Transparent Ceramics Market Size By Product (Sapphire, Magnesium Aluminate Spinel [Mg-Spinel], Yttria Alumina Garnet [YAG], Aluminum Oxynitride), By Application (Optoelectronics, Defense & Security, Aerospace & Aviation, Healthcare Equipment), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 – 2025

Transparent Ceramics Market Size

Transparent Ceramics Market size was estimated over USD 300 million in 2018 and the industry will grow by a CAGR of more than 20% up to 2025.
 

Developments in the global optoelectronics industry will be the chief driver for the global transparent ceramics market growth over the study period. The sale of optoelectronics, sensor, and discrete (O-S-D) components by leading vendors in 2017 was approximately USD 75 billion, which crossed USD 82 billion in 2018. Such rising demand in the optoelectronics market will spur the demand for transparent ceramics products as they are widely used for manufacturing optical switches, laser systems, lenses, infrared night vision devices, etc. The global optoelectronics industry will witness a high growth with double figure growth rate across the forecast span, with the U.S. dominating the industry. Hence, North America will be a significant consumer of transparent ceramics products, and will play a major role in the market growth. Fast growth trends in the Asia Pacific countries such as China, South Korea, Japan, and India in the field of optoelectronics will also signify the product market over the coming years.
 

U.S. is also a major player in the transparent ceramics market due to its growing military and defense expenditure. The U.S. military spending increased by 4.6% since 2010 and crossed USD 640 billion in 2018. It is the largest military spender in the world, with China in the second place accounting for less than half of the U.S expenses. The major factors behind this rise was the increased terrorist activities, geopolitical uncertainties, and government initiatives like implementation of new arms procurement plan by the Trump administration in 2017. Such increasing trend in the defense sector in the U.S. will augment the demand in the market over the coming years owing to its excessive usage in this sector. The product finds various applications in the defense sector such as transparent armors, infrared guided missile domes, night vision devices, etc.
 

The market may face hindrances due to its high price and significant degree of technological knowhow required for product development. The market players are trying to develop stronger and more efficient products with better transparency in order to expand their market presence. The high R&D requirement in the market may pose growth challenges over the next few years.
 

Transparent Ceramics Market Analysis

The global transparent ceramics market size is segmented, based on product, as sapphire, magnesium aluminate spinel, yttria alumina garnet (YAG), aluminum oxynitride, and other niche products such as yttrium oxide, nanocomposites etc. Sapphire glass, or simply sapphire, occupied the largest share in the market by generating more than USD 150 million in 2018 with several major players involved in the market. It is one of the hardest products in the world, second only to diamond. Its various characteristic like scratch resistance, transparency, and resistance to harsh environment makes  it an ideal fit for military and optoelectronic applications.
 

Aluminum oxynitride is another important product in the transparent ceramics market share which is likely to exhibit the fastest growth rate with CAGR more than 25% from 2019 to 2025. It has a polycrystalline form with a cubic spinel crystal structure. This product is only manufactured by Surmet Corporation as a low cost replacement of sapphire. This product has high optical transmission which lies between near-UV to mid-IR wavelengths. It is majorly used in the defense applications followed by aerospace, semiconductor, mining, energy etc.
 

The major applications in the global transparent ceramics market share are optoelectronics, defense & security, aerospace & aviation, healthcare equipment, and others. Defense & security is a largest application section accounting for more than 30% of the market in 2018. Increasing government expenditure on development of defense capacity in nations across the world is likely to drive this segment’s growth in the forecast timeframe.
 

Healthcare equipment application segment is likely to grow at the highest rate over the study period. This is due to extensive product usage in applications such as radiation detection, laser treatments, medical imaging, etc. The high optical transmission along with specific functional features such as mechanical and thermal stability of polycrystalline transparent ceramics make it a suitable alternative for these applications. Rising developments in the medical industry would augment the transparent ceramics market demand in the future.
 

North America held a majority share in the global market owing to the region’s large spending in the defense sector. As the product is extensively used in the defense sector, a majority demand for the product comes from this region. Another reason is the presence of large number of manufacturers in this region like Surmet corporation, Coorstek Corporation etc. U.S. accounted for the largest share in the North America transparent ceramics market in 2018 driven by the mature optoelectronics and defense sector.
 

Another significant region in the market is Asia Pacific which is likely to grow at in the fastest pace over the study period. This is due to growing demand from its optoelectronics industry. The product is extensively used in production of optically active devices, such as scintillators, laser systems, amplifiers, etc. Improving consumer income, rising population and digitalization in this region would increase the demand for such electronic equipment, which would in turn increase the transparent ceramics market demand in the study period.
 

Transparent Ceramics Market Share

Certain players in the global transparent ceramics market include

• Saint-Gobain
• Surmet Corporation
• Kyocera
• Coorstek Corporation
• CeramTech GmbH
• Konoshima Chemicals Co. Ltd
• CeraNova Corporation
• Rubicon Technology, Inc.
• Crystalwise Technology Inc.
• Hansol Technics Co. Ltd.
• Almatis GmbH
• Schott AG
• II-VI Optical Systems
• Superior Technical Ceramics Corporation

CeramTech GmbH holds a significant share in the global transparent ceramics market due to its global network and diverse products. Saint-Gobain is another leading player in the market which has introduced unique products into the market to fulfill the requirements of military applications. Strategies adopted by various players include high investment in research & development activities, expanding production capacity, technical innovation, etc.

Industry Background

Transparent ceramics industry has witnessed continuous technical evolution over the past few decades. The product has high optical properties along with high strength and excellent chemical and thermal resistance. These qualities have helped this product to substitute glass in various applications. The industry is likely to portray high growth in the coming years due to increasing demand from end-user industries.