multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces: 2016-2025 chapter one

n-tech Research Report

Multifunctional Smart Coatings and

Surfaces: 2016-2025

Issue date: January 2016

Report number: Nano-853

n-tech Research PO Box 3840 Glen Allen, VA 23058

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Multifunctional Smart Surfaces and Coatings 2016-2023

Report Description

n-tech believes that the coming decade will see substantial new business revenues generated by smart coatings that exhibit multiple

functionalities. In fact, we are already seeing multifunctional coatings and surfaces reach actual commercialization:

In the construction industry we have now reached the point where it is

possible to fabricate smart windows that combine self-dimming, solar energy generation and self-healing into a single IGU

In aerospace, some smart surfaces can monitor the structural health

of wings and fuselage and then make modest repairs automatically In medicine, the development of coatings with antimicrobial and anti-

inflammatory properties is of obvious importance. Here a group of researchers has already created a multifunctional coating on bioactive

agents, which addresses both these issues together.

The multifunctional coatings opportunity is being shaped by the growing marketplace insistence that buildings, transportation, devices for providing

healthcare and even complete cities be “smart.” In some cases multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces may improve functionality, while

at the same time improving aesthetics

Coatings and surfaces that are smart in multiple ways would seem to fit

better into the evolving need for “smarts” than garden varieties, of smart coatings. n-tech also sees in multifunctional coatings a considerable

potential for coatings firms – both large, established firms and start-ups – to create significant market value, while differentiating themselves in the

market.

Optimistic visions of a profitable multifunctional future for the coatings

industry should be balanced not only against the need to match functions with market needs, but with the capabilities of materials and fabrication

tools.

Some multifunctional coatings are already on the market, but others are not ready for prime time. Much the same can be said of tools, where there is

currently a plethora of fabrication approaches to creating multifunctional surfaces – although some of them are not yet capable of covering the large

areas required (say) by the walls of a building.


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Objectives of this Report

Identifying how and where value will be created with multifunctional

coatings. This report provides a technological roadmap for multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces, showing how they (1) can create value by

drastically improving price/performance ratios and (2) establish entirely new smart product capabilities in many industry sectors, especially in

automotive, aerospace, healthcare and medicine, and construction. We also examine how the technologies and applications in this sector are likely to

evolve over the next ten years.

Assessment of which combinations of functionalities will be most successful

in the marketplace. The report also looks at what are the most marketable combinations of functionality for each of the industry sectors discussed. In

carrying out this analysis we examine how self-cleaning, self-healing, smart antimicrobial, color shifting, anticorrosion and photovoltaic functionality can

be combined in different ways and for different market sectors.

Strategic profiles. This report also contains profiles of leading companies

developing multifunctional smart materials. These include leading specialty chemical companies, glass firms and start-ups. We also examine how

supply chains are evolving for their products and where important R&D projects seems to be taking us in terms of commercialization,

Ten-year forecasts. In the balance of the report we examine various end-

user sectors, where multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces are already being used or will be in the near future. For each of these sectors we

present an ten-year market forecast and also show how multifunctional smart products have a market fit with current sector wide

trends. Specifically, we show which combinations of smart functionalities

will be the most productive in terms of revenue generation.

Our forecasts of multifunctional coatings comprise detailed projections of volume (in square meters and units) and revenue (in $ millions), broken

down by:

End user sector

Type of functionality and product Material and technology

Coverage

In this report, we analyze the market for this emerging class of

multifunctional smart coatings and related surfaces. The coverage includes:


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Materials evolution. This report covers materials based on inorganic, organic

and biological materials, as well as man-made materials – composites and metamaterials. It discusses product developments that will enable such

materials to serve in a multifunctional market environment. As part of this analysis the report examines existing multifunctional coatings products as

well as taking a peek at what is likely to emerge from notable labs in the next decade.

Multifunctionality represents an environment in which coatings may have to

transcend conventional coatings technologies. The report looks at both multifunctionality delivered through multi-layered coatings as well as

materials that are intrinsically multifunctional. And, although the focus of

this report is on the market for coatings, we also discuss the competition between smart multifunctional materials and sensor-embedded surfaces.

Emerging fabrication approaches for multifunctional coatings. Both coatings

synthesis and coatings applications are in a state of flux at the present time. The report discusses how fabrication and simulation approaches will

better enable multifunctional coatings. Areas covered in this analysis will include novel techniques for coating synthesis, curing, characterization, and

multiscale modeling, as well scaling up coating operations so that large surfaces can be better coated with multifunctional coatings.

