Electrically Conductive Adhesives Market - Forecasts from 2024 to 2029

Electrically conductive adhesives Market is expected to have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.32% during the forecast period (2024-2029).

Electrically conductive adhesives (ECA) are usually made from epoxy resin, acrylic, polyurethane, silicone, and other chemistry types. They are combined with metal fillers like nickel, copper, silver, or gold for high conductivity. ECAs are replacements for conventional soldiers. The conductivity can be further improved by using carbon, graphite, and carbon nanotubes. Electrically conductive adhesives are mainly used in electronics equipment during manufacturing or repairing purposes.

The use of electronics is expanding due to digital media, internet connectivity, ease of access, etc. This created a demand for consumer electronics, such as washing machines, refrigerators, microwaves, TVs, vacuum cleaners, video games, loudspeakers, etc. In various industries, it is used to collect information through communication technology, design, and innovation. The upcoming application of robotics, automation, and artificial intelligence in various sectors like healthcare, defense, education, governance, etc., further created the demand for different types of electronic equipment.

According to the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology of India, the country's electronics manufacturing industry will achieve a market size of US$300 billion by 2025-26. The major products that are expected to drive the market growth are mobile phones, IT hardware (laptops, tablets), consumer electronics (TV and audio), industrial electronics, auto electronics, electronic components, LED lighting, strategic electronics, printed circuit board assembly (PCBA), wearables and wearables, and telecom equipment.

India is becoming a significant leader in the energy segment by combining solar, wind, hydrogen, etc. India attracted investment of US$15.5 billion for solar PV projects. An Interim Budget of US$1.02 billion has been allocated to the solar power grid infrastructure development in the fiscal 2024-2025.

Brazil doubled its solar PV capacity in 2022 by adding almost 11 GW. The deployment and demand in the country would grow steadily owing to the government policies and retail investors

ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE ADHESIVES MARKET DRIVERS:

Rising demand from the consumer electronics industry

Electrically conductive adhesives are used in various types of microelectronics packaging in consumer electronics. With the penetration of the internet and digitalization, the use of electronic devices has been expanding. Consumer electronics have become a part of life, from smartphones to smart home theatres, and the use of the Internet of Things has become advanced and more accessible. Further, there has been an increasing number of businesses using broadband connections, including both fixed and mobile; among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, there has been 97.16%  and 98.39% of businesses in the European Union are using the Internet.

Further, in the United States, the import of electronics has seen a rise of 12.54% from 2023 to 2024, year-on-year growth. The imports were US$23.52 billion in 2023. This sharp increase in imports is due to factors such as a move towards more digital and tech-oriented lifestyles, both government and private sector initiatives to boost digital infrastructure, and increasing disposable incomes.

Additionally, there is an increasing number of companies using digital media for sales and e-commerce. Shifting consumer behavior has led to the increasing use of Internet sales. The easy accessibility, digital transactions, multitude of products, and personalized offers are making consumers move towards more digital services.

Growing automobile market:

The growth of the automobile industry is due to the rise in the demand for Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and Battery electric vehicles (BEVs). Additionally, the use of driving automation vehicles is leading to the growth of the automobile industry. According to the United States Department of Transportation, in 2021, 1,49,46,973 new cars and light truck sales were sold in automation. These figures suggest the application of growing electronics systems in the automobile industry. Further, the sales of new 2-wheelers,4-wheelers, and other heavy vehicles in the growing economies of Asia and Africa expanded the market.

The use of electronic equipment in modern cars and automobiles further expanded the market for electrically conductive adhesives. Modern vehicles require electronic systems such as engine management, ignition, radio, entertainment, navigation, and distance sensors. Moreover, the need for networking and satellite navigation is also expanding in the application of modern systems. This created the need for electrically conductive adhesives, which are better than the traditional soldering techniques and provide better conductivity within the system.

