Transparent Aluminum Market Size (2023 – 2030)

In 2023, the Global Transparent Aluminum Market was valued at USD 5.63 billion and is projected to reach a market size of USD 26.8 billion by 2030. Over the forecast period of 2024-2030, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 25%.

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

The materials that transmit light and combine the benefits of ceramic materials are known as transparent ceramics. Engineered ceramics having the extra benefit of transparency are known as transparent ceramics. In applications that need high-quality transparency while having strong mechanical qualities, they offer a superior alternative to conventional materials. It is frequently employed in applications related to optics and sensors, military, healthcare, and aerospace.

Aluminum oxynitride often called transparent aluminum, is a clear polycrystalline ceramic with cubic spinel crystals consisting of aluminum, nitrogen, and oxygen. In the near-ultraviolet, visible, and infrared spectrums, it is optically transparent. It is 15% tougher than magnesium aluminate spinel, 85% harder than sapphire, and four times as hard as fused silica glass. Up to 1200°C (2190°F), the substance is inert. It is resilient to oxidation and radiation damage as well as corrosion. In comparison to the steel of the same thickness, it is around three times tougher. This material can be processed into domes, tubes, transparent windows, rods, and plates using standard ceramic powder processing techniques. Transparent aluminum is still being manufactured using improved techniques. This substance costs about the same as synthetic sapphire. Aluminum oxynitride is also marketed under the name ALON. The most durable transparent polycrystalline ceramic now on the market is called ALON.  It has potential for uses including bulletproof, blast-resistant, and optoelectronic windows because of its low weight, unique optical and mechanical qualities, and resistance to oxidation or radiation. It has been demonstrated that ALON-based armor can block several armor-piercing bullets up to.50 BMG caliber. Therefore, the use of transparent aluminum is likely to be fueled by its application and functionalities in the military and aeronautics industry ALON is commercially available in sizes as large as 18-by-35-inch (460 mm × 890 mm; 46 cm × 89 cm) monolithic windows.

COVD-19 IMPACT ON THE TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM MARKET

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency due to its global proliferation to over 213 nations. Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Norway are a few of the main economies that were impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, transportation restrictions were put in place, which decreased industrial output and disrupted supply networks. Consequently, having a significant negative influence on the growth of the global economy and the market. The market is continually experiencing tremendous uncertainty as a result of the COVID-19 epidemic. The countries' declining GDPs and the downturn in the manufacturing industry have further curtailed the activities involved in producing aluminum. Bauxite ore mining operations have been suspended. Due to a lack of labor in the manufacturing industries as well as a decline in demand from the aerospace and automotive industries, consumers' desire for semi-finished goods is falling. The COVID-19 epidemic resulted in an export and import embargo, affecting the supply chain and slowing the expansion of the transparent ceramics industry. The COVID-19 epidemic caused a huge imbalance between supply and demand. Transparent ceramics' fluctuating costs during COVID-19 significantly hampered the market. Because activities in the aerospace, instrumentation, and consumer goods sectors were shut down owing to lockdown during COVID-19, these sectors' need for transparent ceramics fell. Since activities in these industries nearly came to an end owing to multiple lockdown measures, the pandemic epidemic gave birth to decreased demand for transparent ceramics from the aerospace, instrumentation, and consumer goods industries. However, with the mass vaccination campaign underway, the situation globally is improving, and it is hoped that the market will soon recover.

MARKET DRIVERS: 

Rising demand for transparent ceramics from the aerospace and defense sector is boosting market growth

At the moment, the aerospace, defense, and military vehicle industries all make extensive use of aluminum transparent ceramics. These ceramics are suited for application in the protection and safety sectors due to qualities like high strength, stiffness, chemical and heat resistance, etc. Transparent ceramics have a lower density than the majority of metals and are more stable than premium advanced plastics at somewhat higher temperatures. These and other characteristics lead to thermal protection systems in rocket exhaust cones, space shuttle insulation sheets, missile nose cones, and engine components, among other structural ceramic applications. Due to its qualities, including abrasion resistance, high operating temperature, and high strength, aluminum is the ceramic material that is most frequently used in the aerospace industry, including the advanced optical dome, transparent armor, and conformal optical windows. Growing consumer demand and new aircraft production in the industry will probably fuel market expansion. Due to the increased need for security globally, the military and security business is growing.