Applications and end-user markets for multifunctional coatings. This report

identifies the applications areas where n-tech believes multifunctional coatings and surfaces have a real opportunity to move beyond the lab to

high-volume commercial applications. In this report we discuss those areas where multifunctional coatings are already being used or are under serious

consideration – the automotive industry, aerospace, healthcare and medicine, and construction.

We also analyze how multifunctional coatings will also be used in other

industries such as textiles, electronics and consumer products. Among the topics considered are how specific coating technologies are being matched to

the needs of multifunctional coatings for specific

Strategic profiles of key players. This report evaluates the product/market

strategies of the leading suppliers in the multifunctional coatings and surfaces space. Firms that are discussed in this report include:

AGC

AkzoNobel

Alcoa BASF

BigSky Technologies


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Casalgrande

Clariant Cornerstone Research

Corning Covestro

Crossville Diamon-Fusion

Dow Chemical Dow Corning

DSM Biomedical DuPont

Essroc/Italcementi Evonik

Faurecia Fraunhofer IFM

Gelest

Gentex GKN

Green Earth Nano Science Guard

Hanergy Haruna

Heliatek Klingshield

Life Material Luna Innovations

Magna Microban

MMT Textiles NanoFlex

NEI

Nano Lab nanoShell

Nanosonic Next Energy

Nissan NSG/Pilkington

PPG PureTi

Reactive Reckli

Research Frontiers Saint-Gobain

Sciessent


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Sensor Coating Systems

Schoeller SLIPS Technologies

Sunpartner Sto

Toto Ultratech

Vestagen Vestex

Viavi Yanfeng

Table of Contents

Executive Summary

E.1 Summary of Opportunities for Multifunctional Smart Materials by End-User

Market

E.1.1 Construction: Large Addressable Market

E.1.2 Automotive: Early User of Multifunctional

E.1.3 Aerospace: Small Market/High-Value Added

E.1.4 From Multipurpose to Multifunctional

E.2 Opportunities in Fabricating Multifunctional Smart Surfaces

E.3 Companies to Watch in the Smart Multifunctional Materials Space

E.4 Summary of Ten-Year Market Forecasts

E.4.1 Summary by End User Sector

E.4.2 Summary by Type of Material

Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Background to this Report

1.1.1 The Meaning of Multifunctionality

1.1.2 State of the Multifunctional Art

1.1.3 Multifunctional Surfaces and the Smartness Meme

1.1.4 Multifunctional Surfaces and the War Against Commoditization

1.1.5 Fabrication of Multifunctional Surfaces: Opportunities and Implications

1.2 Objectives and Scope of this Report


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1.2.1 Goals of the Report

1.2.2 The Scope and Definition of Multifunctionality

1.3 Methodology and Sources of Information

1.3.1 Forecasting Methodology

1.4 Plan of this Report

Chapter Two: Multifunctional Smart Materials Technology: Opportunities and

Evolution

2.1 Multifunctional Materials as Smart Materials

2.1.1 Multifunctionals as the Most Functional of Functional Materials

2.1.2 Multifunctionals as the End Game for Smart Materials

2.1.3 Multifunctionals and the Evolution towards Programmable Matter

2.1.4 A Multifunctionality Roadmap for Smart Materials

2.2 Smart Materials for Smart Surfaces: The Multifunctionality Factor

2.2.1 Self-Healing Materials

2.2.2 Self-Cleaning Materials

2.3 Relationship of Smart Surfaces to Smart Coatings

2.4 Sensors, Surfaces and Multifunctionality

2.4.1 Evolution of Low-Cost Sensors and the Cost Factor

2.4.2 Types of Sensors for Surfaces

2.5 Manufacturing Innovations

2.5.1 Optical Lithography

2.5.2 Functional Printing

2.5.3 Nanomanufacturing Processes

2.5.4 Layer-by-Layer Self-Assembly

2.6 Key Points from this Chapter

Chapter Three: Multifunctional Smart Materials in the Construction Industry

3.1 Multifunctional Building Surfaces: Economic Factors and Addressable Market

Issues

3.1.1 Future Construction Markets: Impact on Multifunctional Materials

3.1.2 Multifunctional Materials and Decline of “Greentech”

3.2 Commercially Attractive Combinations of Functionalities

3.3 Smart Glass as a Platform for Multifunctional Windows?


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3.3.1 How Multifunctional Smart Materials take Smart Windows to the Next Stage

