I. Industry Overview
(I) Definition and Classification of Specialized Diamond Micropowder
Specialized diamond micropowder refers to diamond particles with a particle size finer than a specific standard (usually 54 microns or 60 microns), which are mainly divided into single crystal diamond micropowder and polycrystalline diamond micropowder.
Single crystal diamond micropowder is produced by crushing and shaping artificial diamond single crystal abrasives using special process methods of superhard materials. It has high hardness and good wear resistance, and can grind and polish high hardness materials such as cemented carbide, ceramics, gemstones, optical glass, etc.
Polycrystalline diamond micropowder is made from graphite using a unique directional blasting method. The structure of artificial diamond produced by this method is similar to that of natural diamond and has good toughness.
The shock wave of the directional blasting of high-detonation-velocity explosives accelerates the flying metal flakes and hits the graphite flakes, causing the graphite to be converted into polycrystalline diamond. Its particles are made of tiny diamond grains bonded by unsaturated bonds and have good toughness. However,
due to the limitations of synthesis conditions, there are few manufacturers of polycrystalline diamond powder and the product cost is high.
With the rapid development of nanotechnology, nano diamond powder has now appeared. Nanotechnology originated in the late 1990s. Nano diamond is nanometer-sized and is a material synthesized by explosion technology. It has the advantages of diamond and has the characteristics of small size, large specific surface area,
quantum size effect, etc.
(II) Industry development history
The development history of the diamond powder industry can be roughly divided into the following stages:
1. Initial exploration stage:
o The research on diamond powder originated in the early 20th century and was first discovered as an abrasive material. Researchers found that diamond powder has extremely high hardness and wear resistance, which gradually attracted people's attention.
o In the early stage, diamond powder was mainly used as an abrasive material for grinding, polishing and other processes. Although the application range is limited, its excellent performance has attracted more researchers and manufacturers to participate in related research and development.
2. Technological improvement and application expansion stage:
o With the advancement of technology and the deepening of research, the production process of diamond micropowder has been continuously improved. The technologies including raw material selection, preparation process, particle size control, etc. have been improved,
which has significantly improved the quality and performance of diamond micropowder.
o On the basis of technological improvement, the application field of diamond micropowder has also been further expanded. In addition to the traditional fields of grinding and polishing, diamond micropowder has begun to be used in cutting tools, electronic materials, coatings and other fields, playing a more extensive role.
3. Industrialization and market maturity stage:
o With the continuous advancement of technology and the increase in market demand, the production of diamond micropowder has gradually achieved scale and industrialization. The production equipment and process flow have been further optimized, and the production cost has been effectively controlled, which has greatly increased the output of diamond micropowder and guaranteed the market supply.
o As the superior performance of diamond micropowder is continuously recognized, the market demand for it has gradually increased. In addition to the traditional industrial field, the application of diamond micropowder in high-tech, new materials and other fields has also been rapidly developed, becoming one of the important materials to promote industrial upgrading and technological progress.
4. Technological innovation and industrial upgrading stage:
o With the continuous progress of science and technology, the preparation technology and performance of diamond micropowder have been further improved. The application of new materials and new processes has further improved the hardness, wear resistance, thermal conductivity and other properties of diamond micropowder,
expanding its application field.
o Faced with the continuous emergence of new technologies and new materials, the diamond micropowder industry is also constantly upgrading and transforming. Enterprises have increased their investment in research and development, actively introduced new technologies and new equipment, improved product quality and added value,
and promoted the development of the diamond micropowder industry towards high-end and intelligent directions.
5. International development and global cooperation stage:
o With the integration of the global economy and trade liberalization, the diamond micropowder industry has gradually become internationalized. China and other major diamond micropowder producing countries have enhanced their competitiveness in the global market by strengthening international cooperation and opening up international markets.
o Countries have also carried out extensive technical exchanges and cooperation in the field of diamond micropowder. Through joint research and development, sharing of technical resources and other forms, the progress of diamond micropowder technology and the development of the industry have been accelerated.
II. Market Analysis
(I) Market size and growth trend
1. Global market size and growth trend: Diamond micropowder, as an important superhard material, is widely used worldwide. With the continuous advancement of industrial technology and the continuous expansion of emerging application fields, the market demand for diamond micropowder continues to grow. According to relevant reports, the scale of the global diamond powder industry continues to expand, and the Chinese market occupies an important position in it.
2. China's market size and growth trend: China is the world's largest producer and consumer of diamond micropowder. In recent years, with the rapid growth of the domestic economy and the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing industry, the demand for diamond micropowder has increased significantly.
