Aerospace Foam Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Polyurethane, Polyethylene, Melamine, Metal, Polyimide, PET, PVC, Specialty High Performance), By Application, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2025

Report Overview

The global aerospace foam market size was valued at USD 6.01 billion in 2019 and is anticipated to progress at a CAGR of 6.1% from 2020 to 2025. Growing demand for lightweight materials in aircraft applications is expected to propel the growth over the forecast period.

The impetus on reducing aircraft weight coupled with rapid technological advancements to develop high-performance, yet cost-effective polymer foams can further contribute to the ascending demand for these foams from the aerospace industry.

The market is fragmented in nature with various global and regional players holding a significant revenue share. The rise in demand for lightweight aircraft is anticipated to drive the growth of the market in the forthcoming years. Aerospace manufacturers in North America and Europe are expected to witness significant growth on account of the presence of leading airliner manufacturers such as Lockheed Martin, Airbus, Bombardier, Boeing, and others.

Boeing estimates that over 4,000 new airliners are needed in the South East Asia region in the upcoming decades, on account of the anticipated rise in passenger traffic, which is expected to grow at 6.2% annually. As a result, aircraft Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), such as Embraer S.A.; Honeywell International Inc.; Rockwell Collins; and others are establishing their manufacturing bases in South East Asian countries, such as Singapore to meet the growing demand for airliners.

Aerospace Foam Market Trends

Strong demand for next-generation commercial aircraft, especially due to increased passenger transport in the Asia Pacific, the Middle East, and Africa, is expected to drive the production of commercial aircraft. This could lead to a slight recovery in aircraft production after the 2016 slowdown.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), global passenger traffic is expected to grow at an average annual compounded rate of 3.6% from 2016 to 2036, reaching 7.8 billion by 2036, which will bring commercial aircraft. The number of passengers is expected to increase. traffic. Affordable ticket prices, flight frequency, and route availability continue to increase the number of passengers flying each year. This is expected to have a positive impact on the aerospace polymer foam market.

Increased passenger transport is closely linked to higher per capita income worldwide and a positive gross domestic product (GDP). The strongest growth in air travel has been observed in emerging Asian countries such as India and China, which has led to a significant increase in orders for new aircraft.

Air travel has increased at a tremendous rate over the past 10 years, with passenger enplanement reaching over 3.5 billion in 2016. In tandem with the increase in air travel, airline services also expanded over the past five years. According to CAPA, a total of 31,600 commercial aircraft were recorded in service as of December 2017, which was an increase of 4.1% as compared to 2016. In all, 1,740 commercial aircraft deliveries were recorded in 2017, which increased by 1.5% from 2016. From 2010 to 2017, the annual deliveries grew by 37%, at an annual compounded rate of 4.6%.

One of the fastest-growing segments of the polymer foam industry is aerospace. In the aerospace sector, high-performance materials are required for aircraft, rockets, satellites, and missiles. Because of their lightweight and excellent rigidity, various polymer foams such as melamine foam and polyethylene foam are becoming more popular in the aerospace industry.

The aerospace and defense sector's primary markets are the U.S. and Europe, with aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus driving demand. Commercial aviation and the construction of big passenger and cargo planes dominate this market area. The fundamental goal of employing polymer foam is to lower aircraft weight and develop machines that are more efficient.

The aerospace and defense industry is increasingly making use of lightweight materials in an attempt to improve the cost-efficiency and environmental performance of aircraft. Hence, high-strength, lightweight polymer foams are gaining importance in the aircraft manufacturing industry. Replacing traditional materials with their lightweight counterparts is an effective way to produce lightweight aircraft in order to increase their fuel efficiency and reduce material usage.

Aircraft materials used in aircraft interiors, where fires are most likely to happen, must comply with strict fire safety requirements in order to be certified for use on commercial aircraft structures. For instance, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) outlined safety requirements guidelines for flammability under FAR 25.856. Likewise, several aviation-based international governing authorities such as National Qualifications Authority (NQA), International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), and Aircraft Information Management Systems (AIMS) framed safety requirements for airlines and aircraft structures.

In addition to the aviation governing agencies' framed regulations, some commercial aircraft manufacturers such as Boeing and Airbus have specified their own safety requirements in Boeing Materials Specification (BMS) and others. In addition to the aforementioned regulations, aircraft materials manufacturers are also expected to comply with regional regulations such as Ohio State University (OSU) 65/65 heat release standards, European REACH regulation, and others.

Type Insights

Consumption of various polymer foams such as polyurethane, melamine, and polyethylene is increasing in the airline industry owing to their lightweight and high rigidity. Polyurethane foams, owing to their closed cell structure, exhibit high rigidity and resistance to water and fire. The product meets the Boeing aerospace requirement BMS 8-133. Such unique characteristics make it one of the widely preferred types by aircraft manufacturers.

