1、 Environmental policies drive a surge in demand for silica dioxide
In recent years, governments around the world have imposed strict requirements on industrial emissions and material recyclability, making silica the preferred alternative to high polluting materials. For example:
Green tire field: Global leading tire manufacturers (such as Michelin and Bridgestone) are accelerating the adoption of precipitated white carbon black (a form of silica), which can reduce tire rolling resistance by more than 20% and reduce vehicle fuel consumption by 5% -8%. The EU's "Green Tire Labeling Law" has pushed this demand to its peak.
Wastewater treatment: A Singapore research team has recently developed a porous silica adsorbent that can efficiently capture heavy metal ions in industrial wastewater. The adsorption capacity is three times higher than traditional materials, and it can be reused more than 10 times.
2、 High end technological breakthrough: from nanoscale preparation to semiconductor applications
Medical breakthrough of nano silica
The team of the Chinese Academy of Sciences announced in June 2024 that it has successfully developed targeted drug loaded silica nanoparticles, which can precisely release anti-cancer drugs through pH response. The tumor inhibition rate is 40% higher than that of traditional chemotherapy, and the side effects are significantly reduced. This technology has entered the preclinical trial stage.
The 'invisible heroes' of the semiconductor industry
In chip manufacturing, high-purity electronic grade silicon dioxide is the core material for chemical mechanical polishing (CMP). With the popularization of 3nm/2nm process technology, the market share of ultra-low metal ion silica sol developed by Japanese companies such as Tokuyama has exceeded 60%, and the cost of single crystal round polishing has been reduced by 15%.
3、 Market Pattern: Capacity Expansion in Asia vs. Technological Barriers in Europe and America
In terms of production capacity, China has become the world's largest producer of precipitated silica, accounting for 42% of global production in 2023. Among them, the two major industrial clusters in Sanming, Fujian and Qingdao, Shandong have added more than 500000 tons/year of production capacity.
Technical barriers: European and American companies still dominate high value-added products (such as fumed silica), and Evonik, a German company, recently launched the hydrophobic fumed silica AEROSIL ®， Widely used in the coating of new energy battery separators, with a unit price of up to 80000 to 120000 US dollars per ton.
4、 Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Development
Despite its broad prospects, the silica industry still faces two key issues:
Energy consumption issue: The traditional precipitation method requires 2.5 tons of steam to produce 1 ton of silica. Leading companies such as Solvay are trying to use photovoltaic electrolysis water hydrogen production technology to reduce their carbon footprint.
Lack of recycling system: Only 30% of industrial silica waste worldwide is recycled and reused. The European Union has launched the "SilicaCycle" plan, aiming to increase the recycling rate to 65% by 2030.