Home > Polymers & Advanced Materials > Superhydrophobic Coatings Market
Global superhydrophobic coatings market size is expected to grow at an accelerated rate over 2021-2027, on account of the rising product applications in end-use industries such as automotive, solar, and buildings & construction. Superhydrophobic materials are widely used in manufacturing windshields as well as solar PV panels owing to their myriad benefits such as anti-fogging, self-cleaning, and corrosion resistance properties.
Superhydrophobic coatings are made of excellent materials with waterproofing capabilities and are defined by a surface that exhibits an apparent contact angle of more than 150°, a sliding angle of less than 10°, and a contact angle hysteresis of less than 10°. Owing to their non-wetting behavior, these materials have been highlighted for use in the development of biomaterial for medical devices and other applications.
Escalating construction activities in developing economies, coupled with the rising usage of superhydrophobic and self-healing coating on building materials, are the key trends proliferating the global superhydrophobic coatings market share over the forthcoming years. This type of coating is fabricated on building materials for anti-corrosion and has the capability to reduce the corrosion current of coated iron plate iron by 57.1%.
On the basis of raw material, the carbon nanomaterial segment is set to exhibit a commendable growth rate through 2027, due to the increasing concern of biofilm formation on the public healthcare system, as it is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Superhydrophobic materials that are fabricated using nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and polymer nanocomposites possess high anti-biofilm properties, thus assisting the continued development of novel anti-biofilm therapies.
Regionally, the Asia Pacific is set to emerge as a lucrative revenue pocket for the superhydrophobic coating industry in years ahead. This is attributable to the accelerating GDP growth, alongside the rapid investments for infrastructural development and construction activities in emerging countries like China and India. For instance, in Union Budget 2021, the Indian government allocated $1.89 billion to support infrastructure development initiatives such as the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ and ‘Housing for All’.
The competitive landscape of the superhydrophobic coatings industry comprises of firms such as Rust-Oleum, UltraTech International Inc., NTT Advanced Technology Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone), NEI Corporation, CYTONIX, LLC, and Aculon, among others. These market participants are undertaking varied strategies to strengthen their market position and expand their global footprint by engaging in new product launches, M&A, and other activities.
For instance, in October 2020, GrapheneCA unveiled a new graphene improved and ceramic-based superhydrophobic coating designed with a built-in antimicrobial additive to protect glass surfaces from microorganisms for up to 2 years. Meanwhile, Southwest Research Institute developed a superhydrophobic coating known as LotusFlo™ in November 2019, with an aim to keep the offshore drilling pipes from clogging, by repelling the materials and liquids that often clog such pipes.
Growing Focus on Limiting COVID-19 Transmission & its Impact on Superhydrophobic Coatings Market Trends:
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a global health crisis, drastically impacting the business operations across numerous industries, supply chains, as well as financial markets. Among other industrial sectors, the construction industry has been hard hit due to the challenges regarding contractual obligations, deliverables, availability of resources, project delays or cancellations, and health & safety measures, hence posing an indirect impact on the overall superhydrophobic coatings market demand.
According to the WHO, a major concern of the virus is its tenacity to spread through droplets landing on surfaces, either directly or via transmission from an infected person. In order to combat the transmission, several research studies have been conducted to examine the potential of superhydrophobic surfaces to curb its spread via fomites such as furniture and regularly touched objects infected by the coronavirus strand. This potential of superhydrophobic coating in encapsulating and suppressing the virus via the use of antiviral copper nanoparticles, could present lucrative prospects for industry recovery over the foreseeable future.