Conductive Inks

The sleekening and thinning down of electronics is a trend that isn't expected to leave any time soon, as miniaturization, seamlessness, and ease of use continue to be driving factors behind the technological developments across a number of industries. This article explores in-mold electronics, photovoltaics, conductive inks, and flexible batteries.

Silver-flake-based inks currently dominate the conductive inks market, but the outlook for non-silver inks is set to change dramatically over the coming decade, with a CAGR of 24%. Stretchable/thermoformable inks and copper inks will seize the largest market share, driven by applications such as in-mold electronics, wearable electrodes, and RFID & smart packaging.

Wednesday 3 July 2024 - Introduction to the broad family of conductive inks; Status and outlook for the dominant conductive ink type, silver flake-based ink, including an assessment of current demand and a ten-year forecast; Overview of emerging applications; Critical assessment of the outlook for non-silver inks such as stretchable/thermoformable inks and copper inks.

Tuesday 29 November 2022 - This webinar includes case studies showing successful commercialization examples from 2022 across multiple market sectors; Discussion of anticipated announcements in 2023; Brief assessment of the status and potential of printed/flexible electronics; and Identification and assessment of technological gaps likely to be an R&D focus in 2023

Wednesday 10 November 2021 - The accelerating transition of printed/flexible electronics from technology push to market pull; Applications of printed/flexible electronic technologies that have been commercialized over the last 12 months; Roadmap for future adoption; A selection of both technical and commercial developments within the sector over the last year.

We are looking for entrepreneurial, enthusiastic people to join IDTechEx to apply their technical knowledge. You will be involved with technology scouting, market research and consultancy in a rapidly growing, exciting, global firm.

Conductive inks are a long-established technology, however, technology rarely stands still, and there is extensive innovation within the conductive ink space. Particle-free inks are an especially promising example with multiple advantages and applications.

Given the exciting properties, graphene has always been linked as a revolutionary material for the electronics industry. CVD graphene is cited as the ideal solution in providing a perfect single layer produced in a low cost continuous R2R process, but the manufacturing and commercial reality have proved very different. After a long period of research, and with players regularly exiting and entering the field, we are only now starting to see this technology mature and the dawn of the commercial reality.

The remarkable price increases in particular US stocks, most notably GameStop, made the news last week as the power of retail investors to move markets became clear. On Monday 1st Feb, the BBC reported that silver prices increased by around 10 % as retail investors turned their attention to commodities, reaching a 5-month high of almost $950/kg.

IDTechEx have released a new market research report on materials for printed/flexible electronics - materials for OLEDs, photovoltaics (OPV), thin film transistors (OTFTs), photodetectors (OPDs). Also carbon nanotubes, perovskites, quantum dots, functional inorganic inks, component attachment materials, conductive inks.