Market Overview:

The Global Out of Autoclave (OOA) Prepreg Market was valued at US$ 185.89 Mn in 2022 and is expected to reach US$ 244.78 Mn by 2030 at a CAGR of 3.5% over the forecast period 2022-2030.

OOA prepreg has a small share of the prepreg market right now, but it is expected to grow a lot in the next five years. OOA prepregs have a low cost infrastructure, low void content (1%) in thick laminates, uniform resin distribution to avoid dry spots and resin-rich pockets, and a low temperature.

OOA prepregs are still only used in a small number of commercial applications. But in most industries, like aerospace and defense and wind energy, there has been a rise in demand for OOA prepregs. All of the major prepregs are getting more and more involved in the development of OOA prepregs and the commercial use of these materials in different industries. Tier players and OEMs have shown a lot of interest in the same things.

Out-of-autoclave (OOA) prepregs are becoming more popular for use in aerospace because they are cheaper and can be made faster. There are different ways to make OOA prepreg, such as vacuum-bag curing, resin transfer molding, and prepreg layup. From 2019 to 2024, the market for out-of-autoclave prepreg is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%.

Market Dynamics:

Market Trends:

The OOA process gets the same quality as an autoclave, but it does so in a different way that is both efficient and good for the budget. OOA processing is a more environmentally friendly way to make things because it doesn't use an autoclave but still makes composites that are as good as those made in an autoclave.

Many end-user industries, such as automotive, aerospace, and wind energy, are using out-of-autoclave processing more and more because of its high performance and ability to cross the required 1% void content threshold in a cost-effective and efficient way. This is very important for structural applications.

Driving Factors:

• Increasing Demand from the Aerospace and Defence Industry

The demand from the aerospace and defense industries is driving the global out of autoclave aerospace composites market to grow quickly. When compared to traditional metals, composites that come out of an autoclave are lighter, which means they use less fuel. Also, the strength-to-weight ratio of these composites is much better than that of other materials, which makes them ideal for use in aircraft structures. The out of autoclave aerospace composites market is growing because more people are worried about the environment and there is a need for planes that use less fuel.

• Rising Demand for Commercial and Military Aircraft

Different methods, such as prepreg, resin transfer molding, and vacuum-assisted resin injection molding, are used to make out-of-autoclave composites. These composites are used in many places, like the fuselage, the wings, the tail, and the floors. The out of autoclave aerospace composites market is likely to grow because more commercial and military planes are being bought.

• Increasing Demand for Fuel-Efficient Vehicles and Favourable Policies

The market is growing because more people want fuel-efficient cars, the government is doing things to help, and there are good policies in place. Also, more end-use applications, especially in defense and aerospace, have given the out-of-autoclave prepregs market many opportunities to make money. The out of autoclave prepregs market has also grown because more and more people want stronger and lighter materials. This has attracted consumers, manufacturers, and retailers, which has helped the market grow.

Restraints/Challenges:

• High Cost of Raw Material

The price of raw materials is one of the biggest problems the aerospace composites market has to deal with. The growth of the market is likely to be slowed by the price of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is a very common material in the aerospace industry. It is used to make different parts of an airplane, like the fuselage, the wings, and the tail. Compared to traditional materials like steel and aluminum, the price of this material is very high. This is one of the biggest things that keeps the aerospace composites market from growing.

• Lack of Skilled Workforce

The market for aerospace composites requires a lot of work. One of the biggest problems that market players face is a lack of skilled workers. For aerospace composites to be made, skilled labor is needed. The growth of the market is likely to be slowed down by the lack of skilled workers.

• Stringent Regulations

Several government agencies, like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the United States, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) in Europe, and the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) in China, oversee the aerospace industry. These agencies have made very strict rules about how airplanes should be designed and made. These rules are likely to slow the growth of the market for aerospace composites.

