No.4121
Global Carbon Nanotube Market: Key Research Findings 2026
Global Shipment of Carbon Nanotubes Projected to Surpass 15 Thousand Tons in 2025
Yano Research Institute (the President, Takashi Mizukoshi) has conducted a survey on the global carbon nanotube market, and found out the trends by product segment, the trends of market players, and future perspective.
Market Overview
Global shipment volume of carbon nanotubes (“CNTs”) is projected to reach 15,542 tons in 2025, which represents 130.6% of the previous year’s volume.
However, demand for CNTs as conductive additives in lithium-ion batteries (LiBs), a key driver of market growth, has been declining in line with the slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) production. This trend is particularly evident in the United States, where environmental regulations are becoming less stringent. In contrast, demand for CNTs continues to grow in China and Europe.
Noteworthy Topics
Single-Walled Nanotubes: Global Market Trends
Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are unique materials that can be either metallic or semiconducting depending on how they are rolled, as defined by their chiral indices (n, m). Renowned for being lightweight yet mechanically strong and highly conductive (electrically and thermally), SWCNTs have been studied for many years as a next-generation material that serve critical roles across sectors, such as energy (rechargeable batteries, fuel cells, solar cells, etc.), electronics (semiconductor circuits, transparent electrodes, heat dissipation components, etc.), and aerospace/automotive (reinforcement materials, etc.).
Historically, commercial adoption of SWCNTs grew through anti-static applications, such as ESD flooring, anti-static gloves, and rubber composites (such as O-rings and rollers). This paved the way for a major market shift in 2019, when demand surged for SWCNTs as conductive additives in lithium-ion battery (LiB) anodes. Current growth is fueled by increasing shipments for LiB cathodes and next-generation all-solid-state and semi-solid-state batteries.
Future Outlook
Chinese and Korean multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) manufacturers are preparing to transition into the mass production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). In response to the rise of these Chinese startups, Japanese SWCNT producers are shifting their strategic focus toward lithium-ion battery (LiB) applications. Because global supply is still struggling to keep pace with demand, CNT manufacturers worldwide will likely increase their capital investments moving forward.
Research Outline
2.Research Object： Carbon nanotube manufacturers
3.Research Methogology： Face-to-face interviews by our expert researchers (including online interviews) and literature research
What is the Carbon Nanotube Market?
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs)are sheets of carbon allotropes rolled into cylindrical tubes, typically with a diameter of about 1 to several tens of nanometers and a length of about 1 to several tens of micrometers (µm).
In this survey, the carbon nanotubes indicate CNT in broad sense, encompassing Resonac’s Vapor Grown Carbon Fibers (“VGCF®”)* that typically feature similar structure with diameters exceeding 100 nm, in addition to single-walled nanotubes (SWCNTs) and multi-walled nanotubes (MWCNTs).
The CNT market size was calculated based on the manufacturer shipment volume.
*VGCF® is a registered trademark of Resonac Corporation.
＜Products and Services in the Market＞
SWCNT (single-walled carbon nanotubes), MWCNT (multi-walled carbon nanotubes)
Published Report
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