Expanding solar cell demand:

Electrically conductive adhesives are useful for soft, flexible surfaces and thin film solar cells. Epoxy-based flexible conductive adhesives are applied to flexible circuits. As the Solar Energy sector becomes an indispensable sector of renewable energy sources, the demand for electrically conductive adhesive will increase. The solar energy sector expansion is envisioned to be the net zero emissions by 2050 scenario. Massive development in the supply chain and increasing policy support are the major reasons for the robust market growth.

European Union added 38 GW of solar power in 2022, a 50% increase compared to 2021. The investments in solar capacity surpassed USD 320 billion in 2022, marking the first achievement. This significant growth rate indicates the growing demand for electrically conductive adhesives for wider applications.

ELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE ADHESIVES MARKET GEOGRAPHICAL OUTLOOK

The Asia Pacific region will dominate the electrically conductive adhesives market during the forecast period.

Leading large economies of the world are located in the region, such as China, Japan, India, and South Korea, which are part of the G20. It also has the fastest-growing economies in the region. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Asia and the Pacific have shown a GDP growth rate of 4.4 %, including South Asia having 6.3% and Southeast Asia having a growth rate of 4.6% in 2023.

This significant growth rate is also translating into the industrial growth rate and production capacity of the countries located in the region. For instance, in India, the production of automobiles has been showing an upsurge in recent decades. Data by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) suggests a 12.55% increase in 2022-23 from 2021-22. The production in numbers was 25,931,867 in 2022-23. This included all types of vehicles like two-wheelers, three-wheelers, and four-wheelers. The domestic sales of the vehicles are showing a high rate of increase. This robust domestic growth leads to the increased demand for electrically conductive adhesives.

Electrically conductive adhesives are used for various end-user industries, such as consumer electronics, LCDs, and LED lighting, among others. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme supports these goods, leading to faster growth in these sectors. The demand for electrically conductive adhesives is also surging, and they are being applied to all types of electronic equipment.

Electrically conductive adhesives market restraints:

• Electrically conductive adhesives can be more costly to use. This can restrain wider and faster application of the electrically conductive adhesives. In certain applications, improvements are needed in conductivity and adhesiveness when compared to traditional soldering. Certain ECAs cannot be used in high or low extreme temperatures. Their use may not be suitable with some substrates and materials.
• The lack of industry standardization and the lack of knowledge among manufacturers also contributed to the restrictive market growth.

Electrically conductive adhesives market Key Developments:

• In May 2024, Azelis, a leading company for specialty chemicals, launched advanced electrically conductive epoxy resin. Traditional material has carbon fiber, kevlar, or copper wire and cable as their conductive filler. However, the new epoxy resin introduced by Huntsman Corp. increased the properties of adhesive manufacturers. ARALDITE GY 40100 is a conductive epoxy that contains 2 wt% of MIRALON conductive filler dispersed in an epoxy resin.  Key benefits included the low amount of Miralon needed for conductivity, tolerance to other additives, easy processing of epoxy resin, and no airborne nanomaterials, among others.
• In November 2022, Henkel is a leading company for adhesives, sealants, and functional coatings. Henkel advances in consumer electronic material solutions. The company launched an electrically conductive adhesive for the complex camera module. This adhesive improves yield rates and protects sensitive structures within mobile device compact camera modules (CCMs). Loctite Ablestik ICP 2120, the new launch, provides a low modulus of 900 MPa @ 25°C, additionally curing profile for fast room- or low-temperature (50°C for 30 mins.) for volume processing, substrate protection, and reduced energy consumption.

The electrically conductive adhesives market is segmented and analyzed as follows:

By End-User Industry

• Consumer Electronics
• Automotive
• Solar Cells
• LCD Displays
• LED Lighting
• Other Applications

By Type

• Isotropic Conductive Adhesives (ICA)
• Anisotropic Conductive Adhesives (ACA)

By Chemical Type

• Epoxy
• Acrylic
• Polyurethane
• Silicone
• Other Chemistry Types

By Geography

• North America
• USA
• Canada
• Mexico
• South America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Rest of South America
• Europe
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• Rest of Europe
• Middle East and Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Rest of the Middle East and Africa
• Asia Pacific
• China
• India
• Japan
• South Korea
• Taiwan
• Thailand
• Indonesia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific