Global Syntactic Foam Market - 2022-2029

Global Syntactic Foam Market - 2022-2029

Market Overview

Syntactic foam market was worth US$ XX million in 2021 and is estimated to reach US$ XX million by 2029, growing at a CAGR of 5.85% during the forecast period (2022-2029).

Syntactic foam is a composite material created by making large hollow spheres within a metal, ceramic or polymer matrix. The hollow structure of the material results in low density and low thermal expansion coefficient. It also gives the material buoyancy and water resistance, making it ideal for various marine and subsea applications. Syntactic foam is used as an insulating material for underwater cables, pipelines and various components in offshore oil and gas rigs.

It is also extensively used in underwater drones and marine research equipment. Syntactic foam is also utilized in submarines for insulating various components and subsystems. Syntactic foam is also increasingly applied in aerospace and defense industries due to its radar and sonar transparency properties.

Market Dynamics

The syntactic foam demand is mainly driven by the increasing demand from marine and subsea applications. The high installation and maintenance costs involved in syntactic foams are key factors in limiting the growth of this market.

Increasing demand for marine and subsea applications

The global oil and gas demand is increasing despite the advent of renewable energy technologies. Oil and gas companies are exploring deep-sea fields since production on land-based oil fields has plateaued. A major gas field was discovered off the coast of Mozambique in 2010, with production beginning in early 2022.

Similarly, a major oil field was discovered off the coast of Guyana in 2015 and full-scale commercial operations began in 2019. Production has also increased at existing offshore fields in the North Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Syntactic foam insulates deep water pipes and other oil rig infrastructure.

In recent years, rapid growth was observed in global military spending, particularly by global nuclear powers. Many countries such as U.S., China, India, Russia and France are investing significant sums in the upgradation of their navies. Large-scale construction of conventional and nuclear submarines is occuring in U.S., China and Russia. Syntactic foam is used for insulation in various components of submarines. With growing interest in underwater and deep-sea research, the usage of deep-sea probes and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) has increased. Syntactic foam is utilized for the insulation of underwater research equipment. Therefore, the increasing demand for marine and subsea applications is a key driver for the global syntactic foam market.

High installation and maintenance costs

Due to their numerous advantages, syntactic foams are widely used for marine and subsea applications. However, using syntactic foam on marine platforms leads to high installation and maintenance costs. A major challenge is logistics since the syntactic foam must be transported from the production site to the deployment site, often in the ocean. High cost is incurred for the transportation.

Installing marine and subsea platforms requires skilled technicians, further increasing costs. Periodical maintenance is critical to ensure safe operation. Divers are required to run visual checks on the condition of syntactic foam insulation on underwater equipment. Therefore, high costs are incurred during the operational life of the syntactic foam, which discourages its wider adoption. The high installation and maintenance costs are a key challenge for the market's growth.

COVID-19 impact analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic caused an uneven impact on the global syntactic foam market. Manufacturing activities of various industries were curtailed due to pandemic restrictions. Due to stringent lockdowns, the demand for oil and gas also reduced, leading many companies to idle production at offshore rigs. The only major outlier to this was the defense industry. Since the production of warships and submarines is a matter of national security, the governments of many global powers such as U.S., Russia and India relaxed pandemic restrictions to ensure continuity of defense production.

With a major decline in demand from various end-users, except defense enterprises, the production of syntactic foam was curtailed. Production remained low for much of 2020 and early 2021 when the receding of pandemic cases and the opening up of economic activity improved end-user demand. The global demand for syntactic foam is expected to recover fully by the end of 2021.

Due to the supply chain and logistical problems caused by the pandemic, there has been a shortage of many precursor chemicals and other raw materials to produce syntactic foams. Supply limitations have driven up prices for syntactic foams due to reduced production and lower margins for manufacturers, thereby contributing to inflationary pressure on end-users.

