(May 19, 2026) Recently, the prices of core upstream raw materials of silica such as soda ash, sodium silicate, and sulfuric acid have fluctuated upward, and the cost of electricity and environmental protection operation and maintenance has continued to rise.
Affected by the overall fluctuation of the chemical raw material market, the supply of sodium silicate market has been tight since May, and the price has risen slightly, which has directly pushed up the production cost of precipitation silica. Due to the old technical equipment and low utilization rate of raw materials, the production pressure of small and medium-sized production capacity enterprises has increased sharply, and some low-margin general-purpose silica production lines have been reduced and overhauled in stages, and the low-end supply of the market has contracted significantly. On the other hand, leading large-scale enterprises have greatly reduced unit energy consumption and raw material losses through continuous production processes, waste heat recovery systems, and recycling water technology, effectively hedging the pressure of rising costs, and further concentrating their market share.
The continuous improvement of product performance requirements on the downstream application side has also promoted silica enterprises to take the refined route. silica for traditional tires no longer only pursues reinforcement, but also attaches more importance to the indicators of adapting to new energy tires such as low rolling resistance, high wear resistance, and easy dispersion; In the fields of coatings, sealants, and silicone rubber, customers' customized demand for oil absorption value, specific surface area, dispersion stability, and hydrophobic modification effect continues to increase. Many enterprises have increased investment in R&D and launched a series of functionalized modified silica to avoid homogeneous low-price competition and rely on differentiated products to improve profit levels.
The supervision of environmental protection and production safety continues to be strict, and it also reshapes the industry pattern. Many places continue to carry out special rectification of safety and environmental protection of chemical enterprises, zero discharge of wastewater and the utilization of solid waste resources have become necessary thresholds, and small enterprises with insufficient investment in environmental protection and substandard governance have accelerated their withdrawal from the market. The industry as a whole shows a development trend of capacity contraction, quality improvement, and concentration increase.
Industry experts pointed out that the short-term raw material cost pressure will continue, and the price of general silica is difficult to rise significantly; In the medium and long term, the era of relying solely on scale expansion is over, and only by deeply cultivating modified technologies, customized products, and green and low-carbon processes can we gain a firm foothold and achieve high-quality and sustainable development in an environment of cost pressure.
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