Honeycomb Core Materials Market Size, Share, and Trends 2024 to 2034

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Size and Growth 2024 to 2033

The global honeycomb core materials market size was valued at USD 3.26 billion in 2023 and is anticipated to reach around USD 7.07 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 8.04% from 2024 to 2033. The honeycomb core materials are useful in the driving panels, walls, furniture, energy absorbers, galley and sanitary modules, floors, and doors applications of automotive, aerospace and defense, construction, and infrastructure industries.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Key Takeaways

• Asia Pacific led the market with the largest market share of 42% in 2023.
• By type, the aluminium core segment has held the largest market share in 2023.
• By end-use, the aerospace and defence segment has generated more than 30% of market share in 2023.
• By end-use, the construction and infrastructure segment is the fastest growing during the forecast period.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Size in the Asia Pacific 2024 to 2033

The Asia Pacific honeycomb core materials market size was estimated at USD 1.34 billion in 2023 and is predicted to be worth around USD 2.93 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 8.13% from 2024 to 2033.

Asia Pacific led the market with 42% market share in 2023. India, China, and Japan are the leading countries for the honeycomb core materials market in the Asia-Pacific region. In India, there are many industries that use honeycomb core materials. In China, many industries supply aramid honeycomb core materials for racing boats, high-speed trains, and aircraft applications. Currently, the largest application sector of Chinese honeycomb core material is the furniture market. Their lightweight nature helps in environmental protection and resource conservation, and it also helps in lightweight furniture production. China exports honeycomb panels to Vietnam, India, and the United States. China is the second largest honeycomb panel exporter in the world. These factors help the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region.

North America is observed to grow at a significant rate in the honeycomb core materials market during the forecast period. In the North American region, honeycomb core materials are used more frequently. North American companies continuously invest in honeycomb core materials. Due to their high strength and lightweight properties, it is used in the aerospace and defense industries.

In Canada, a wide variety of honeycomb core materials are manufactured, including polypropylene, thermoplastics, aluminum, and Nomex. In Composites Canada, core materials are used to stiffen the product without adding extra weight. Products include laminate bulkers, honeycomb, foam, and balsa. Key players in Canada include companies Rayplex Ltd, Composites Canada, etc. These factors help the growth of the market in the North American region.

• In July 2023, in North America, Feds contributed to the tallest braced-frame MT building. It is in the shape of a honeycomb exoskeleton and helps to create more space inside and remove the interior concrete core.
• In February 2024, fiberglass camper manufacturers America’s Cortes campers continued the Boler tradition-oriented in Canada. In that, honeycomb cores are used.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Size in North America 2023 to 2033

The North America honeycomb core materials market size was calculated at USD 910 million in 2023 and is projected to expand around USD 2,010 million by 2033, poised to grow at a CAGR of 8.24% from 2024 to 2033.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Overview

Honeycomb core materials are a type of lightweight and high-strength material used in various industries for structural applications. The honeycomb core materials market deals with industries that include automotive, construction and infrastructure, sporting goods, aerospace and defense, packaging, and others that have various applications. Honeycomb cores are made from many materials like paper, cloth, thermoplastics, and cardboard that are used to supply low stiffness and low strength for low-load applications and higher stiffness and strength for improving application performance.

Honeycomb core materials and honeycombs are used to manufacture sandwich panels in the company of honeycomb core, which have very high compression strength. Honeycomb core materials are used for honeycomb, which has various applications, including train doors, bulkheads, snowboards, automobile structures, telescope mirror structures, loudspeaker technology, LED technology, rocket structures, jet aircraft, helicopters, gliders, and racing shells. These applications contribute to the growth of the market.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Growth Factors

