Advanced Materials

Thin film solar cells could be the answer to changing up the photovoltaic market, providing an alternative means of harnessing solar power to the long incumbent heavy and rigid silicon panels. This article covers materials, benefits, and expected growth within the market.

IDTechEx estimates that global rare earth magnet production will exceed 330 ktpa by 2036, as the USA and Europe move to reshore and scale domestic manufacturing capacity. Technology innovations addressing rare earth separation and magnet manufacturing will play a critical role in achieving increased magnet production while reducing reliance on supply-strapped heavy rare earths.

Thermal interface materials are responsible for transferring the heat from heat generating components onto a heatsink in electronic devices. This article covers IDTechEx's benchmarking of some of the most common materials, and the main applications for TIMs.

Join IDTechEx Research Analyst Dr Xiaoxi He on Thursday 9th October for 'Glass Rising in Semiconductors: Applications, Integration Pathways, and Market Signals', an insightful webinar on the cross‑industry trend of glass adoption in semiconductors. Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

A data center fire has caused the shutdown of hundreds of online government services in South Korea, likely caused by a battery explosion. This incident is particularly severe, but there have been many like it through the battery energy storage system (BESS) industry, highlighting the need for further improvements to enhance battery safety.

The need for thermal protection systems for spacecraft is currently a hot topic a result of recent growth within the space tech industry. This article covers the shift from governmental to commercial expeditions, and explores different types and approaches to thermal management.

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have rapidly scaled from laboratory production to a high-volume, critical additive in lithium-ion batteries, driving global capacity expansion and industry consolidation while putting downward pressure on material costs. Beyond energy storage, falling prices and increasing production open opportunities for CNTs in cost-sensitive applications, where they will compete with other advanced nanocarbons such as carbon black.

There are growing market opportunities globally for both incumbent and emerging gas separation membrane materials. In this article, IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Eve Pope explores three emerging materials for gas separation membranes.

As demand for critical rare earths, semiconductors, and battery materials grows amid increasing supply uncertainty, waste and other secondary feedstocks are emerging as key sources for critical material recovery. IDTechEx forecasts that 8,150 ktonnes of critical materials will be recovered from waste annually by 2046, driven by strategic reshoring of critical material supply chains, maturation of key recycling technologies, and the growing value recoverable from waste.

Join IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Yulin Wang on Thursday 2nd October for 'Thermal Interface Materials: TIM1, TIM1.5, TIM2 - 3.2x market size increase from 2025 to 2036', a webinar that will dive deep into the evolving world of TIMs, exploring how these materials are shaping the future of thermal management across diverse applications. Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.