3.3.2 Four Marketing Strategies for Multifunctional Glass

3.4 Multifunctional Smart Materials for Roofs, Walls and Roads

3.4.1 Interior Walls and Surfaces: Antimicrobials Meet Self-Cleaning

3.4.2 Concrete and Cement: Beyond Self-Healing and Self-Cleaning

3.4.3 Exterior Surfaces: New Opportunities from the Rise of Monolithically Integrated BIPV

3.5 Multifunctional Paints, Coatings and Laminates

3.5.1 Uni-Functional Smart Paints

3.6 Ten-Year Forecasts

3.7 Key Points from This Chapter

Chapter Four: Multifunctional Smart Materials in the Automotive Industry

4.1 Multifunctional Automotive Surfaces and the Future of the Automotive Industry

4.1.1 Factors Shaping the Multifunctional Surfaces Market in Automotive

4.1.2 The Automobile Market: 2016 and Beyond

4.2 Current Automotive Coating Practices and Multifunctionals

4.2.1 How Multifunctional Surfaces May Evolve in the Automotive Sector

4.2.2 Multifunctional Materials and the Trend Towards Smartness in Cars

4.3 Mapping Multifunctional Smart Materials in Automotive

4.3.1 Clean and Heal: Two Smart Functions that will Combine

4.3.2 Interior vs. Exterior Surface Multifunctionality

4.4 Automotive Glass and Multifunctional Smart Surfaces

4.4.1 Self-Dimming Mirrors: Building On a Successful Platform

4.4.2 Windows and Windshields: Better Prospects for Multiple Smart Functions

4.5 Interior Surfaces: Selling Clean with Interactivity

4.5.1 The Appeal of Antimicrobial-based Smart Interior Surfaces

4.5.2 Shifting Landscape of Interiors Development: Implication for Smart Surfaces

4.5.3 Will Driverless Vehicles be the Tipping Point?

4.5.4 Color Shifting

4.6 The Business Case for Smart Car Exterior Surfaces

4.6.1 Hydrophobic Surfaces on Automotive Surfaces: A Platform for Multifunctionality


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4.6.2 A Note on Color Shifting for Automotive Exteriors: Multifunctional Implications

4.7 Supplier Landscape: Everyone On Board



Chapter Five: Multifunctional Smart Materials in Aerospace

5.1 Why Smart Materials Sell in Aerospace

5.1.1 Potential Multifunctional Smart Materials

5.2 Smart Windows in Aerospace: A Platform for Multifunctional Smart Materials?

5.2.1 Moving Smart Aircraft Windows to a Smart Multifunctional Platform: Low Potential for Now

5.3 Multifunctional Smart Materials for Detecting and Repairing Damage

5.3.1 SHM and its Growth towards Multifunctionality

5.3.2 How Multifunctionality Can Create More Value in Self-Healing Aircraft

5.4 PV, Multifunctionality and Planes

5.5 Challenges for Smart Materials in Aerospace

5.5.1 Demanding Performance Requirements

5.5.2 Need to Comply with Aerospace Materials Standards: NASA

5.6 Multifunctional Smart Exterior Surfaces in Aerospace: Project Examples

5.6.1 Luna Innovations and Ultratech International

5.6.2 Lufthansa Technik

5.6.3 NanoSonic and NASA

5.6.4 The EU AEROMUCO Project

5.7 Multifunctional Smart Materials for Interior Surfaces


5.9 Suppliers: Squeezing Everyone Into the Picture


Chapter Six: Other Markets with Potential for Multifunctional Smart Materials:

Multipurpose versus Smart Multifunctionality

6.1 Nice Niches: Sketching Out the Boundaries

6.2 Medical and Healthcare

6.2.1 The Opportunity for Multifunctional Smart Surfaces in the Healthcare Market


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6.2.3 Fabrication of Smart Multifunctionals in the Healthcare Market

