Boron carbide downstream application market prospects
1. Among several major downstream markets, the refractory and nozzle markets are considered to be saturated. At the same time, affected by the slowdown in the development of the downstream industry, it is expected that the contribution to the demand for boron carbide will be difficult to significantly increase in the future.
2. In the abrasives industry, the most important application is sapphire processing, and its consumption is estimated to currently account for about 70% of the entire abrasives market. As a necessity in the sapphire processing process, boron carbide has been used to polish sapphire crystals on high-end watches for decades, but the amount used has always been relatively small. In the past ten years, the application of sapphire in the semiconductor and electronics industries has developed rapidly. It has now become the most important LED substrate material, which has also greatly boosted the demand for boron carbide in the domestic market.
3. In the field of nuclear industry, boron carbide is regarded as one of the best choices for neutron absorption materials due to the good neutron absorption capacity of the 10B isotope and its excellent mechanical properties.
Overall, the boron carbide industry, driven by three key markets, is expected to usher in a new round of rapid growth and embark on a high-quality development path. The competitiveness of suppliers that are difficult to meet the needs of users in high value-added markets such as the nuclear industry and military industry may gradually decrease, while the competitive landscape of industry leading companies may change.