• Honeycomb core materials are used to manufacture sandwich panels with honeycomb core due to their very high compression strength. This leads to the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.
• Many types of honeycombs with different applications, including stainless steel honeycombs, are used in bulkheads, train doors, floors, and other areas, and also in harsh environments.
• Thermoplastic honeycomb cores are used due to their easily recyclable and lightweight properties.
• Nomex honeycombs are made from Nomex papers and used in higher-performance components and aircraft interior panels due to their mechanical strength, low density, and solid stabilities properties.  These help to the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.
• Aluminum honeycomb cores have the highest weight ratio or strength than other types of honeycomb cores.
• Honeycomb cores have various applications in different industries, such as construction and infrastructure, automotive, sporting goods, aerospace and defense, and packaging.
• The honeycomb core materials applications include train doors, bulkheads, snowboards, automobile structures, telescope mirror structures, rocket structures, jet aircraft, racing shells, gliders, loudspeaker technology, LED technology, and helicopters. These factors help to the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Scope

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Dynamics

Drivers

High-strength and lightweight materials demand

Industries are striving for high-strength and lightweight materials, and honeycomb core materials are the best option. The lightweight properties allow for better fuel efficiency in transportation and reduce weight structures. Lightweight materials are also used to improve energy efficiency in buildings and construction. These materials have high demand in the automotive, aerospace, defense, and packaging industries. These materials help to improve structural efficiency, life span, and load capacity. These factors help in the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.

Rising demand for the aerospace sector

Honeycomb core materials are in high demand in the aerospace sector due to their structural materials and lightweight materials. The structural honeycomb materials used in the aerospace sector are made of hexagonal cells made from materials like fiberglass, aluminum, and Nomex due to their dampening, dimensional accuracy, lightweight, and higher strength properties. Types of honeycombs, including aluminum honeycombs, are used due to their corrosion resistance and high strength for architectural, transportation, and industrial applications. Aramid type of honeycomb is used in aerospace and high-performance racing applications due to its heat resistance properties. These factors help the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.

Restraint

Limitations of honeycomb core materials

Honeycomb core manufacturing has difficulties, including liquid ingression, which results in core corrosion (when the aluminum core is used), skin-to-core unbound, core migration, and sometimes face sheet separation. Honeycomb cores are expensive. Some defects occur in honeycomb panels, the fasteners, or themselves, which cause safety hazards and difficulty in expanding the system. It is frequently observed that the accumulation of the condensate inside the panel increases the process of corrosion. Corrosive environments, structural limitations, and moisture absorption by honeycomb core are the barriers to the growth of the market. These factors can restrict the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.

Opportunity

Research and development

Improving honeycomb core materials for environmental sustainability. Innovation in the honeycomb core towards blast protection, packing, re-entry landing, impact resistance, high-speed train crash, and other engineering applications can be an opportunity for the honeycomb core materials market. Use of Nomex and aluminum honeycomb core sandwich panels for future applications in various industries, including renewable energy testing, the medical industry, construction, and aerospace, to ensure durability and performance. These factors help to the growth of the market.

Type Insights

The aluminum core segment dominated the honeycomb core materials market in 2023. Aluminum honeycomb core material is a highly used honeycomb core material. Aluminum core is used due to their bonding and excellent strength properties. Aluminum core has an excellent strength-to-weight ratio than other type of honeycomb core materials. Aluminum honeycomb core materials are lightweight and resistant to cuts and compressions. It also has incombustible performance, non-moisture absorbent, and is resistant to molds, fungal growth, and corrosion. It is a recyclable honeycomb core material type.

Advantages of the aluminum core include good fire reaction, stiffness, and light. The aluminum core is used in decorative wall panels, shelves, partitions, modern furniture pieces, and sleek crafting. The lightweight nature of the aluminum honeycomb core helps with installation and transportation, and its excellent strength ensures durability and stability. Due to their properties and range of benefits, the aluminum honeycomb core is helpful in aerospace industrial applications. It is a highly recyclable material, and more than 90 percent of the aluminum core materials are processed yearly, which is obtained from recycled materials. These properties and applications of the aluminum core contribute to the growth of the market.

