than 3 im diameter can be absorbed into the lungs during the manufacturing process, which may lead to extreme respiratory diseases and inflammation of the skin. Given that a reasonable proportion of the fibers produced by the traditional method have small diameters, those involved in their manufacturing and handling may face significant health hazards. The fibers themselves may irritate the skin, eyes, and upper respiratory tract, but the main concern is that individual fibers are small enough to penetrate deep into the lungs and can result in lung cancer and mesothelioma forming. The prevalent manifestation of RCF toxicity was called inflammation. Also, the majority of ceramic fiber products consist of inorganic compounds, such as alumina (Al2O3) and silica (Si2O3), are classified as carcinogenic compounds.

Market Landscape

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in ceramic fibre market. In 2019, the market of ceramic fibre market has been consolidated by the top five players accounting for xx% of the share. Major players in the ceramic fibre market are Morgan Thermal Ceramics, Unifrax LLC, Nutec Fibratec, Isolite Insulating Products Co. Ltd., 3M Co., Ibiden Co. Ltd., Thermal Products Company, Inc., Luyang Energy-Saving Materials Co. Ltd., Yeso Insulating Products Co. Ltd., General Insulation Europe Ltd. among others.

Acquisitions/Technology Launches

In February 2018, Unifrax LLC under the Insulfrax LTX brand introduced lightweight needled blankets. These low bio-persistent covers deliver enhanced physical properties at reduced costs and a reduction of up to 25 percent in lining thickness.