Aluminum Foam Market by Type (Open-Cell, Closed-Cell), Application (Anti-Intrusion Bars, Heat Exchangers, Sound Absorbers, Filters), End-Use Industry (Automotive, Construction & Infrastructure, Industrial), and Region - Global Forecast to 2027
Updated on : March 17, 2023
Aluminum Foam Market
The global aluminum foam market was valued at USD 43 million in 2022 and is projected to reach USD 55 million by 2027, growing at a cagr 4.8% from 2022 to 2027. Significant growth in the market is observed because of the increase in the demand for aluminum foam from various end-use industries such as automotive and construction & infrastructure and industrial. Aluminum foam offers a huge range of advantages, such as cost-benefit, low weight, and good thermal conductivity, resulting in its increasing adoption in different applications.
Attractive Opportunities in the Aluminum Foam Market
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Aluminum Foam Market Dynamics
Drivers: Superior properties of aluminum foams
Aluminum foams are widely used for sound and energy absorption applications. They possess various properties, such as high stiffness, low specific weight, high compression strength, high porosity, and low thermal conductivity. The cellular structure of aluminum foams depends on the manufacturing process, which impacts the foam's properties. Aluminum foams are widely used in various applications, such as heat exchangers, anti-intrusion bars, sound absorbers, and energy absorbers. They can withstand a high amount of mechanical energy when they are deformed. This makes them a good material for usage in energy absorbers. Aluminum foams also possess higher collapse strength than polymer-based foams. The damping capacity of aluminum foams is generally 5–10 times more than the aluminum from which the foam is made. Foams that are manufactured from nonflammable aluminum remain nonflammability even after processing.
Restraints: Difficulty in bonding, welding, and soldering aluminum foams
Experts in the aluminum foam market are still widening their knowledge regarding the interrelationship between structure and morphology. The cellular structure of aluminum foams creates a problem with their cutting and bonding. In glue-bonded aluminum foams, glued joined areas turn out to be stronger than the other part of the foam. This leads to a different rate of thermal expansion, low thermal stability at elevated temperatures, and different electrical and thermal conductivity. Furthermore, welding aluminum foam is technically difficult. This is because of the non-uniform fusion of the thin-walled skeletal structure of the aluminum foam and its varying pore size. Its irregular pore shape makes it difficult to solder. Properties such as low melting point, large shrinkage, high thermal conductivity, and expansion further make the aluminum foam soldering process difficult.
Opportunities: Increasing usage of aluminum foams in the automotive industry
For many years, reducing the weight of vehicles and increasing safety have been the major concerns for the automotive industry. Aluminum foams are an emerging class of materials with attractive properties. These materials are lightweight and have very high stiffness due to their porous structure. They offer significant potential for the reduction of vehicle weight. Aluminum foams can absorb high amounts of energy, making them suitable for shock absorption. The usage of aluminum foams also reduces automotive vehicles' weight, leading to better fuel efficiency. Aluminum foams are gaining high acceptance in the automotive industry. It is used in various structural automotive parts such as anti-intrusion bars, front bumpers, and crash boxes. Inferno, a Mexico-based company, has manufactured a hypercar using aluminum foams. The aluminum foam can stretch a hundred times its original length without affecting its intrinsic properties. Audi, Bentley, and Ferrari have also used aluminum foams in their automotive structural parts. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards conducted a test for measuring the impact of head injury on A-pillars in automobiles. The result showed double the head injury coefficient (HIC) value.
Challenges: Development needed to control pore size and shape of end products
The history of aluminum foams dates to the 1940s. Many patents were developed between the 1950s and 1970s, and various foaming processes were proposed. There are no solid reading materials available for those patents. Most of the R&D activities for aluminum foams have been carried out on an empirical basis, without in-depth knowledge of the underlying mechanism of the foaming process. Further development is required to understand the reason for the critical cell wall thickness of aluminum foams. Research is carried out to control aluminum foams' pore size and shape. However, further R&D activities are needed to reduce aluminum foams' production and processing costs.
The automotive end-use industry is expected to witness highest CAGR between 2022 and 2027
Aluminum foam is finding increasing applications in the automotive industry due to the growing demand for high-performance and lightweight aluminum foam. With the growth in the automotive industry the demand for aluminum foam is also growing. Aluminum foam is used in Anti-intrusion bars and crash guards in light weight electric and hybrid cars for ensuring passengers safety due to its high energy absorbing tendency.