Opportunities:

• Development in Aerospace Industry

Over the next few years, the global out of autoclave prepreg market is expected to grow at a CAGR of about 3.5%. The market is growing because the aerospace industry wants more lightweight materials and the commercial aircraft industry wants more composites that don't need to be baked in an oven. Out of autoclave composites are being used more and more in the aerospace industry because they are strong, stiff, and have a low density. These composites are also resistant to chemicals, heat, and water, which makes them perfect for use in aerospace.

Strategic Development:

• In March 2017 - Dow Automotive Systems released VAUSE. It is a new way to make out-of-autoclave prepreg composites that work like compression molding to speed up the manufacturing process.
• In May 2022 - Solvay said that its SolvaLite portfolio was getting bigger. SolvaLite 714 prepregs are a new type of carbon fiber and woven fabric products that have already been soaked in SolvaLite 714 epoxy resin.
• In April 2022 - Archer Aviation Inc. and Hexcel signed a letter of intent. Under the terms of the proposed relationship, Hexcel would give Archer high-performance Carbon Fiber Prepreg so that Archer could make composite parts for its planes.
• In June 2021 - Axiom Materials released AX-6170 and AX-6201XL, two new narrow prepreg products. AX6170 is a cyanate ester carbon fiber prepreg that is used for parts that need to be very strong, like the containers for lithium-ion batteries. AX6201XL is a toughened epoxy Carbon Fiber Prepreg that is used to make structural parts for hydrogen fuel tanks.

Key Vendors:

Top market players are

• Cytec Solvay Group

Cytec has been a leading supplier of chemical reagents to the mining industry for almost 100 years. This has helped customers improve productivity and lower operating costs while meeting complex economic, environmental, and metallurgical challenges.

• GMS Composites

GMS Composites manufactures composite prepregs. The company also makes composite parts with infusion molding, composite parts with finishing, prepreg parts with press molding, and a lot of other things. It works with the defense, auto, sports, marine, and rail industries. The main office of the company is in Chadstone, Australia.

• Gurit Holding AG

Gurit is a leading global provider of advanced composite materials like core materials, prepregs, pultruded structural profiles, formulated products like adhesives, laminates, resins, and infusion systems, as well as structural composite engineering services, tooling equipment, and core kitting services. Gurit works with the Marine, Architecture & Building, and Wind Energy industries, among others.

• Hexcel Corporation

Hexcel is the world's leading manufacturer of carbon fiber reinforcements and resin systems for the commercial aerospace industry. They are also the world's leading manufacturer of honeycomb for the commercial aerospace industry.

• Norco Composites

NORCO GRP Ltd has four sites on the south coast of Great Britain. The company is based in Poole, Dorset. The company specializes in making GRP/Composite mouldings for end users all over the world.

• Renegade Material Corporation

Renegade Materials Corporation makes composite materials that can stand up to high temperatures. The company sells prepregs, adhesives, and resins for use in aerospace. Customers in the United States are served by Renegade Materials.

• SHD Composites

SHD Composite Materials is a group that is based in the UK and has locations in the UK, Slovenia, and the USA. SHD makes a wide range of tooling and component prepregs that can be cured in an autoclave, a press, or an oven.

• Thermal Product Solutions LLC

Thermal Product Solutions (TPS) designs and makes ovens and furnaces for factories and labs, as well as test chambers for cycling temperatures and testing stability. Tenney, Blue M, Gruenberg, Lindberg/MPH, and Wisconsin Oven are all brands of products.

• Toray Industries, Inc. (TenCate)

Toray Industries, Inc. (Toray) is a company that makes and sells high-tech materials. The company makes fibers, clothing, plastics, chemicals, composite materials, products for life sciences, medical devices, drugs, and optical products, among other things. It also sells carbon fibers, composites made of carbon fibers, polyester, polyethylene, polypropylene, and membranes for treating water.

Segmentation Analysis:

The market is segmented on the basis of resin type, form, reinforcement, end-user and regions.