The inflationary situation is not expected to stabilize fully before 2022. The pandemic and its aftermath have caused a heavy impact on the global syntactic foam market. However, with growing demand from various end-users, the global syntactic foam market is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

Segment Analysis

The global syntactic foam market is segmented into product, matrix type, form, end-user and region. The syntactic foam market by end-user is further segmented into marine and subsea, aerospace and defense, automotive and transportation, sports and leisure and others. Marine and subsea are leading this segmentation since syntactic foam is widely used for various deep-sea and marine applications. Submarines, underwater marine cables, boat and ship hulls, deep-sea explorers and buoyancy modules are some of the major users of syntactic foam.

Geographical Analysis

North America is leading in the global syntactic foam market. The major reason for the region’s leading share in the presence of U.S. U.S. is a high-income developed country with a strong base of advanced technology industries. Many global marines, deep-sea research companies, and institutes are based in the country.

U.S. has the largest armed forces globally, with an estimated annual defense expenditure of US$ 780 billion. A large domestic military-industrial complex supplies U.S. armed forces. U.S. Navy has the largest nuclear submarine fleet in the world. Syntactic foam is used to construct nuclear submarines for sound insulation and buoyancy applications. Syntactic foams are also increasingly used to make radar-absorbent coatings for various defense applications.

Syntactic foam is used extensively in offshore and deep-sea oil and gas rigs. Many offshore oil and gas engineering service companies are based in Canada and U.S. North America is expected to retain the largest market share in the global syntactic foam market in the coming years.

Competitive Landscape

The global syntactic foam market is competitive due to the availability of many syntactic foams made for different types of end-use applications. Some major players contributing to growth in the market are Trelleborg, ALCEN, Resinex Group, CMT Materials, Inc., Diab Group, DeepWater Buoyancy, Inc., Engineered Syntactic Systems, Cuming Microwave, Balmoral Comtec Ltd and Acoustic Polymers Ltd. The major market players adopt several strategies such as innovating new materials, new product launches, joint ventures, collaborations and government tie-ups to contribute to the growth of the global industry.

Trelleborg AB

Overview: Trelleborg AB is a multinational engineering company specializing in polymer products and technology design and development. The company designs and manufactures industrial hoses and vibration insulation materials. It also manufactures precision gaskets and seals for heavy machinery and aviation industries. Trelleborg AB has a separate division designing and manufacturing tires and wheels for heavy machinery. ABB was founded in 1883 and is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland.

Product Portfolio

Ecofloat is Trelleborg AB’s proprietary syntactic foam for marine and deep-sea applications. The syntactic foam has a low density and comprises ceramic matrix microspheres. The foam is mainly designed for research applications by oceanographers. The main usage of Ecofloat is to suspend instrumentation during deep-sea studies. Ecofloat syntactic foam range has an operating depth ranging from 2000 to 11,000 meters. It has an operating pressure range of 200 bars to 1,150 bars. The Ecofloat syntactic foam is fabricated as a standard metric block of 750 x 500 x 150 (mm).

Key Developments:

In November 2021, Trelleborg AB was awarded a contract to supply syntactic foam tunnel seals for the Fehmarnbelt underwater tunnel. The 18 km long tunnel connects Rødbyhavn in Denmark with Puttgarden in Germany.

Why Purchase the Report?
• Visualize the composition of the syntactic foam market segmentation by the product, matrix type, form, end-user and region, highlighting the critical commercial assets and players.
• Identify commercial opportunities in the syntactic foam market by analyzing trends and co-development deals.
• Excel data sheet with thousands of global syntactic foam market-level 4/5 segmentation data points.
• PDF report with the most relevant analysis cogently put together after exhaustive qualitative interviews and in-depth market study.
• Product mapping in excel for the critical product of all major market players

The global syntactic foam market report would provide approximately 65 market data tables, 68 figures and 220 pages.

Target Audience 2022
• Syntactic foam manufacturers
• Marine equipment manufacturers
• Defense equipment manufacturers
• Undersea and deep-sea research institutions
• Oil and gas companies
• Industry Investors/Investment Bankers
• Education & Research Institutes
• Research Professionals