The adoption of advanced coatings is driven by their highly attractive properties, which can address a broad range of application requirements. IDTechEx categorises these advantages under manufacturing ease, coating performance and sustainability.
Graphene and advanced coatings are among the key topics examined within IDTechEx’s extensive portfolio of Advanced Materials & Critical Minerals research reports, reflecting their growing importance across major technology sectors such as thermal management and automotive applications.
The transition from research to market adoption represents the next phase for graphene, as the material becomes increasingly integrated into commercial applications. Graphene is able to fulfil a wide range of functions, including in thermal management. Thermal interface materials are used to enable rapid heat transfer from a heat source to a heat sink, preventing overheating through efficient heat dissipation. IDTechEx identifies those certain carbon-based fillers, including graphene, demonstrate higher thermal conductivity than many metals, including copper, silver and gold, positioning them as strong competitors.
Smartphones are making increasing use of graphene within thermal management systems in order to meet rising performance demands. Its role can vary, from acting as a localised heat spreader to a large-area heat spreader, or even replacing a vapour chamber entirely. Huawei, for example, has been observed combining a highly conductive graphene sheet with a liquid cooling vapour chamber to optimise thermal management and heat transfer. IDTechEx’s report, “Graphene & 2D Materials 2026–2036: Technologies, Markets, Players,” details multiple companies across both the smartphone and computer industries that have integrated graphene into their devices.
Graphene can be produced using a wide variety of processes, which differ significantly in both methodology and outcomes. These include oxidation and reduction, liquid-phase exfoliation, electrochemical exfoliation, dry exfoliation, plasma exfoliation, chemical vapour deposition, and other techniques detailed in IDTechEx’s research.
Extended shelf life can help reduce waste and increase operational flexibility, while short, ambient cure times support higher throughput and lower overall energy consumption. The low viscosity of some advanced coatings also enables spray application, improving ease of use and allowing controlled coating of complex geometries. From a performance perspective, lighter and thinner coatings can support improved energy efficiency in use and enable deployment in space-constrained applications or those requiring weight minimisation.
IDTechEx’s report, “Advanced Coatings 2026–2036: Market, Technologies, Players,” examines a range of coating types, each with distinct benefits and limitations. PFAS-free advanced coatings may help mitigate concerns associated with so-called forever chemicals that pose risks to human health and the environment. Water-based coatings, while generally safer and requiring less ventilation infrastructure, may be less suitable for certain electronic applications, highlighting trade-offs between performance and sustainability. Other coatings, including those containing volatile organic compounds, are noted for their faster drying times and compatibility with a wider range of materials, which may make them attractive alternatives to safer, water-based options despite their environmental considerations.
Given the breadth of available advanced coatings, some solutions are better suited to specific industrial applications than others. IDTechEx’s research provides in-depth market analysis of advanced coating developments and their ability to deliver enhanced durability and functionality across a wide range of industries and use cases.