The anti-intrusion bars application segment accounted for a significant share in the overall aluminum foam market in 2021.
The anti-intrusion bars application leads the aluminum foam market, in terms of value due to the high demand for aluminum foam coming from automotive end-use industry. Anti-intrusion bars play an important role in absorbing the kinetic energy of the colliding vehicles. Anti-intrusion bars are generally used in ground vehicles and passenger cars to ensure passengers protection from side impacts. Side impacts are particularly dangerous as these impacts are very close to the passenger. Aluminum foam offers high energy absorption property, which makes it a favored material for usage in anti-intrusion bars in automotive industry.
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Asia Pacific is expected to lead the aluminum foam market during the forecast period.
Asia Pacific is the largest and projected to be the fastest-growing aluminum foam market. The automotive and construction industry is the major consumer of aluminum foam in the region. Due to the presence of a large number of manufacturers, it is the most important market for aluminum foam. The growth of aluminum foam is attributed to the high demand coming from the automotive and construction end-use industry. China, India, and South Korea are the major countries in the aluminum foam market in Asia Pacific region.
Increasing importance of aluminum foam in construction industry
The growing demand for lightweight structural materials in construction applications such as cladding, panels, ceilings, display platforms, and wallboards is a huge opportunity for aluminum foam manufacturers. Aluminum foams are generally used as sandwich structures in the construction sector. Features such as optimal fire, weather, and chemical resistance of aluminum foam coupled with the emerging international building codes that have challenged the construction market to be design-oriented with sustainability and energy-efficient solutions are creating an excellent opportunity for aluminum foam manufacturers.
Aluminum Foam Market Players
Some of the key players in the aluminum foam market are ERG Aerospace Corporation (US), CYMAT Technologies Ltd. (Canada), Alantum Corporation (South Korea), Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology Co., Ltd. (China), Shanxi Putai Aluminum Foam Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (China), Mayser GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Aluminum King Co., Ltd (China), and Pohltec Metalfoam GmbH (Germany).
Aluminum Foam Market Report Scope
|
Report Metric |
Details |
|
Years considered for the study |
2020–2027 |
|
Base year |
2021 |
|
Forecast period |
2022–2027 |
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Units considered |
Value (USD thousand), Volume (ton) |
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Segments |
Type, Application, End-use Industry, and Region |
|
Regions |
Asia Pacific, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa |
|
Companies |
ERG Aerospace Corporation (US), CYMAT Technologies Ltd. (Canada), Alantum (South Korea), Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology Co., Ltd. (China), Shanxi Putai Aluminum Foam Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (China), Mayser GmbH & Co. KG (Germany), Aluminum King Co., Ltd (China), and Pohltec Metalfoam GmbH (Germany) |
This research report categorizes the aluminum foam market based on type, application, end-use industry, and region.
Based on type, the aluminum foam market has been segmented as follows:
- Open-cell aluminum foam
- Closed-cell aluminum foam
Based on application, the aluminum foam market has been segmented as follows:
- Anti-intrusion Bars
- Heat Exchangers
- Sound Insulation
- Filters
- Others (Railway Buffer, Medical Implants)
Based on end-use industry, the aluminum foam market has been segmented as follows:
- Automotive
- Construction & infrastructure
- Industrial
- Others (Aerospace, Defense, Medical)
Based on region, the aluminum foam market has been segmented as follows:
- Asia Pacific
- North America
- Europe
- Latin America
- Middle East & Africa
Recent Developments
- In April 2022, CYMAT Technologies has announced Expansion & Technological Advancements. The company is planning to expand plant output capacity to approx. USD 75 million on a staged basis and to deploy automation and new technology to improve cost structure.
- In July 2017, ERG Aerospace Corporation opened a facility for manufacturing operations at Sparks, Nevada, in the US. The company invested USD 2.1 million in the plant. The location of the plant offers logistic advantages and low-cost labor. This expansion has helped the company to increase its geographical presence.
- In December 2017, the company Mayser GmbH & Co. KG invested in a new factory in Michigan, US, to meet the growing demand in the automotive sector. The factory also develops aluminum foam products for non-automotive field, products for safety, and foam technology. This expansion has led to the growth of the aluminum foam market in the North American region.
- In December 2017, CYMAT announced a joint-venture with Alucoil SA (Spain) for producing aluminum composite panels with metallurgically-bonded aluminum foam cores. This joint venture resulted in increasing the geographical presence of the company.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What are the factors influencing the growth of the aluminum foam market?
