The global market size of precipitated silica is expected to reach 3.34 billion US dollars by 2025, with the Chinese market as the core growth pole. In 2023, the production has reached 1.961 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 3.20%. Behind this growth is strong demand support in areas such as green tires and environmentally friendly coatings.
Environmental protection and technological upgrading have become industry keywords. On the one hand, stricter environmental policies are promoting the popularization of low lead and low cadmium products, and the application of nanoscale precipitated silica in the fields of coatings and plastics is growing significantly; On the other hand, domestic enterprises such as Zhencheng Group have improved efficiency through process innovation and the use of high concentration sulfuric acid method. The independent production technology of 10000 ton equipment has matured, further reducing costs.
The differentiation of the high-end market is intensifying. Despite overcapacity in low-end products, there is strong demand in niche areas such as green tires and oral care. Taking toothpaste as an example, the penetration rate of silica as a friction agent is increased, and it is expected that the domestic market demand will reach 800 million yuan by 2026. At the same time, the market size of feed grade precipitated silica is steadily expanding, with a global scale of approximately 5.11 billion yuan in 2024 and an expected compound annual growth rate of 4.4% over the next six years.
Industry competition and policy promotion go hand in hand. Under the strengthening of environmental supervision, some small and medium-sized enterprises have been eliminated due to non-compliance, leading to an increase in industry concentration. International giants such as Evonik and Solvay have an advantage in the high-end market, forcing domestic companies to increase their research and development efforts. For example, although Yuanxiang New Materials has terminated its 100000 ton expansion plan due to policy adjustments, it focuses on high-performance projects with 40000 tons and is expected to start production in June 2025.
In the future, the precipitated silica industry will show a trend of "high-end, green, and centralized". With the expansion of emerging application fields, this traditional material is expected to shine with new vitality in the wave of sustainable development.