6.2.4 Reality Check: How Big is This Market Potential for Medical Multifunctionals

6.2.5 Forecasts for Multifunctional Smart Materials in Medical and Healthcare

6.3 Multifunctional Smart Materials and Textiles

6.3.1 A Stronger Case for Cleanliness

6.3.2 Making the Business Case for Multifunctional Smart Textiles

6.3.3 Technology Choices

6.3.4 Challenges for Multifunctional Materials in the Textile Market

6.3.5 Forecasts for Multifunctional Smart Materials in Textiles and Clothing

6.4 General Consumer Products: The Future of Clean and Anti-Scratch

6.4.1 Selling the "Uncleanliness Factor"

6.4.2 Appearance Considerations

6.4.3 Forecasts for Multifunctional Smart Coatings and Surfaces in Consumer Products

6.5 Consumer Electronics and Multifunctional Smart Materials

6.5.1 Making Smartphones Smarter, with Materials

6.5.2 Why Moving to Multifunctional Makes Sense

6.5.3 How Much do End-Users Really Care?

6.5.4 Market Watch: Multifunctional Smart Materials in Consumer Electronics

6.5.5 Forecasts for Multifunctional Smart Materials in Consumer Electronics

6.6 Key Points from this Chapter

List of Exhibits

Exhibit E-1: Summary of Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional materials by End User Sector

Exhibit E-2: Summary of Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional by Type of Materials

Exhibit 2-1: Multifunctionality Roadmap for Smart Materials

Exhibit 2-2: Advantages of Printing for Fabricating Low-Cost Sensors for Smart Surfaces

Exhibit 3-1: Potential Multifunctional Smart Materials in Buildings

Exhibit 3-2: Strategic Possibilities for Multi-functional Smart Windows Platform

Exhibit 3-3: Smart Composites Used in the Construction Industry


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Exhibit 3-4: Players and Products in the Self-Cleaning Materials Space

Exhibit 3-5 Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional Materials in the Construction

Industry

Exhibit 4-1: Pairings of Smart Functions in Automotive Interiors and Exteriors

Exhibit 4-2: Selected SPD Licensees

Exhibit 4-3: Hydrophobic Materials in Vehicle Exteriors

Exhibit 4-4 Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional Materials in the Automotive

Industry

Exhibit 5-1: Multifunctional Smart Materials in Aerospace

Exhibit 5-2: Self-Healing/Damage-Detecting Projects

Exhibit 5-3 Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional Materials in the Aerospace Industry

Exhibit 6-1: Niche Markets for Multifunctional Smart Materials

Exhibit 6-2: Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional Materials in the Healthcare

and Medical Market

Exhibit 6-3: Cases for Multifunctional Smart Textiles

Exhibit 6-4: Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional Materials in Clothing and

Textiles

Exhibit 6-5: Ten-Year Forecast of Smart Multifunctional Materials in Consumer

Products (Including Consumer Electronics)

Related Reports

Smart Coatings Markets 2015-2022

Smart Surfaces Markets 2015-2022

Markets for Self-Cleaning Coatings and Surfaces: 2015 to 2022

Markets for Self-Healing Materials: 2015–2022

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http://ntechresearch.com/market_reports/smart-coatings-markets-2015-2022

http://ntechresearch.com/market_reports/smart-surfaces-markets-2015-2022

http://ntechresearch.com/market_reports/markets-for-self-cleaning-coating-and-surfaces-2015-to-2022

http://ntechresearch.com/market_reports/markets-for-self-healing-materials-2015-2022


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Chapter One: Introduction

1.1 Background to this Report

1.1.1 The Meaning of Multifunctionality

Smart coatings are considered multifunctional if they provide complex functionality in a

single environment. An example here would be a glass coating that enables both

photovoltaics capability and self-dimming capabilities. This kind of multifunctionality

might be provided through a multilayer coating of some kind.

Another kind of coating that might be considered both smart and multifunctional is a

coating that can offer several different functionalities, but not always at the same time.

It has been shown, for instance, that polyphenol coatings can be deployed as

antimicrobials and anti-inflammatories for medical implants, but also to tune the optical

properties of metallic nanoparticles for both medical diagnostics and therapeutic

purposes.

The literature usually suggests that multifunctional smart materials are coatings, but n-

tech thinks that this in part reflects the state of the technology. In theory—and

increasingly in practice—multifunctional smart surfaces can be created not just with

coatings but also (1) by deeply embedding sensors in the surface or (2) patterning the

surface in a manner that provides it with a modicum of multifunctional intelligence.

