Ceramic fiber blanket is a needled blanket that is made from high purity spun ceramic fibre. It is designed to be used when working with furnaces, boilers, nuclear insulation, and high temperature pipe insulations. It is ideally utilized in industries where high temperature insulation is required. More specifically, the ceramic fibre blanket is used if there is a requirement for low heat storage and complete resistance to thermal shock. It possesses properties such as light weight, low thermal conductivity, high temperature stability, thermal shock resistance, and chemical and corrosion resistance. They are largely employed in applications such as pipe insulation, boiler insulation, air pre-heater insulation, turbine insulation, and ovens and stack linings due to its properties, as mentioned above.
Based on type, the global ceramic fiber blanket market can be segmented into ceramic fiber throw blanket and ceramic fiber spray blanket. Ceramic fiber blankets are free from organic adhesive and have a smooth surface. Furthermore, these blankets possess the heat resistance of a hard refractory, which gives them excellent insulating properties. This blanket provides good sound absorption and fire protection. Ceramic fiber blankets are utilized in diverse applications in furnaces, kilns, generators, reformers, boilers, steam and gas turbines, seals and jacketing, furnace door seals, expansion joint seals and other high temperature equipment, due to their properties such as lightweight, flexibility, and specific features such as very low thermal conductivity, thermal shock resistance, and corrosion resistance.
In terms of end-user industry, the ceramic fiber blanket market can be classified into chemical, construction, electronic, aerospace, petrochemical, and others. Petrochemical is a prominent end-use industry for ceramic fiber blankets. Demand for ceramic fiber blankets in the petrochemical industry is driven by its high insulating and low thermal conducting properties. The evolution of shale gas & coal gasification technology in North America is also boosting the usage of ceramic fiber blankets in the petrochemical industry.
In terms of geography, the market can be segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, and Latin America. Asia Pacific, being the global manufacturing hub of the world, is also a significant market for ceramic fiber blankets. Rising activities in construction, energy, industrial, and automotive sectors in economies such as China and India are driving the ceramic fiber blanket market. Lower cost of production has provided a great opportunity for global players to enter into Asia Pacific, especially, in the developing nations such as China and India.
Key players operating in the ceramic fiber blanket market include Nutec, Rath USA, Ibiden, Isolite Insulating Products, Morgan Thermal Ceramics, Thermost Thermotech, and Unifrax.