It is expected that China's diamond micropowder market will maintain a stable growth trend in the next few years.
(II) Competition pattern
1. The intensity of industry competition: China's diamond micropowder industry is highly competitive, but the market concentration is relatively low. Among the many manufacturers, there are both large-scale enterprises and many small and medium-sized enterprises.
2. Market share of major enterprises: There are relatively few large-scale manufacturers in my country's diamond micropowder industry. The main enterprises include Huifeng Diamond, Power Diamond, Henan Yalong Superhard Materials Co., Ltd., etc. In 2021, the total output of the diamond micropowder industry was 5.388 billion carats,
with Huifeng Diamond/Power Diamond having a market share of 15.89%/9.40% respectively. There are many small manufacturers with low scale and low production technology level, mainly producing low-end micropowders.
3. Industry concentration trend: With the upgrading of downstream diamond tool products and the continuous expansion of application fields, higher requirements are put forward for the performance and quality of diamond micropowder products, and the industry concentration trend continues to strengthen.
(III) Demand structure
1.Demand characteristics in the industrial field: The demand for diamond micropowder mainly comes from the industrial field, such as cutting, grinding, drilling, polishing, etc. These fields have high requirements for the quality and performance of diamond micropowder, and require micropowders with characteristics such as high hardness and wear resistance.
2. Growth in demand in emerging application fields: With the continuous expansion of emerging application fields, such as semiconductors, optical components, medical devices, etc., the market demand for diamond micropowder will further increase.
For example, in the semiconductor field, several production links such as silicon carbide (SiC) crystal cutting, wafer grinding, and wafer polishing all require the use of diamond powder or related products for processing; in the field of optical components,
diamond powder can be used for precision grinding when manufacturing high-end optical lenses and hard disk heads; in the field of medical devices, diamond powder can be used to manufacture surface wear-resistant coatings for artificial bones and artificial joints.
III. Product Features
(I) Hardness and Wear Resistance
Specialized diamond powder has shown unique advantages in many fields with its excellent high hardness and wear resistance. Diamond is the hardest substance in nature, and its powder form also maintains this characteristic.
Both single-crystal diamond powder and polycrystalline diamond powder have extremely high hardness and can easily cope with the processing needs of various high-hardness materials. In applications such as cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing,
diamond powder can maintain high-efficiency processing performance for a long time with its excellent wear resistance, reducing the cost of frequent replacement of abrasives due to wear. For example, when grinding and polishing hard alloys, ceramics, gemstones, optical glass and other high-hardness materials,
special diamond powder can quickly remove surface defects without causing excessive wear to itself, ensuring processing quality and efficiency.
(II) Particle size distribution and application
Diamond powders of different particle sizes are widely used in polishing, grinding, and fine grinding. Generally speaking, finer diamond powders (such as 0-0.5 microns to 6-12 microns) are often used for polishing, which can make the processed surface achieve extremely high finish. In fields such as optical glass and gemstones that require extremely high surface quality, fine-grained diamond powder can achieve excellent polishing effects and make the surface smooth as a mirror. Diamond powders of 10-15 microns to 22-36 microns are suitable for grinding, which can perform moderate processing on materials, remove rough parts of the surface, and lay the foundation for subsequent fine grinding and polishing. The coarser ones with a size of 12-22 microns are used for fine grinding, which can further improve the flatness and precision of the material surface. In addition, in the semiconductor field, such as silicon carbide (SiC) crystal cutting, wafer grinding, wafer polishing and other production links, it is also necessary to select diamond powder or related products of appropriate particle size for processing according to different processing requirements.
(III) Characteristics of polycrystalline diamond powder
Polycrystalline diamond powder has unique toughness, which enables it to withstand greater impact force during processing without being easily broken. Polycrystalline diamond powder is made from graphite using a unique directional blasting method. The particles are composed of tiny diamond grains combined by unsaturated bonds,
and the structure is similar to that of natural diamond. However, due to the limitations of the synthesis conditions of polycrystalline diamond powder, there are few manufacturers and the product cost is high. This limits its application field to a certain extent. At present, polycrystalline diamond powder is mainly used in chip optical crystals,
ultra-fine processing, ultra-fine polishing of large silicon wafers, surface modification and other fields. In these fields, polycrystalline diamond powder uses its good toughness to maintain high grinding forces while not easily causing scratches during the grinding and polishing process,
providing a reliable guarantee for high-precision processing.
