(Industry Flash, April 19, 2026)Since the second quarter of this year, China’s fumed silica industry has ushered in a new round of production peak. New production capacities from multiple enterprises have been gradually put into operation, ending the long-term reliance on imports for high-end products and bringing profound changes to the industry’s supply structure.
Featuring high purity and excellent reinforcement performance, fumed silica is mainly used in high-end silicone rubber, coatings, inks, electronic materials and composite materials. Due to high technical barriers, the market was long dominated by a small number of foreign-funded enterprises. With domestic enterprises achieving technological breakthroughs in synthesis processes, particle size control, tail gas treatment and other key links, several 10,000-ton fumed silica production facilities have been successively commissioned, effectively filling the domestic high-end supply gap.
The newly added capacity in this round places greater emphasis on green, low-carbon and intelligent production, and has reached advanced industry levels in energy consumption, environmental emissions, product stability and other aspects. It can not only meet the demand of domestic high-end manufacturing industries, but also provide stronger support for the export market.
As the supply of domestic fumed silica increases, market prices have become more rational, lowering procurement costs for downstream enterprises. This has also driven the entire silica industry to shift from low-end homogeneous competition to a comprehensive competition in technology, quality and service.
Industry insiders noted that in the coming years, domestic high-end silica will further increase its market share. The industry landscape will gradually shift from "foreign-dominated" to "balanced development between domestic and foreign players with the rise of local brands". Meanwhile, it will also promote the overall upgrading of China’s silicon-based new material industry chain toward high-end and independent controllability.