Overview:
The diamond-like term reflects that the film (coating) contains some portion of sp3 (diamond) and sp2 (carbon) bonding. This bonding has mechanical properties of the film different to the properties of a diamond. The diamond-like carbon (DLC) is an amorphous carbon material that displays some of the typical properties of a diamond. It is a thin film coating deposited on other materials to impart essential properties of diamond such as hard, chemical & scratch resistant, and to provide surface lubrication to minimize friction amongst others. DLC coatings possess high thermal conductivity and electrical resistivity that makes it suitable for medical devices, micro-electronics and automotive components applications. Protective coatings on displays, flexible semiconductors, and sensors are coated with DLC to increase the durability of the product and increase overall product life.
DLC coating is deposited on any material by ‘Plasma-enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition (PE-CVD)’ process. Polymers are often known to have low melting point temperatures, therefore coated with DLC in order to improve their melting point temperatures and surface hardness. The polymers like PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is one of the major product coated with DLC in order to impart strength and have an extended product life. The structure and mechanical properties of DLC are based on the method of deposition and incorporation of additional elements like hydrogen, nitrogen, silicone and other metal dopants. These additional elements controls the hardness of the resultant film, level of residual stress, and tri-biological properties. The DLC coating are chemically inert and can be used for number of materials like aluminum silicon alloys, powder metallurgy, cylinders, pistons, balls, gates, actuators, crankshafts, ball bearings, rotors and impellers amongst many others.
Major restraining factor with the usage of DLC is that the coating thickness (5 µm and below) is limited. Since the film itself is under the influence of residual stresses, de-lamination failure can occur in-case of high film stress. Lower temperature degrades the DLC to graphite is another factor restraining the growth. The property of graphite is not similar to diamond and hence the coating may not be worthy enough to impart desired properties. In the recent years there has been increased focus to apply DLC films on the mass produced mechanical components including medical components. This one of the major factor that is expected to propel the market growth for DLC coatings and its applications.
The Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) is segmented by product type into Hydrogen Free DLC (a-C), Hydrogenated DLC (a-C:H), tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon DLC (ta-C), Hydrogenated Tetrahedral Amorphous Carbon (ta-C:H) and Others (Silicon DLC, Metal DLC, etc.). The DLC market by product type is driven by ta-C segment due the fact that it is the purest form of DLC as it contains only sp3 bonded atoms. It has major application in metal coatings. Based on the application, the market is segmented into medical products, thermal applications, packaging products, automotive and others (Metal Forming, Tools & Tackles, Mechanical Seals, etc.). Automotive application led the market in 2017 due to DLC’s high wear resistance, friction resistance, and non-stick properties. It is considered as an ideal surfacing solution for automotive and other stressed components and tools.
In 2017, in terms of demand/consumption, globally, Asia Pacific was the major market for Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) closely followed by the Europe and North American regions. As of 2017, China was the largest market for DLC since, for the same year, it was the leading automotive manufacturing hub of the world. Other BRICS country like India with its ongoing “Make in India” program is expected to boost the manufacturing sector, especially automotive and electronics. The Asia Pacific region is projected to be the largest market for medical, electrical and automotive components for the forecast period.
Global Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) Market is segmented as below:
Key players across the Diamond-like Carbon (DLC) Market value chain are:
Fraunhofer IST, Northeast Coating Technologies, IBC Coating Technologies Inc., Acree Technologies Inc., Morgan Advanced Materials, Denton Vacuum, IHI Group, MIBA Group (Teer Coatings), IBC Coating Technologies, and other notable players.
This report offers:
