World demand for materials used in flat panel and cathode ray tube displays manufacture is expected to grow 12% annually until 2008, to a total of nearly US$22bn, according to Freedonia. Gains will improve over those of the 1998-2003 period with rapid growth in materials demand for flat panel displays more than offsetting demand for CRT materials. Flat panel displays will benefit from improving economic conditions in developed countries that will drive demand for personal communication devices and notebook computers and, along with rapidly falling prices, accelerate the replacement of CRT monitors and televisions with flat panels. This replacement will in turn be responsible for continuing falls in demand for CRT materials. Glass is expected to remain the largest single material component in CRTs and flat panel displays.
