FPC Is Indispensable, And The Global Consumption Reaches 5.5 Million Tons!

Functional thin film materials are mainly used in functional devices of smart phones, tablet computers, notebook computers and other products, display touch modules, and the protection of such products during the manufacturing process and after shipment. This product is mostly used for the exterior of end products. The requirements for production accuracy, clean room, yield and other indicators are not as harsh as electronic-grade adhesive materials, the production difficulty is not high, and the technical and equipment barriers are relatively low.

Benefiting from the continuous growth of the market size of consumer electronics products, there is still room for growth in downstream demand for functional thin-film materials in the future. The production process of electronic equipment is complex and numerous. Every step needs to be transported, stored, and protected after leaving the factory. The consumption of functional film materials is still very large. In addition, as the consumer electronics market tends to be larger and multi-screened, full-screen and folding screen products are gradually increasing, and the increase in screen area can also stimulate the demand for functional protective films. The average smartphone screen size increased from 3.1 inches in 2010 to 4.8 inches in 2014 and 5.9 inches in 2018; the average TV screen size increased significantly from 41 inches in 2016 to 44 inches in 2018.

It is estimated that the market size of functional thin film materials will be nearly 5 billion yuan in 2023. According to the forecasts of IDC, Statista, IEA and other institutions for global electronic display equipment shipments, the global market size of functional thin-film materials related to consumer electronics in 2023 is conservatively estimated to be close to 5 billion yuan, of which TVs, personal computers and smartphones are still It is the main application field of functional thin film materials.

PI is an aromatic heterocyclic polymer compound containing an imide ring in the main chain of the molecule. It has high temperature resistance, low temperature resistance, high strength, high modulus, hydrolysis resistance, radiation resistance, corrosion resistance, high electrical insulation and low dielectric constant. It is listed as "one of the promising engineering plastics in the 21st century". PI film is the first PI product to achieve commercial application. According to the application, it can be divided into electrical grade PI film for insulation and heat resistance and electronic grade PI film with high flexibility and low expansion coefficient. Electronic grade PI film is also called "gold film" due to its high price and high technical barriers. Its industry concentration is relatively high. Currently, it is mainly monopolized by American, Japanese and Korean companies such as DuPont of the United States, Toray of Japan, Zhongyuan Chemical of Japan, SKC of South Korea, and Ube Industries of Japan.

In 2021, the total global consumption of PI film is about 16,000 tons, mainly distributed in Asia. Among them, the production capacity and consumption of polyimide in China account for more than 50% of the world's production capacity and consumption. From the application side, the global PI film market has been subdivided into flexible printed circuits, special products, pressure-sensitive tapes, generators, wires and cables, etc., and flexible printed circuit boards have become the largest market for PI films in the world. It is estimated that by 2030, the consumption of PI film in various regions of the world will reach 29,000 tons, and the compound annual growth rate from 2021 to 2030 will be 6.5%.

From the demand side, the total domestic demand for PI film in 2021 is about 10,000 tons. At present, the overall consumption of electronic-grade PI film and electrical-grade PI film in China is basically the same. In the future, with the rapid growth of electronic-grade application fields such as electronic display, FPC and thermally conductive graphite film, the consumption scale of electronic-grade PI film will further increase. The total demand for PI film will exceed 20,000 tons by 2030, with an average annual growth rate of 8.6%.

In general, functional membrane materials, as a very important part of the new material industry, still have great potential for future development. The rapid growth of downstream terminal market demand represented by consumer electronics and new energy will further drive the growth of demand for functional membrane materials. At present, China's functional membrane materials are generally at the middle and low end of the industrial value chain, with low technical content and added value. Compared with other countries, there is a big gap. Many high-end products are still in short supply. In the future, manufacturers and downstream users need to work together to promote the transformation and upgrading of China's functional film industry.