Aluminum foam industry status

    Aluminum foam is a kind of porous metal material formed by bubbles, which has the advantages of light weight, high strength, corrosion resistance, sound insulation, heat insulation, etc., and is widely used in construction, transportation, aviation, aerospace and other fields. Aluminum foam industry is a new high-tech industry, but also one of the strategic emerging industries supported by the state.

    According to the 2022 China Aluminum Foam Industry Development Report released by the Chinese Academy of Engineering, in 2022, China's aluminum foam production reached 12,000 tons, an increase of 25%, accounting for 18% of the global market share. Among them, low-density aluminum foam with a density of 0.2-0.6 grams/cubic centimeter accounts for 60%, medium-density aluminum foam with a density of 0.6-1.0 grams/cubic centimeter accounts for 30%, and high-density aluminum foam with a density of 1.0-2.0 grams/cubic centimeter accounts for 10%. The main application areas of China's aluminum foam are building insulation (40%), automotive shock absorption (30%), aerospace (15%), military protection (10%) and so on.

    It is expected that by 2025, China's production of aluminum foam will reach 30,000 tons, accounting for 25% of the global market share. Among them, medium density aluminum foam with a density of 0.6-1.0 grams/cubic centimeter will reach 50%, high-density aluminum foam with a density of 1.0-2.0 grams/cubic centimeter will reach 30%, and ultra-high density aluminum foam with a density of 2.0-5.0 grams/cubic centimeter will reach 10%. The main application areas of aluminum foam in China will change, such as building insulation (30%), automotive shock absorption (25%), aerospace (20%), military protection (15%), and new energy (10%).

    It can be seen from these data that the aluminum foam industry in China has a good development status and prospects, but it also faces some challenges and problems, mainly in the following aspects:

    Raw material supply and cost control: the raw materials of aluminum foam are mainly aluminum powder and blowing agent, of which the price of aluminum powder is affected by the international market, and the quality of blowing agent is limited by technology. At present, China's aluminum foam industry still has problems such as unstable supply of raw materials, high cost and low profit, and it is necessary to strengthen the regulation and analysis of the raw material market, improve the self-sufficiency rate and quality of raw materials, and reduce costs and risks.

    Technological innovation and product development: The aluminum foam industry is a technology-intensive industry, and the technical level and innovation ability are key factors in determining product performance and market competitiveness. At present, China's aluminum foam industry still has problems such as low technical level, few product varieties, and not wide application fields, so it is necessary to increase investment and support for technological innovation and product development, improve product performance and quality, and open up more application fields and market demand.

    Standard development and quality supervision: Aluminum foam industry is a cross-border industry involving a number of fields and industries, and needs a set of perfect and unified standards and norms to guide and regulate production and use. At present, China's aluminum foam industry still has the lack of standards, quality differences, poor supervision and other problems, it is necessary to strengthen the coordination and promotion of standards and quality supervision, establish a set of standards in line with the international level and national conditions, to ensure the safety and reliability of products.

    In short, the aluminum foam industry is an industry full of opportunities and challenges, and the status quo of the aluminum foam industry in 2023 reflects China's achievements and problems in this field, and also predicts China's potential and direction in this field. We hope that China can make greater progress and development in the aluminum foam industry.