(April 15, 2026) Bidding farewell to the logic of price increases driven by simple cost, the current silica industry is ushering in a dual change of demand structure upgrading and technical route iteration. The demand for high-end scenarios such as new energy tires, lithium batteries, and silicone rubber has exploded, coupled with the tightening of low-carbon policies, and the industry has shifted from "quantity increase" to "quality improvement", and green processes and high value-added products have become the core of competition.

High-end demand explodes and application boundaries continue to broaden
Silica is being upgraded from a traditional rubber filler to a key material for new energy and high-end manufacturing, and the demand structure has been significantly optimized.
Green tires dominate rigid demand: the penetration rate of low-rolling resistance tires for new energy vehicles exceeds 55%, high-dispersion silica can reduce rolling resistance by about 20%, and the annual demand increases by 15% year-on-year, becoming the industry's first growth engine.
Rapid release of new energy track: The demand for special silica for lithium battery separator coatings, battery seals and thermal management components has grown by more than 25%, improving the thermal stability and cycle life of the diaphragm, and accelerating domestic substitution.
High-end scenarios bloom at multiple points: the average annual growth rate of demand for high-purity products such as food and medicine, oral care, photovoltaic glue, and electronic coatings exceeds 12%, and the price and profitability are significantly better than ordinary categories.

Green technology has become standard, and backward production capacity has been accelerated
Environmental protection and dual carbon policies have forced the industry to reconstruct technology, and low-carbon processes have changed from "options" to "entry thresholds".
CO₂ carbonization method is implemented on a large scale: the carbon footprint of the new process to replace sulfuric acid has been reduced to 0.63kg CO₂/kg, reducing emissions by more than 60%.
The rise of biomass circulation routes: rice husk ash to bio-based silica has been industrialized, reducing emissions by 35%-50% per ton of products, meeting the requirements of the green supply chain of international tire manufacturers, and improving export competitiveness.
Rapid optimization of production capacity structure: the elimination of ordinary devices below 15,000 tons/year has been accelerated, the production capacity has been transferred to green power enrichment areas, the east is focused on high-end, and the western region is guaranteed to be bulky, and the industry concentration continues to increase.

Technological breakthroughs break monopolies and increase the share of domestic high-end
Domestic enterprises have made key breakthroughs in the fields of high dispersion, high specific surface area, and functional modification, gradually replacing imports.
The performance of high-dispersion hydrophilic silica benchmarks international giants and supplies domestic leading tires and silicone rubber enterprises.
Hydrophobic and specially modified silica are applied in batches in electronics and energy storage scenarios to solve the problem of "stuck neck" materials.
Leading enterprises have increased R&D investment, the number of patents has grown rapidly, and the ability to premium products has been significantly enhanced.

Market outlook: value competition replaces price war
Prices remain high under the support of short-term costs, and the long-term industry logic has shifted to technology, green and high-end value competition. Enterprises with low-carbon technology, high-end product capabilities and global supply chain qualifications will have an advantage in the industry reshuffle, and silica has officially entered a new stage of high-quality development.