Current and Future Ionic Liquid Markets

In this book chapter a summary of current and a prediction of future markets of ionic liquids is given. In the first part requirements for creating ionic liquids markets are the focus: Price, availability of information, life-cycle-costing and value-chain-thinking are discussed. Next, important actual examples of using ionic liquids, such as solvents, process chemicals, thermal transport and storage, electrochemical applications, functional fluids and additives, or their use in analytical applications are presented and assessed in terms of actual commercialization, but also in terms of their future commercial success. In the final section, an overview about ionic liquids technologies and their predicted actual technology readiness level is given and an attempt to create an outlook on the general future of ionic liquid related technologies.