Silicon Carbide Market Size, Share & Trend Analysis Report By Product (Black SiC, Green SiC), End-Use (Steel, Automotive, Aerospace), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2019 - 2025

Industry Insights

The global silicon carbide market was valued at USD 2.17 billion in 2018, and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.7% from 2019 to 2025. High demand from steel industry and increasing utilization of the product in power electronics is anticipated to fuel the market growth over the forecast period.

The market is currently driven by demand for abrasive and refractory from growing manufacturing industry in Asia Pacific. The future demand is predicted to be prominently driven by SiC power semiconductor applications in aerospace, automotive, energy, and electronics.

Silicon carbide serves as a deoxidizing agent for steel production. It is mainly dissolved in oxygen furnace to produce large quantities of hot steel along with steel scrap. The low sulfur, nitrogen, and aluminum content of the product makes it a cost-effective material as opposed to silicomanganese or ferrosilicon

Silicon carbide has thrice the thermal conductivity, thrice the band gap, and ten times the critical electric field strength than that of silicon. Semiconductor devices manufactured from the product exhibit tremendous speed, exceptional toughness, and therefore are considered to be a more efficient alternative to silicon. As a result, SiC diodes are already replacing silicon in the semiconductor industry.

However, the availability of gallium nitride (GaN) as a major substitute to SiC in power electronics is estimated to restrict the growth of SiC market. GaN transistors are extremely cost effective at lower voltages as compared to SiC, and therefore GaN is expected to provide serious competition to SiC power devices over the forecast period.

End-Use Insights

In terms of volume, steel industry dominated the market with a share of 27.0% in 2018. Silicon carbide is used as a deoxidizing agent and as a refractory material in steel industry to sustain extremely high temperature. Moreover, it is also used as abrasive tool for grinding steel.

SiC is commonly used in automotive industry for the production of high performance ceramic brake discs, owing to its ability to withstand extreme temperatures. In addition, silicon carbide is also used as bonded & coated abrasive for finishing & super-finishing of automobile surfaces and bodywork applications. In addition, silicon carbide power modules are being extensively used in electric vehicles.

In terms of revenue, aerospace industry is expected to witness a CAGR of 16.8% over the forecast period. The product is anticipated to witness strong penetration in the aerospace power modules owing to high power density and excellent switching speed provided by SiC. Moreover, SiC is used in the manufacturing of aerospace parts such as scanning mirrors, electrical components, and space based telescopes. SiC abrasives are widely used for aircraft construction, repair, and maintenance.

In military & defense, the product is used in body and vehicle armor as it contributes to lightweight, extreme hardness, and excellent mechanical strength of the structure. Moreover, scanning systems use silicon carbide to enable higher resolution and accurate data collection. Piloted and un-piloted military aircraft are equipped with sensor pods that employ silicon carbide optics to enable threat detection and tracking in high-resolution.

Product Insights

Black silicon carbide was the largest consumed product with a revenue share of 55.4% in 2018. The product is crystalline in nature with hardness of Mohs 9.1.The demand for the product in abrasives, grinding & polishing, wear-resistance, and refractory products is driven by its superior properties such as low density, minimal oxidation resistance, excellent thermal shock resistance, and high strength.

Green SiC is the purest form with hardness of Mohs 9.4. It is harder than black silicon carbide and hence costlier. The high cost limits the use of the product in applications where high purity SiC is needed. For instance, there is significant penetration of green SiC in power semiconductor applications.

Regional Insights

Asia Pacific was estimated to be the largest regional market with a volume share of 59.2% in 2018. Rising industrial activities, particularly in China and India, is anticipated to positively influence the Asia Pacific market growth over the forecast period. The region is home to several rapidly expanding industries, such as automotive and electronics, which present a vast growth potential for the product in the region.

In terms of volume, North America is predicted to witness CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period. The penetration of silicon carbide power semiconductors in aerospace, industrial power supply, and renewable energy systems is expected to boost silicon carbide market in the region. In addition, growth in North America steel industry is anticipated to provide a suitable platform for SiC growth in the region.

In terms of volume, Europe is the second largest regional market owing to its growth in automotive and electronics industry. In Germany, the growth of power semiconductor industry is anticipated to witness a positive trend over the upcoming years, which in turn, is anticipated to fuel the utilization of the product over the coming years.

Major countries in Middle East & Africa such as Saudi Arabia and Iraq are expected to witness high economic growth over the coming years owing to the diversification program of government for sectors other than oil & gas. Government’s support to domestic manufacturing is likely to boost regional production levels & reduce the reliance on imports, which is expected to present lucrative opportunities for SiC market growth.

Global Silicon Carbide Market Insights

The competitive environment of the global silicon carbide market is significantly influenced by China, which is the largest producer of silicon carbide. Some of the major producers from China include Henan Yicheng New Energy Co Ltd., Ningxia Orient Tantalum Industry Co., Ltd, Weifang Liuhe Sic Micro Powder Co., Ltd, Lanzhou Heqiao Resources Co., Ltd., and Ningxia Jinjing Metallurgicals. In addition, Washington Mills Electro Minerals, INSACO, Inc., Saint Gobain Ceramic Materials GmbH, Keyvest Belgium SA, Navarro SiC, S.A, ESD SiC, Carborundum Universal Limited, and Sublime Technologies (Pty) are some of the key manufacturers in the market.

Saint Gobain is considered to be leading provider of SiC in North America. However, In January 8, 2019, Saint-Gobain entered into a strategic agreement with private equity firm OpenGate Capital to sell the silicon carbide business of Saint-Gobain to Opengate Capital. This is expected to provide opportunities for other players to enter in the North America market.

Report Scope

Segments covered in the report

This report forecasts revenue and volume growth at country & regional levels and provides an analysis of the 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 silicon carbide market report on the basis of product, end-use, and region:

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

  • Black silicon carbide

  • Green silicon carbide

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

  • Steel

  • Automotive

  • Aerospace

  • Military & defense

  • Electrical & electronics

  • Healthcare

  • Others

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

  • North America

    • U.S.

  • Europe

    • Germany

  • Asia Pacific

    • China

    • India

  • Central & South America

    • Brazil

  • Middle East & Africa