The properties of aluminum foam, increasing environmental awareness, and its upcoming new applications.
Which is the largest country-level market for aluminum foam?
China is the largest aluminum foam market due to high demand from automotive industry.
What are the factors contributing to the final price of aluminum foam?
Raw material plays a vital role in the costs. The cost of these materials contributes largely to the final pricing of aluminum foam.
What are the challenges in the aluminum foam market?
Development of low-cost production technology is the major challenge in the aluminum foam market, along with the percentage of getting a desired product. .
Which type of aluminum foam holds the largest market share?
Open-cell aluminum foam holds the largest share.
How is the aluminum foam market aligned?
The market is growing at a significant pace. It is a potential market and many manufacturers are planning business strategies to expand their business.
Who are the major manufacturers?
ERG Aerospace Corporation (US), CYMAT Technologies Ltd. (Canada), Alantum Corporation (South Korea), Liaoning Rontec Advanced Material Technology Co., Ltd. (China), and Shanxi Putai Aluminum Foam Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (China)
What are the major applications for aluminum foam?
The major applications for aluminum foam are anti-intrusion bars, sound absorbers, heat exchangers, filters and many more. .
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The study involved two major activities in estimating the current size of the aluminum foam market. Exhaustive secondary research was performed to collect information on the market, the peer market, and the parent market. The next step was to validate these findings, assumptions, and sizing with industry experts across the value chain through primary research. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches were employed to estimate the total market size. After that, market breakdown and data triangulation procedures were used to determine the extent of market segments and sub-segments.
Secondary Research
In the secondary research process, various secondary sources such as Hoovers, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, and Dun & Bradstreet were referred to for identifying and collecting information for this study. These secondary sources included annual reports, press releases & investor presentations of companies; white papers; certified publications; articles by recognized authors; gold standard & silver standard websites; regulatory bodies; trade directories; and databases.
Primary Research
The aluminum foam market comprises several stakeholders, such as raw material suppliers, processors, end-product manufacturers, and regulatory organizations in the supply chain. The demand side of this market is characterized by the development of various industry sectors such as building and infrastructure. Advancements in technology across diverse applications characterize the supply side. Various primary sources from both the supply and demand sides of the market were interviewed to obtain qualitative and quantitative information.
Following is the breakdown of primary interviews:
Others include sales, marketing, and product managers.
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Market Size Estimation
Both the top-down and bottom-up approaches were used to estimate and validate the total aluminum foam market size. These methods were also used extensively to estimate the size of various subsegments in the market. The research methodology used to estimate the market size included the following:
- The key players in the industry and markets were identified through extensive secondary research.
- The industry’s supply chain and market size, in terms of value, were determined through primary and secondary research processes.
- All percentage shares, splits, and breakdowns were determined using secondary sources and verified through primary sources.
Data Triangulation
After arriving at the overall market size using the market size estimation process, as explained above, the market was split into several segments and subsegments. To complete the overall market engineering process and arrive at the exact statistics of each market segment and subsegment, the data triangulation and market breakdown procedures were employed, wherever applicable. The data was triangulated by studying various factors and trends from both the demand and supply sides in the building and infrastructure end-use sectors.
Objectives of the Report
- To define, describe, and forecast the market size of aluminum foam, in terms of value and volume
- To provide detailed information about the key factors (drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges) influencing the growth of the market
- To provide detailed information about the technological advancements influencing the growth of the market
- To forecast the market based on the type, application and end-use industry
- To define, describe, and forecast the market based on five regions, namely, North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa
- To strategically analyze micro-markets with respect to individual growth trends, prospects, and their contribution to the overall market
- To analyze the opportunities in the market for stakeholders and provide a competitive landscape for the market leaders
- To analyze recent developments such as expansions and joint ventures in the market
- To strategically profile the key players and comprehensively analyze their market share and core competencies
Available Customizations
With the given market data, MarketsandMarkets offers customizations according to the company’s specific needs.
The following customization options are available for the report:
Product Analysis
- Product matrix, which gives a detailed comparison of the product portfolio of each company
Regional Analysis
- Further breakdown of Rest of Europe aluminum foam market
- Further breakdown of Rest of Asia Pacific aluminum foam market
- Further breakdown of Rest of Middle East & Africa aluminum foam market
- Further breakdown of Rest of Latin America aluminum foam markets
Company Information
- Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five)
Growth opportunities and latent adjacency in Aluminum Foam Market