The zirconium-based amorphous alloy industry has huge development potential. Folding screen mobile phone hinges are its main downstream products.
Zirconium-based amorphous alloy belongs to a type of zirconium-based liquid metal. It refers to a material with amorphous or amorphous crystalline dual structure. It is mainly prepared by mixing a certain proportion of zirconium and other metal elements. Zirconium-based amorphous alloy is a new type of composite material with the advantages of high density, high strength, high hardness, strong corrosion resistance, good wear resistance, strong ignition ability, and good elastic modulus. It is widely used in automobiles, consumer electronics, It has broad application prospects in precision machinery, medical equipment, sporting goods, aerospace, national defense and military industry and other fields.
Specifically, in the field of sporting goods, zirconium-based amorphous alloys are mainly used in the manufacturing of surface materials for golf clubs; in the field of consumer electronics, they are mainly used in the manufacturing of hinges for folding screen mobile phones, which can meet the needs of making folding screen mobile phones thinner and lighter. Trend; in the field of medical devices, it can be used as an orthopedic implant for the treatment of orthopedic diseases; in the automotive field, it is mainly used in the manufacturing of automotive structural parts such as automotive bearings and gears.
Among them, consumer electronics is the fastest growing application field of zirconium-based amorphous alloys. In 2022, domestic foldable screen mobile phone shipments will exceed 3 million units, a year-on-year increase of approximately 120%. As the domestic folding screen mobile phone market is becoming increasingly popular, the zirconium-based amorphous alloy market is ushering in a period of development opportunities. So far, zirconium-based amorphous alloys have been used in some models of Huawei, VIVO and other brands, and the market has shown great development potential. In the future, as the trend of thinner and lighter foldable screen mobile phones continues to rise, the market penetration rate of zirconium-based amorphous alloys is expected to continue to expand.
According to the “China Zirconium-based Amorphous Alloy Industry Market Monitoring and Future Development Prospects Research Report 2023-2027” released by the Industrial Research CenterIt shows that China has the most complete liquid metal industry chain in the world, and zirconium-based amorphous alloys have achieved large-scale mass production. The main domestic suppliers of zirconium-based amorphous alloys include Dongmu New Materials Group, Dongguan Yi’an Technology, Changzhou Shi Liquid metal, Sanxiang new materials, etc. Among them, Yi’an Technology is a leading enterprise of zirconium-based amorphous alloys in my country and even the world. It has a production line for large-scale production of zirconium-based amorphous alloys. Its research and development and production capabilities of zirconium-based amorphous alloy mobile phone hinges lead the world.
But at the same time, domestic reserves of zirconium resources, a key raw material for zirconium-based amorphous alloys, are small. Product demand is mainly imported from Australia, South Africa, Indonesia and other places, with import dependence as high as 98%. The shortage of raw materials restricts the development of the domestic zirconium-based amorphous alloy industry, and the industry is still facing major difficulties.
Industry analysts said that zirconium-based amorphous alloy is a new type of composite material with excellent comprehensive properties, and has now become a popular choice for folding screen mobile phones. Important materials required for the manufacturing of hinges, automobile structural parts, bone implant medical devices, golf heads and other products, the market development potential is huge. At present, my country has achieved large-scale mass production of zirconium-based amorphous alloys. The production and R&D capabilities of local enterprise Yi’an Technology’s related products lead the world, and the industry development trend is good.