How Is Increasing Solar Power Capacity Driving Demand for Conductive Polymers?

Apart from merely switching to cleaner sources of energy, countries are also taking efforts to save as much electricity as possible. One of the most-significant steps in this regard has been the promotion of light-emitting diode (LED) lights, which are energy-efficient and longer-lasting than conventional halogen, fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, and incandescent lights. Conductive polymers are the most-important raw material for LEDs, as they are the ones that produce the light. Hence, with municipalities replacing conventional lights with LEDs and encouraging the public to do the same, conductive polymers will witness an increasing demand.

Because of their conductive properties, these materials are most-commonly used in the semiconductor and electronics sector. With technological advancements and the rising purchasing power of people, sales of flexible displays, wearable devices, mobile phones, and laptops are rising. As the need for decreasing the weight of all these consumer electronic products is increasing, conductive polymers are replacing silicon and other conventional semiconductor materials for their manufacturing. In the same way, these materials are finding usage in energy devices, actuators, nanotubes, nanowires, nanocomposites, nanobiosensors, and nanoparticles.

Another emerging application of such polymers is smart materials that exhibit mechanical, electromagnetic, optical, and chemical properties, which can be altered to suit a particular purpose. For instance, organic polymers are being used to manufacture medical prosthetics to help modify the size and shape of the muscles. Additionally, such materials also offer medical prosthetics more strength than the conventionally used materials. Such advantages will prove useful in giving people who have lost their arms and limbs or suffer from musculoskeletal diseases the strength they need to live a dignified and independent life.

As most of the applications of these materials are in the research and development (R&D) phase, North America is the most-productive conductive polymers marketpresently. In the years to come, the usage of these materials will likely increase sharply in Asia-Pacific (APAC), especially in capacitors, textiles, actuators, batteries, display devices, and sensors. Conductive polymers are also being used to manufacture electrostatic coatings for windowpanes and door panels. In addition, the growing electronics and automotive sectors in the region are propelling the consumption of these materials.

Hence, with the extensive R&D leading to a widening application base, the demand for conductive polymers will rise further.