By Resin Type:

In 2021, the thermoset segment had the largest share of the Carbon Fiber Prepreg Market, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% from 2022 to 2027. The thermoset resin matrix's main job is to hold the fibers together. It does this by acting as an adhesive. Thermoset resins don't melt when they get hot; instead, they fall apart. This group of polymers is made up of short molecular chains that have a low viscosity, which makes them perfect for coating fibers. Epoxy, phenolic, bismaleimide (also called polyimide), and cyanate ester are the most important thermoset resins. Epoxy has the most of these, because carbon fiber prepregs made with epoxy are strong, durable, and resistant to the environment. They are often used in aerospace and defense, automotive, sport, wind, and other industries. Epoxy resins have helped the carbon fiber prepreg industry make a lot of progress. For example, in July 2020, Sino Polymer made a flame-retardant epoxy resin system for carbon fiber prepreg that only has one component and can be used in railway applications. So, the thermoset segment of the Carbon Fiber Prepreg market is likely to be the largest.

• Thermoset
• Epoxy
• Phenolic
• Bismaleimide (also called polyimide)
• Cyanate ester
• Thermoplastic

By Form Type:

Based on product form type, it is expected that fabric will remain the largest product type in the global OOA prepreg market during the forecast period. This is because it is used in structural to semi-structural applications, such as the fuselage, where it is a key component. During the same time period, the product type (fabric) is also likely to see the most growth.

• Unidirectional OOA Prepreg
• Fabric OOA Prepreg

By Reinforcement:

Carbon fiber is the most common type of reinforcement in the global OOA prepreg market, and it is expected to stay the most popular during the forecast period. Carbon fiber has a good ratio of strength to weight, high resistance to wear and tear, high stiffness, and a high tolerance for heat. This type of fiber is becoming more popular in all markets, such as aerospace and defense, marine, and wind energy.

• Carbon Fiber-based OOA Prepreg
• Other Fibres-based OOA Prepreg

By End-User:

Aerospace & Defense, Wind Energy, Marine, and Others are the different types of end-use industries in the global OOA prepreg market. During the forecast period, the aerospace and defense segment is expected to remain the largest and fastest-growing part of the OOA prepreg market. This industry has been able to find commercial uses for OOA prepreg in structural applications like the trailing edge, fuselage, and fairings.

• Aerospace & Defense
• Wind Energy
• Marine
• Others

Regional Insights:

The global non-autoclave prepreg market is divided into regions like North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and others. Because OOA technology is used a lot in the aerospace and defense industries, North America is the largest market.

There are several projects going on in the United States to use OOA prepregs commercially in different aerospace applications. These projects are expected to drive the North American market.

The U.S. Air Force has also said that OOA prepregs are important if they want to make future military platforms quickly and cheaply. Europe is expected to have the highest growth rate because OOA prepregs are being used more and more in aircraft structures and designs.

• North America
• US
• Canada
• Mexico
• Rest of North America
• Europe
• Germany
• France
• Italy
• Spain
• UK
• Nordic Countries
• Denmark
• Finland
• Iceland
• Sweden
• Norway
• Benelux Union
• Belgium
• The Netherlands
• Luxembourg
• Rest of Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Japan
• China
• India
• Australia
• South Korea
• Southeast Asia
• Indonesia
• Thailand
• Malaysia
• Singapore
• Rest of Southeast Asia
• Rest of Asia-Pacific
• The Middle East & Africa
• Saudi Arabia
• UAE
• Egypt
• South Africa
• Rest of the Middle East & Africa
• Latin America
• Brazil
• Argentina
• Rest of Latin America

Scope of Report:

Conclusion:

• The report also gives information about the latest industry, share, growth, trends, research, overview, and mulching material market trends.
• It also looks at how technologies are being used around the world at a fast pace.
• It also talks about some of the things that help the market grow and things that slow it down.
• The report also has an overview and an analysis of the industry