Growing medical sector worldwide is driving market growth

Monocrystalline Transparent Ceramics are highly beneficial for a variety of medical applications, including surgical tools, posterior capsular opacification, dental restoration, thermographic imaging, and medical imaging equipment. These materials also exhibit excellent high-temperature electrical resistivity and weathering conditions. Additionally, the usage of transparent ceramics offers several advantages in terms of performance, security, and visibility. However, the Government of India (GoI) estimates that by 2020, the Indian medical tourism business would have grown by 18% and will total $9 billion. The Government of India (GoI) also plans to open as many medical colleges as possible across the nation by 2022, with a 3 % GDP investment in the healthcare industry as a goal. The worldwide market for aluminum transparent ceramics is predicted to develop during the projected period as a result of this expansion in the medical industry.

MARKET RESTRAINTS:

Selection of proper material composition and availability of other alternatives is hampering market growth

One of the most difficult things to do is choose the right material composition, which might ruin the optical homogeneity of a ceramic body and result in light dispersion. Additionally, the shortage of trained workforce and training facilities is impeding industry expansion. However, if there is a more significant change in the material composition, there should also be a more significant variance in the refractive index, which would reduce the whole ceramic's ability to transmit light. Therefore, a highly skilled operator is needed to choose the right material composition to maintain the quality of the finished product. For example, monocrystalline transparent ceramics should have thin crystal boundary regions, better light matching, and no porosity, inclusion, or dislocation. A restraint on the expansion of the transparent aluminum industry is, however, the accessibility of polycrystalline transparent ceramics as an alternative material.

TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM MARKET REPORT COVERAGE:

This research report on the Transparent Aluminum Market has been segmented and sub-segmented based on Application and By Region.

TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM MARKET - BY APPLICATION

• Optoelectronics,
• Defense & Security
• Aerospace & Aviation
• Healthcare Equipment

Based on the application, the transparent aluminum market is segmented into, Optoelectronics, Defense & Security, Aerospace & Aviation and Healthcare Equipment. The largest application category, representing more than 30% of the market in 2021, is defense and security. This segment is anticipated to increase at a faster rate than other sectors over the projected period due to rising government spending on the expansion of defense capability in countries all over the world.

In optics and optoelectronics, Aluminum transparent materials are primarily employed due to their superior mechanical qualities to glass, which is usually used in these fields, and their high incident light transmission rates. Goggles for night vision and IR optics, including domes, lenses, and sensor windows, are made of spinel and ALON (transparent aluminum). The translucent materials are used in the construction of bar-code readers and reader windows.

TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM MARKET - BY REGION

• North America
• Europe
• The Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• The Middle East
• Africa

By region, the Transparent Aluminum Market is grouped into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, The Middle East and Africa. Due to the region's significant expenditures in the military industry, North America had the lion's share of the worldwide market. Most of the product's demand originates from this region since it is heavily used in the defense industry. Another factor is the region's abundance of manufacturers, including Surmet Corporation and Coorstek Corporation. In 2021, the United States held the greatest market share for transparent ceramics in North America, thanks to the developed defense and optoelectronics industries. The Asia Pacific is a key market region that would likely develop at the highest rate over the research period. This is a result of the country's expanding optoelectronics market. The product is widely utilized in the manufacture of optically active devices, including amplifiers, laser systems, and scintillators. The need for such electronic equipment would rise in this region as a result of increased consumer affluence, a growing population, and digitalization, which would also boost demand for transparent ceramics over the research period.

TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM MARKET - BY COMPANIES

Some of the major players operating in the Transparent Aluminum Market include:

• AMERICAN ELEMENTS
• CERAMTEC GMBH
• CERANOVA CORPORATION
• COORSTEK, INC.
• II-VI OPTICAL SYSTEMS
• KONOSHIMA CHEMICAL CO., LTD.
• MURATA MANUFACTURING CO., LTD.
• SAINT-GOBAIN

NOTABLE HAPPENING IN THE TRANSPARENT ALUMINUM MARKET

ACQUISITION- Acelity Inc., a maker of cutting-edge wound care technologies and a range of surgical applications, was acquired by 3M for $7 billion in May 2019. The purchase will allow 3M to grow and prosper in the medical and wound care industries. It will assist 3M in developing its medical solutions division and expanding its line of transparent ceramic products for high-end medical applications.

ACQUISITION- In August 2017, II-VI Optical Systems acquired Newton Aycliffe, United Kingdom-based Kaiam Laser Limited, Inc., a privately held company. The latter is referred to as II-VI Compound Semiconductor Ltd. inside the former's operating division II-VI Laser Solutions.

PRODUCT LAUNCH- At the international trade event for the aluminum industry, Aluminum 2018, CeramTec displayed ceramic components for pyrometric applications. These are incredibly well adapted to challenging engineering jobs in foundries.