Phase Change Material Market: Current Analysis and Forecast (2024-2032)

A phase-change material is a substance that changes its state and provides latent heat without changing its temperature. This process of transforming physical properties is called a phase-change process. Phase-change materials function like a rechargeable thermal battery. Due to their sizeable latent heat capacities, they can store and release large amounts of thermal energy, almost isothermally.

The Phase Change Material Market is growing at a steady rate of 20.45% in the forecast period owing to the increase in energy consumption globally and the high consumption of fossil fuels, leading to higher carbon dioxide emissions. Additionally, the growing construction industry globally has also boosted the demand for phase change material. As the construction industry booms, the demand for energy efficiency and thermal comfort in buildings has increased drastically in the past few years. These materials are extensively used due to their ability to store and release thermal energy during the phase transition, helping to regulate the indoor temperature and reducing the need for conventional heating and cooling systems. Therefore, this leads to significant energy savings for household and commercial buildings. In recent years, the Chinese construction industry has seized the opportunities brought by the new technological revolution and industrial transformation, striving to improve efficiency and reduce energy consumption. As a result, it has achieved continuous transformation and upgrading. For instance, in 2023, according to the report published by the National Bureau of Statistics of China, the construction industry is one of the pillar industries of China's national economy, with a total output value exceeding 31 trillion yuan (USD 4.34 trillion) in 2022, employing over 52 million people. Hence, the above factors have positively impacted on the market and are expected to show substantial growth in the forecast period.

Based on type, the market is segmented into organic, inorganic, and eutectics. The organic segment dominated the market in 2023 and is expected to dominate in the forecast period. The significant factors contributing to the segment's growth include low undercooling, less obvious phase change separation, weak corrosion, good chemical stability, low price, and good solid formability. Organic phase change materials are mainly organic compounds of paraffin waxes or fatty acids. These materials are known for their ability to store and release thermal energy during their phase transitions, typically between solid and liquid states. Additionally, these can be tailored to have phase change temperatures within the desired range for building applications, typically between 18°C and 30°C, aligning with human thermal comfort requirements. Furthermore, manufacturers are developing various organic phase change materials to gain market share and fulfill industry demand. For instance, in 2022, according to a report published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, triazine derivatives are one of the latest organic phase change material developments. These compounds, designated as M1-M7, were prepared from 1,3,5-triazine, 2,4,6-triamino-1,3,5-triazine (melamine), 2,4-dichloro-6-methoxy-1,3,5-triazine, and 2-chloro-4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazine via either alkylation or amidation. The melting point of these 1,3,5-triazine derivatives ranged from 43 °C to 190 °C, while the enthalpy changes of melting ranged from 47 to 150 J g -11. Most of these compounds required fewer flame retardants to achieve self-extinguishing properties than paraffin.

Based on application, the market is segmented into building and construction, HVAC, electronics, thermal energy storage, and others. The building and construction segment held the maximum share in 2023 and is expected to behave similarly in the forecast period due to the growing demand for energy-efficient buildings, passive cooling and heating, and retrofitting existing buildings. Many governments around the world have emphasized energy-efficient building designs. Countries have made strict regulations and standards for construction industries, which has further driven the adoption of innovative technologies like phase change materials in the construction industry to meet these requirements. The California Energy Commission has mandated using PCMs or other thermal energy storage systems in new residential and commercial buildings to meet stringent energy efficiency standards. The European Union's Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) also encourages using PCMs and other innovative technologies to improve building energy performance. PCMs can be applied to cool and warm the buildings naturally by storing the day's surplus heat for release when needed or performing the reverse function depending on the situation. It does this passively, using less power than active heating and cooling systems to conserve energy.

For a better understanding of the market of the phase change material market, the market is analyzed based on its worldwide presence in countries such as North America (The US, Canada, and Rest of North America), Europe (Germany, The UK, France, Italy, Spain, Rest of Europe), Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, India, Rest of Asia-Pacific), Rest of World. The Europe phase change material market has the largest market size in 2023 and is expected to have the same effect in the forecast period. The prominent factors contributing to the region's growth include a well-developed manufacturing sector, with Germany as its leading manufacturer and exporter of PCMs. Germany has a vast manufacturing sector provides for automotive, industrial goods, chemical, aerospace, and defense, which uses vast amounts of power and increases energy consumption. Therefore, the adoption of innovative PCMs has been an instrumental sustaining factor for Europe's dominance. Moreover, the growth of the construction industry has fueled the demand, mainly the increasing focus on green construction in the region, which has also acted as a catalyst for the market that contributed to optimizing heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, leading to more efficient energy utilization in buildings. For instance, according to the European Construction Industry Federation (FIEC), investment in the non-residential buildings construction segment increased by 2.1% in 2022. Furthermore, various government initiatives have been taken to promote and improve the region's adoption of phase change material. For instance, the European Union has implemented the "Carbon Credit" initiative. By incorporating phase change material in applications such as building and HVAC, companies will earn 10-20 times more carbon credit than available through using other green insulating materials. This has further encouraged the adoption of PCMs and continued to sharpen the demand in the region.

Some of the major players operating in the market include Cold Chain Technologies, Croda International Plc, Sasol Limited, Honeywell International Inc., Boyd, PureTemp LLC, Outlast Technologies GmbH, Teappcm, Rubitherm Technologies GmbH, and Climator Sweden AB.