1.1.2 State of the Multifunctional Art

n-tech believes that this mix of options for adding smart multifunctional capabilities to

surfaces will lead to substantial new business revenues in the next few years. In fact,

we are already seeing smart multifunctional surfaces at or near the point of

commercialization:

In the construction industry we have now reached the point where it is possible to

fabricate smart windows that combine self-dimming, solar energy generation and

self-healing into a single IGU. This could be achieved through a multilayer

coating approach with the main challenge being making sure that one layer did

not interfere with another.

In aerospace, some smart surfaces can monitor the structural health of wings

and fuselage and then make modest repairs automatically. One part of this

combo is very well developed—smart structures for structural health monitoring.

Self-healing materials are also well advanced, although not necessarily yet in the

aerospace context. It should not, however, be too involved to combine

functionalities as long as the expected automatic repairs are not too demanding.


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In medicine, the development of coatings with antimicrobial and anti-

inflammatory properties is of obvious importance. And here, a group of

researchers has already created a multifunctional coating on bioactive agents,

which addresses both these issues together.

And as n-tech sees it, three factors are driving the market for multifunctional coatings

and surfaces and each creates its own opportunities. These are (1) the “smartness

meme,” (2) the need to constantly create new value for suppliers fighting

commoditization, (3) the possibility that the multifunctional coating and surface creation

business will result in processes that will confer competiveness in smart materials and

beyond.

1.1.3 Multifunctional Surfaces and the Smartness Meme

The multifunctional coatings opportunity is being shaped by the growing marketplace

insistence that buildings, transportation, devices for providing healthcare and even

complete cities be “smart.” This is what we mean by the “smartness meme.”

Often in this context it is not completely clear what is meant by “smart.” However, the

sense of it is that a material is smart if it is highly functional in a dynamic and responsive

manner; a self-cleaning surface is “smart” because it can clean and does so in response

to a buildup of dirt.

Given this, coatings and surfaces that are smart in multiple ways would seem to fit

better into the evolving need for “smarts” than garden varieties of smart coatings. And,

in some cases, multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces may improve functionality,

while at the same time improving aesthetics.

Messaging smart: From the perspective of multifunctional coatings and surfaces, this

“smartness meme” opens up marketing possibilities for makers of multifunctional

coatings. At the messaging level, “multifunctional” can be branded as the smartest of

smart materials creating a marketing fit with many “smart” products that are emerging

across markets in developed nations. In other words—“smart is in and what we are

offering is especially smart.”

Desperately seeking multifunctional: Conversely, in the current bullish environment

for “smart everything,” OEMs will be desperately seeking ways to make their products

smarter. A number of options are available to them, notably embedded sensors, nano-

patterned surfaces and smart coatings. All three of these approaches can be made to

present as multifunctional. However, of course, the functions that are being combined

must also match the specific needs of the application.


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1.1.4 Multifunctional Surfaces and the War Against Commoditization

Firms in the coatings, component and substrate spaces constantly face a war against

commoditization and smart materials/smart surfaces present the core of an anti-

commoditization strategy. Multifunctional smart materials may be regarded as the apex

of that strategy. They offer suppliers—both large, established firms and start-ups—the

opportunity to create significant market value, while differentiating themselves in the

market place.

As n-tech sees things, multifunctional surfaces can potentially improve

price/performance of products in applications across many areas. For example, the

self-dimming window that was also a solar panel that we mentioned at the beginning of

this chapter might be much less costly than buying a window plus shade plus a solar

panel, especially once the multifunctional surface technology had matured a bit.

In fact, if total costs are taken into consideration, n-tech believes that multifunctional

surfaces can achieve attractive price/performance points quite quickly in the automotive,

aerospace, healthcare and medicine, and construction industries. And more than

improved economics is involved here—the creation of multifunctional surfaces implies a

high level of innovation at the intermediate level, which could be quickly transferred to

the final products themselves.

1.1.5 Fabrication of Multifunctional Surfaces: Opportunities and Implications

There is already a plethora of fabrication approaches to creating multifunctional

coatings and surfaces. However, none of them are completely satisfactory with the

problems occurring at both the tactical and strategic level.

One tactical issue is that some of multifunctional coatings/surfacing technologies are not

yet capable of covering the large areas required (say) by the walls of a building. At the

strategic level, a leading factor constraining the deployment of multifunctional surfaces

of various kinds is the apparent lack of cost effective ways to actually create such

surfaces.

