Critical Materials in Global Nanotechnology Markets

Report Highlights

The market for existing nanotechnology applications of critical materials was worth nearly $6.5 billion in 2012. This market is expected to reach nearly $6.9 billion in 2013 and nearly $9.4 billion in 2018, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5% for the five-year period, 2013 to 2018.

Report Includes

• A market overview of the critical materials used in global nanotechnology industries.
• Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2012, estimates for 2013, and projections of CAGRs for the period 2013 and 2018.
• Coverage of those critical materials whose shortages can be alleviated or avoided through the application of various nanotechnologies.
• Quantification of the potential reductions in critical materials consumption and the net economic cost to achieve them.
• Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industries covered.

Report Scope

“Critical materials” is a relative term. The list of critical materials varies among countries and industries, depending on their specific circumstances. In selecting the materials to be covered in this report, BCC Research drew from a number of sources, including reports published by the U.S. Department of Energy, the European Union, the British Geological Survey and the German Institut für Zukunftstudien und Technologie-bewertung.

Not all of the critical materials identified in these reports have implications for the nanotechnology market. This study focuses on those critical materials that have potential nanotechnology applications or for which nanotechnology-based substitutes exist:

• Antimony.
• Barium.
• Gallium.
• Indium.
• Magnesium.
• Niobium
• Platinum group metals (PGMs).
• Rare earths (e.g., yttrium, dysprosium, erbium, terbium, thulium, scandium).
• Rhenium.
• Tantalum.
• Tellurium.
• Tungsten.

For each of these materials, the report contains an assessment of:

• Critical material supply/demand situation, price trends and risk of disruption.
• Applications in which nanotechnology can contribute to reducing/avoiding consumption of critical materials.
• Technology assessment/market leaders. 
• Impact on the market for various nanotechnologies.

Analyst Credentials

Andrew McWilliams spent more than 25 years as a consultant with Ernst & Young, McKinsey & Company and A.T. Kearny focused on manufacturing before segueing into research analysis. He has been covering myriad technology categories for BCC Research for more than 15 years. McWilliams has a BA from Princeton University and an MA from Harvard University. He has worked in more than 40 countries and he resides in the greater Boston area.