Introduction to PI Film
PI (polyimide) film is currently the highest-performance insulating film material in the world. It boasts excellent mechanical and electrical properties, chemical stability, and exceptional resistance to radiation, high temperatures, and low temperatures (ranging from -269°C to +400°C).
Classification of PI Film by Production Process:
1) Impregnation method
Low initial investment, but high production costs and limited product performance.
2) Cast film
Low production costs; produces uniform film with relatively good product properties.
3) Biaxially stretched film
Higher initial investment, but offers superior physical, electrical, and thermal properties.
PI Film Applications
PI film was one of the earliest commercial polyimide products and is primarily used for Class H or Class C insulation. Due to its excellent comprehensive properties-such as high oil and temperature resistance and low dielectric loss-polyimide tape is known as "Golden Tape." It serves as a material for cable insulation, thermal insulation, radiation shielding, and data recording media. Its application in the flexible printed circuit (FPC) industry, in particular, has led to widespread use in aerospace, military, mobile communications, laptops, computer peripherals, PDAs, digital cameras, and electrical instrumentation. It has become an irreplaceable, critical material in the power, electrical appliance, microelectronics, and precision machinery industries.
(Circuit boards)
PI film is widely used in microelectronics, as well as in white OLED lighting, thin-film solar cells, transparent electromagnetic radiation shielding films, RF circuit boards, and touch screens. (OLED displays)
PI Film Market Overview
PI film is known as "Golden Tape," with market prices ranging from RMB 6 million to 30 million per ton; specifically, biaxially stretched electronic-grade film sells for over RMB 10 million per ton. Domestic demand is growing rapidly, yet the market relies heavily on imports and faces a significant supply-demand gap. The industry has extremely high barriers to entry, and supply is highly concentrated. Due to the extreme difficulty of synthesizing polyimide and the challenges involved in processing downstream products, the global supply of polyimide is concentrated among a few companies (DuPont of the US, Ube Industries and Kaneka of Japan, and SK Kolon of South Korea).