Examples of the kind of problems that emerge here include finding ways that multilayer

functional coatings, for example, can be applied so that lower layers are not impeded in

their functionality. Another important question is how can nanoengineering be deployed

to provide multifunctional intelligence through surface patterning and in a manner that

points towards commercialization.

These are mostly R&D questions at the present time, but also ones that could

potentially lead to real opportunities if satisfactory and appropriate technologies can be

found. As usual some remarkable things can be done in the lab, but it is typically hard

to scale this work up to production-level quantities. So it is as well not to treat


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“breakthroughs” in the fabrication of multifunctional coatings too seriously until they can

be proved to be scalable. And we should also note that it is not just coating and

patterning technologies that are in a state of flux, but also multifunctional coatings

synthesis, which appears to be at an especially very early stage of development.

This gloomy state of affairs is alleviated, however, by the fact that success in creating

better fabrication and synthesis addressing the need for multifunctional surfaces may

have revenue generation potential beyond multifunctionals.

Specifically, we think that multifunctionals—because of their demanding requirements—

will be a good test for new manufacturing approaches of a variety of kinds. For example,

approaches that work well with multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces may work

excellently with unifunctional coatings and surfaces. So, a firm that develops novel

manufacturing approaches for the multifunctional smart surfaces sector can expand

them to many other markets well outside the scope of this report.

1.2 Objectives and Scope of this Report

1.2.1 Goals of the Report

The primary goal of this report is to identify and quantify the market opportunities

emerging from demand for smart multifunctional surfaces worldwide in a number of key

applications in the construction, automotive, aerospace, medical, consumer products

(including consumer electronics), textiles and a few other end-user industries.

The analysis in this report ranges over the complete value chain and covers materials,

manufacturing techniques and final products. Our intent is to provide a technological

roadmap for smart multifunctional surfaces, showing how they (1) can create value by

drastically improving price/performance ratios and (2) establish entirely new smart

product capabilities. The time frame for this analysis is ten years.

Possible combinations of functionalities for multifunctional surfaces: A critical

part of the work done in this report is to examine where the marketable combinations of

functionality for each of the industry sectors discussed is to be found and we include

exhibits throughout the report that specifically identify prospectively important

commercial combinations of functions.

More specifically, we examine how self-cleaning, self-healing, smart antimicrobial, color

shifting, anticorrosion and photovoltaic functionality can be combined in different ways

and for different market sectors. These are by no means the only functionalities that

can be combined to create smart multifunctional surfaces, but they are—for now—the

main ones.


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Ten-year forecasts: One primary objective for this report is to examine various end-

user sectors, where multifunctional smart coatings and surfaces are already being used

or will be in the near future. For each of these sectors we present a ten-year market

forecast and also show how multifunctional smart products have a market fit with

current sector wide trends.

Specifically, we show which combinations of smart functionalities will be the most

productive in terms of revenue generation, but also in terms of volume where

appropriate (square meters or units). The primary breakout of this market is provided in

terms of end-user sector. Where possible, we have also provided projections in terms

of functionality and product type.

Corporate and project profiles: This report also contains profiles of leading

companies developing multifunctional smart materials. These include leading specialty

chemical and coatings companies, glass and other substrate firms and start-ups. We

also examine how supply chains are evolving for these products and where important

R&D projects seem to be taking us in terms of commercialization.

1.2.2 The Scope and Definition of Multifunctionality

The primary focus of this report is on smart multifunctional surfaces. We take these to

comprise primarily surfaces in a number of different industries that can respond

“intelligently” to certain responses and can do so in more than one way. Thus a smart

multifunctional surface may respond to dirt by (1) having it washed away and (2)

separately killing off any pathogenic microbes that may be present.

One minor issue that emerges from this is whether “multifunctional surfaces” can ever

be anything other than “smart.” This really is just a matter of convention and may be

something to be debated at some point in the future.

For now, however, we are going to assume that all multifunctional surfaces are “smart”

in the sense that the technology sector usually uses the term “smart.” In the report

itself, we probably aren’t entirely consistent about this; using both “multifunctional

surface” and “smart multifunctional surface,” to mean the same thing.

Such surfaces can be created in a number of different ways—with coatings, embedded

sensors or surface patterning. However, the focus of this report is on coatings, since

this appears to be the way that most multifunctional coatings are being created today.

However, the other technologies are also considered.

In addition, our primary concern here is with multifunctional coatings that can provide

multiple functions in the manner of the self-cleaning/antimicrobial example given above.