Polyimide foams are extremely temperature resistant, light-weight, durable, and non-flammable. They are used in the fuselage, air conditioning duct, and equipment insulation systems. The product is commonly used in composite structures in F110, F135 engines, B-2, F-117, and F-22 aircraft, missile structures, and sixth-generation engines. Polyimide foams can replace expensive titanium metals and result in reduced weight and thus increased fuel efficiency. Polyimide foams mainly find applications in the fifth and sixth-generation aircraft engines, which are exposed to high-temperature environments.

Application Insights

According to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA), there are more than 440,000 general aviation aircraft across the globe as of 2018. The fuselage, bulkheads, and wings of the general aircraft are made with lightweight composites, which use polymer foams as components.

Polyurethane foams led the general aviation application segment in North America. The presence of numerous general aviation manufacturers such as Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation; Quest Aircraft Company; American Champion Aircraft; Cirrus Design Corporation; Textron Aviation, Inc.; Maule Air, Inc.; Piper Aircraft, Inc.; and others are expected to drive the aerospace foam market over the forecast period.

The commercial aviation application segment comprises scheduled and non-scheduled commercial airliners. Non-scheduled commercial airliners are further categorized into commercial business aviation, charter, and air taxi. The demand for commercial aircraft is expected to be driven predominantly by their applications in aircraft interiors such as thermal insulation, cushioning, and noise damping.

The demand for military aircraft is expected to be driven by the rise in military expenditure. According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), military expenditure in the Asia Pacific is expected to increase approximately from USD 456 billion in 2016 to USD 609 billion by 2022, while the military expenditure in America is expected to increase from USD 683 billion in 2016 to USD 799 billion by 2022.

Regional Insights

North America was the largest market in terms of revenue in 2019, accounting for a share of 39.31%. It was followed by Europe, constituting a market share of 27.57% in 2019. The Asia Pacific held a market share of 22.17% in the same year, marking it as the third-largest market. The Middle East & Africa and Central & South America held 6.40% and 4.56% of the market, respectively.

North America is projected to benefit from the current domination, with the U.S. being a key contributor to the market growth on account of the rise in the manufacturing industry in the country. However, the rapid expansion of manufacturing and industrialization in emerging countries such as China and India is projected to slightly slow down the market growth in North America over the forecast period.

In the aircraft industry, the U.S. had the biggest demand for polymer foam in 2019, and this trend is likely to continue over the forecast period. The aerospace industry's high demand for polymer foam was spurred by the country's strong growth, particularly in the commercial aviation sector. This expansion can be attributed to the large and revolutionary role of aircraft designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers in the US and global economies.

China, the United Kingdom, France, and Japan are among the top destinations for the U.S. aerospace & defense goods & services exports. Washington, California, Kansas, Arkansas, and Kentucky are among the leading exporters of aerospace & defense goods and hence provide lucrative growth opportunities to the polymer foam manufacturers.

Key Companies & Market Share Insights

The market is characterized by the presence of a few global players, such as Evonik Industries AG; BASF SE; SABIC; and DowDuPont Inc., leading the market. In the highly competitive market, developing new products using proprietary methods becomes a critical factor in the manufacturer's contribution to the value chain.

Leading companies have developed proprietary technologies for manufacturing polymer foams suitable for aerospace applications. For instance, Zotefoams developed a proprietary Nitrogen Expansion technology for the production of polyethylene-based foams. Manufacturers such as Evonik, BASF SE, and Zotefoams are also integrated horizontally across the value chain and hence, gain a slight competitive edge over their competitors.

Aerospace Foam Market Report Scope

Global Aerospace Foam Market Segmentation

This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at global, regional, and country levels and provides an analysis of the latest industry trends in each of the sub-segments from 2014 to 2025. For the purpose of this study, Grand View Research has segmented the global aerospace foam market report on the basis of type, application, and region.

• Type Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • Polyurethane

  • Polyethylene

  • Melamine

  • Metal

  • Polyimide

  • PET

  • PVC

  • Specialty High Performance

    • Polymethacrylimide (PMI)

    • Polyetherimide (PEI)

    • Polyethersulfone (PES)

    • Polysulfone (PSU)

    • Polyphenylsulfone (PPSU)

    • PVDF

• Application Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • General Aviation

  • Commercial Aviation

  • Military Aircraft

• Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilotons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025)

  • North America

    • The U.S.

    • Canada

    • Mexico

  • Europe

    • Germany

    • The U.K.

    • Russia

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

    • Japan

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa