The Polyimides (PI) market report illustrates that the market size is estimated at 4.7 billion USD in 2023 and is expected to reach 7.60 billion USD by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 5.4%. Polyimide is a high-performance plastic with good mechanical strength, high heat resistance, and excellent dielectric properties. Polyimides are manufactured by a condensation polymerization reaction between aromatic primary diamines and aromatic tetracarboxylic dianhydrides. There are two types of Polyimide Resins, thermoplastic and thermosetting resins. Thermoplastic Polyimide Resins are those resins that can be melted and reformed. Thermosetting resins cure irreversibly when heated and have excellent heat stability.
The Polyimide Resins market is segmented into the Applications & End-Use Industry. In terms of applications, the market is segmented into Polyimide Films & Tapes and Specialty Fabricated Products. Polyimide Films & Tapes accounted for the largest share owing to its widespread usage in various End-Use Industries. Polyimide Films & Tapes are the largest application and are widely used in various electrical and electronic applications due to their dielectric properties, dimensional stability, high modulus, and matching coefficient of expansion with copper. Polyimide films and tapes are offered in various thicknesses ranging from 5 µm to 50 µm.
Polyimide tapes are used for applications that require thermal insulation or electrical insulation properties. The standard polyimide tape adhesive is acrylic-based and can either be conductive or non-conductive. Polyimide tapes are also resistant to various chemicals.
The End-Use Industries for Polyimide Resins are Aerospace, Automotive, Electrical, Industrial, Semiconductor & Solar, Medical and Others (Packaging), etc. The Electrical & Electronics segment constituted the largest demand accounting for over 70% of the global Polyimide Resins market followed by the Semiconductor & Solar segment at 11%. They are commonly used in the Aerospace industry owing to their light weight, durability, and temperature resistance and are used in Ground Systems Engineering (GSE) applications such as temporary & permanent tie-downs, blanket closeouts, FOD control, harness wrap, and thermal radiation sinks.
Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share of the Global Polyimide resin market and is also one of the fastest-growing regions during the forecast period. The region has a strong presence in the Electrical & Electronics industry which is expected to boost the demand for Polyimide Resins. Chinese Polyimide market is oversupplied, and the manufacturing units are operated at a very low utilization rate which slows down the production lacking the quality supply to make high-end polyimide products, leading to a lower acceptance rate.
Du-Pont / Toray Du-Pont, SKC Kolon (PI Advanced Material), Kaneka, Taimide, Ube Industries, and Pingmei Shenma Group are the top manufacturers of Polyimide films.
SKC Kolon announced that the company will supply PI films to Taiwan’s Asus for its foldable notebook. These films will be used as cover windows and protective films for their ZenBook 17-Fold OLED. The company also supplied PI films to Lenovo for their foldable PC ThinkPad X1 Fold in late 2020.
Taimide Tech has expanded the applications of its PI films from flexible PCBs (FPCBs) to heat-dissipation materials, electric vehicle-use batteries and others.
In 2021, Kaneka Corporation developed “PixeoTM 1IB”, a super heat-resistant polyimide film for high-speed, high frequency 5G.
Polyimide Films have several qualities, including high thermal stability, tensile properties, and exceptional chemical resistance, making them a viable alternative to glass, metals, and steel in several industries. Polyimide is known for its exceptional thermal stability. It can withstand temperatures ranging from -200°C to 300°C without any degradation. This property makes it ideal for applications in aerospace, automotive, and electronics industries where exposure to extreme temperatures is common.
They are used in several automotive parts such as fuel lines, brake hoses, and electrical insulation as PI films offer excellent resistance to chemicals, heat, and abrasion, which makes them ideal for use in automotive applications.
Polyimide are used in aircraft because of their low weight-to-strength ratio, these resins can be molded into complex shapes that are resistant to both chemicals and UV light, making them ideal for use in aerospace applications.
Polyimide Film is also suited for flexible printed circuits with good high-temperature resistance and moderate thermal expansion. As a result, polyimide sheets are commonly used in the electronics sector. Polyimide resins are also used to manufacture printed circuit boards (PCBs), semiconductor devices, and other electronic components.
In the medical industry, Polyimide is used for medical tubing such as vascular catheters for burst pressure resistance, flexibility, and chemical resistance.
PI Films are usually used as a dielectric substrate in flexible solar cells owing to their high thermal stability, toughness, and flexibility. PI films are used to manufacture solar cells with maximum efficiency and as substrates in thin films such as a-Si and CIGS photovoltaic applications owing to their high thermal stability.
There are several alternatives to PI films with various properties and applications. Polyester Films (PET Films) are widely used as an alternative to PI Films as they provide good dimensional stability, resistance to moisture, and clarity. PET films are often used in applications such as packaging, labels, etc, and are more affordable as compared to Polyimide films. This cost advantage makes them an attractive choice for applications where high-performance Polyimide properties are not critical. PET films are known for their flexibility, which can be advantageous in applications requiring conformability or where bending and flexing are common.
Polyimide is an expensive material to produce compared to some other polymers. To cast polyimide films, a high temperature is required for its processing which makes it very expensive compared to other polymers. They also require a high level of technological knowledge and specialized machinery. Polyimides can be challenging to process due to their high melting points and limited solubility in common solvents. Specialized equipment and processing techniques are often required, increasing manufacturing complexity and costs.
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