However, we also note that the term “multifunctional coatings” is sometimes used to


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mean a smart coating that can be used to provide different functions at different times

and places; antimicrobial action and anti-inflammatory, again an example that we have

used earlier. This is a relative mature type of coating, but we also make it a part of the

story we tell in this report to some extent.

Multifunctionality represents an environment in which coatings may have to transcend

conventional coating technologies. This report looks at both multifunctionality delivered

through multi-layered coatings as well as materials that are intrinsically multifunctional.

In terms of the actual materials that we include here, this report covers materials based

on inorganic, organic, and biological materials, as well as man-made materials (e.g.,

composites and metamaterials).

1.3 Methodology and Sources of Information

The information that we use for this report is sourced from both primary and secondary

sources. These primary sources consist of a series of telephone interviews with

executives at leading players in this space as well as with notable academics in this

field. The interviews were conducted either specifically for this report or as part of the

ongoing n-tech Research program of coverage for the smart materials sector.

The secondary information was collected from a wide variety of sources including

corporate and government websites, leading trade magazines and reports on the key

end-user sectors provided by both government and private sources. We have also

made use of other reports that n-tech (and its predecessor NanoMarkets, LC) has

published on the areas covered in this report.

1.3.1 Forecasting Methodology

There is no hard data that we can use for forecasting smart multifunctional material

consumption. Much depends on what definitions are used and there is an inevitable

fuzziness about any forecasting in this space. We believe, however, n-tech’s extensive

forecasting model for smart materials is a good place to start with a forecast of

multifunctionals.

The basic approach is the same for all of the forecasts presented in this report. We

discuss specifics in the end-user markets that are presented in each of end-user

chapters later in this report.

Addressable markets: As in all n-tech forecasts we begin our forecasts by seeking out

an appropriate addressable market for each of the markets that we consider in this

report. In this case, we take this addressable market to be quantified in any end-user

market, by adding together the revenues for six smart materials in each of these end-

user markets.


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The six smart materials that we consider here are color-shifting materials, smart

antimicrobials, self-cleaning materials, self-healing, self-dimming glass and integrated

solar surfaces/coatings. The revenues that we use in these forecasts for each of these

segments is taken from previous n-tech reports.

Penetration: We then make assumptions about the penetration of this aggregate

revenue number. In other words, we create revenue projections for each end-user

sector based on our sense of how quickly the addressable market will be penetrated by

multifunctionality.

Note that this approach essentially means that the number recorded by adding together

all the individual smart materials revenues as indicated above becomes an intermediary

in the forecast calculation. Since multifunctionality is assumed for some of the smart

materials, there is an element of over counting. This is resolved by our penetration

assumptions, which intrinsically takes over counting of this kind into account.

Pricing and volume forecasts: The next stage in the forecast is to derive forecasts for

volume (square meters). We get to this forecast by dividing our revenue projections by

the cost of multifunctionality to an appropriate OEM. Depending on the end-user sector,

application and specific OEM, this may be the cost of just a coating or the cost of an

entire smart surface.

Taking this approach has its plusses and minuses. On the positive side, this approach

reflects a reality—this is what the OEM (a well-defined point in the supply chain) actually

pays. On the other hand, there is an element of adding apples and oranges.

The numbers that we use for the costs in this case are also derived from previous n-

tech reports, although indirectly. In choosing the specific cost points, we have assumed

that smart multifunctional coatings and surfaces are going to be quite expensive

compared with other smart materials.

Break outs by type of material: In the final part of the forecasts, we have broken out

revenues for each of the types of multifunctional materials. We have assumed here that

multilayer coatings is something of a default option, but that by the end of the forecast;

smart multifunctionality of surfaces will be provided by sensors, single-layer coatings,

and/or advanced patterning techniques.

1.4 Plan of this Report

Chapter Two of this report provides an analysis of multifunctional surface technologies

with a strong focus on the business opportunities that these present. As we have noted,

the focus here is on coatings, but we also examine the other technologies relevant to

this space.


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The remaining chapters—Chapters Three through Six—are each devoted to

multifunctional surface technology in specific applications areas. Chapter Three,

Chapter Four and Chapter Five are devoted to the construction industry, automotive

industry and aerospace industry respectively.

In Chapter Six we discuss other end-user sectors where we think multifunctional

surfaces plays a smaller—but still significant—commercial role.