Abstract
INTRODUCTION
STUDY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
The goal of this study is to provide a comprehensive understanding of advances
in structural carbon materials manufacturing, its commercial applications, and
its worldwide markets. For the purposes of this report, these materials will
include all types of carbon fibers, carbon foams, monolithic structural
graphite, and carbon-reinforced carbon composites.
To attain this goal, several objectives will be met. The major types of
structural carbon materials will be described, including key physical and
chemical properties, raw materials, and manufacturing processes. Commercial
applications in which these materials are used will be discussed.
Present consumption and future demand for these materials will be evaluated
for the United States and other major geographical markets. Trends in
technology will be analyzed and forecasted. The impact of governmental
regulations will be ascertained. The dynamics of the structural carbons
industry will be outlined along with profiles of key manufacturers.
REASONS FOR DOING THE STUDY
This study is an update of an earlier BCC report that was published in 2005.
The structural carbon materials industry and markets have continued to develop
in the 3 years since the previous edition was published.
The structural carbon materials industry serves mature industries such as
defense and aerospace, with a wide variety of products satisfying the
requirements of well-established applications. These sectors are heavily
regulated. However, continuous technical innovations and attempts to make its
technologies available to civil markets (at affordable prices) are leading to
new application segments.
Corporations engaged in the structural carbons industry must understand the
significance of these trends to manage their enterprise and its resources
effectively. Stakeholders in these competitive technologies and products must
understand the impact of these trends upon their operations. End users of
structural carbons must consider the effect of these changes to select the
most cost-effective option among newly available products and technologies
prior to committing significant capital resources.
INTENDED AUDIENCE
Over the next half-decade significant change will take place in global
structural carbon products and applications. Technological advances in
improving structure-property relationships of advanced carbon materials and
breakthroughs in the manufacturing processes - resulting in lower costs - will
lead to novel applications. This study analyzes the driving forces that will
shape the structural carbons industry over next few years.
Consequently, the information presented in this study is very important to:
- Members of the financial community who must understand, assess, and rate
the effect of forthcoming changes in the structural carbons industry based
upon the financial performance of the companies active in this market segment
- Chief executive officers who must effectively manage the assets of their
company so as to benefit from forthcoming changes in the structural carbons
industry
- Directors of planning who must incorporate anticipated changes in the
structural carbons industry into corporate planning documents
- Directors of manufacturing who must implement new structural carbons
technology and products into their operations
- Directors of engineering, research, and development who must incorporate
the latest in structural carbons technology and products into their designs
and projects
- Decision makers at major structural carbons consumers, such as the
Department of Defense contractors involved in aerospace and aircraft
manufacturing
- Executives at companies engaged in developing competitive materials and
technologies such as other reinforcement fibers like Kevlar or composites
manufactured with other matrix materials such as ceramics or metal.
SCOPE OF REPORT
This report covers technological, economic, and business conditions in the
structural carbons industry. Although this report is primarily a study of the
U.S. market, analysis and forecasts are also provided for global markets.
Included in this report are descriptions of market forces relevant to the
structural carbons industry and their areas of application.
The U.S. market is presented by type of structural carbons along with growth
forecasts through 2013. The driving forces in the industry and the structure
of the industry are also examined. International aspects of the structural
carbons industry are discussed with respect to all the geographic regions and
type of structural carbon material. Lastly, brief profiles of the major
manufacturers are presented.
METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES
The report' s findings and conclusions are based on information gathered from a
wide range of sources, including vendors, users, and engineering and
consulting firms. Interview data were combined with information gathered
through an extensive review of secondary sources such as trade publications,
trade associations, company literature, and online databases to produce the
projections contained in this report.
The base year for analysis and projection is 2007. With 2007 as a baseline,
market projections were developed for 2008 to 2013. These projections are
based on a combination of a consensus among the primary contacts combined with
our understanding of the key market drivers and their impact from a historical
and analytical perspective.
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