End-use Type Insights

The aerospace and defence segment dominated the honeycomb core materials market in 2023. Aviation honeycomb core materials are highly used in aerospace and defense applications. This sector uses honeycomb core materials because their properties include dampening and dimensional accuracy, high strength to weight, and lightweight. Metallic core is used in aerospace and defense sector applications for its interior components, control surfaces, and other structures.

Normally, Kevlar, Nomex, and Aluminum are honeycomb core materials used in aerospace and defense applications. Reliable and advanced materials are necessary for the aerospace and defense industry to ensure strength, optimal safety, and longevity in challenging applications. Aerospace and defense sector applications in which honeycomb core materials are utilized include critical structures like propellers, jet engines, aircraft, and rockets. These advantages help the growth of the aerospace and defense end-use segment and contribute to the growth of the market.

• In June 2022, aeroBASE honeycomb multi-use floor panels were developed by Collins Aerospace to increase longevity and weight reduction, and it provides superior durability, which is helpful for the aerospace and defense sector applications.

The construction and infrastructure segment is the fastest growing during the forecast period. Honeycomb core materials are used in construction and infrastructure applications, including furniture, clean rooms, ceilings, flooring panels, and building facades. Paper, stainless steel, and aluminum are used in the construction and infrastructure end-use segment, which contributes to the growth of the segment and helps the growth of the honeycomb core materials market.

• In November 2022, a global leader in cost-effective honeycomb core material production technology, EconCore, established a novel manufacturing line for lightweight honeycomb core material based on rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate). The recycled PET honeycomb core materials are made of 100 percent recycled industrial waste and post-consumer waste. This can be used in the commercial construction and infrastructure sector.
• In 2024, Schutz Composites expanded its innovation in a lightweight construction material named Cornmaster. This honeycomb-shaped aramid paper-based lightweight construction material is resistant to extremely low weight and high mechanical strength. It is also resistant to moisture, heat, and corrosion due to paraffin, oils, and water.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Recent Developments

• In August 2022, Bespoke Composite Panels (BCP) and Corex Honeycomb both demonstrated their applications and products in the rail sector. Corex’s aluminum honeycomb is corrosion-resistant and high-strength, which helps it serve as the core material for interior panel partitions, sanitary modules, galleys, train interior furniture, train floors, and train doors. Bespoke Composite Panels (BCP) manufactures interior furniture and structural panels for the rail industry using aluminum composites.
• In January 2023, a research article was published on wall panel structure design optimization of hexagonal satellites, promoting the use of honeycomb structures and aerospace materials for satellite design.
• In June 2023, an aluminum composite panel manufacturing company, Alumaze, launched a range of products in Vishakhapatnam. These panels are useful in building construction, replace wood, and are eco-friendly.
• Baltic Yachts launched the 34-metre-long semi-foiler ‘RAVEN’ in November 2023, after the initial test runs without wings, with foils for the First Time. This Kelvar uses a honeycomb core and carbon prepregs for the hull.
• In January 2024, a quieter pickleball paddle was invented by an Oak Bay man to reduce noise by 50%. The shock-absorbing and water-resistant carbon honeycomb core material is common to standard paddles.
• In January 2024, a new FST aircraft interior edge and core filler compound were launched by L&L products. It helps to improve the manual process of other 2-components honeycomb panel boosting.
• In January 2024, China revealed a next-generation multi-target electronic welfare weapon design. The weapon design is a waveguide structure that is open-ended and honeycomb-like.

Honeycomb Core Materials Market Companies

• ACP Composites
• Advanced Honeycomb Technologies
• Corex Honeycomb
• EconCore N.V.
• Euro-Composites S.A.
• Hexcel Corporation
• HONYLITE
• Pacific Panels, Inc.
• The Honeycomb Corporation, Plascore, Inc.

Segments Covered in the Report

By Type

• Aluminium Core
• Aramid Core
• Paper
• Others

By End-use Type

• Packaging
• Aerospace and Defense
• Construction and Infrastructure
• Automotive
• Others

By Geography

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East and Africa