(May 26, 2026) As a core material in the inorganic silicon chemical industry, silica (hydrated silica) is widely used in tire rubber, coatings and inks, new energy materials and other fields due to its properties such as high dispersion, strong reinforcement, environmental protection and non-toxicity. Currently, driven by the deepening of the "dual carbon" policy, the popularity of global green tires, and the expansion of emerging demand, China's silica industry is undergoing key changes from scale expansion to green and low-carbon transformation, high-end technology breakthroughs, and industrial cluster upgrades, becoming the most dynamic industrial growth pole in the world.
The market scale is steadily expanding and the demand structure continues to be optimized
The silica industry will continue its steady growth in 2026, with market size and production capacity rising simultaneously. Data show that China's silica market will reach 16.24 billion yuan in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 10.3%; it is expected to increase to 17.91 billion yuan in 2026, with a growth rate of 10.3%, entering a stable expansion channel. In terms of production capacity, as of the first quarter of 2026, the country's effective production capacity has exceeded 3 million tons, accounting for more than 45% of the world's total production capacity, firmly ranking as the world's largest producer.
The demand side presents a pattern of “stabilizing the base in traditional fields and exploding in emerging fields”. Tire rubber is still the core consumption scenario, accounting for more than 68%. The third phase of the EU labeling law and the upgrade of China's tire energy efficiency standards have promoted the rigid growth of demand for highly dispersible silica, which can reduce tire rolling resistance by 12%-15%, taking into account wet road grip and energy-saving attributes. Emerging fields have become new engines of growth: demand for vaporized silica coatings for new energy solid-state batteries, 3C electronic nanofillers, agricultural slow-release carriers, environmentally friendly coating matting agents, etc. has increased rapidly, effectively hedging the pressure of slowing growth in traditional markets. The foreign trade market is improving simultaneously. From January to April 2026, silica export volume reached 142,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 8.7%. The average export price was 3,720 yuan/ton, an increase of 1.1% from 2025. The international market share and bargaining power continue to increase.
Green transformation is accelerating across the board, and policies drive low-carbon transformation
Under the "double carbon" goal, green and low carbon has become the core competitiveness of the industry. In January 2026, the National Development and Reform Commission issued the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Green and Low-Carbon Transformation of the Precipitation Silica Industry", setting a phased carbon intensity target for the first time: the carbon emission intensity per unit product will be reduced to less than 1.35 tons CO₂e / ton in 2026, and to less than 1.10 tons in 2030; a green grade certification system will be simultaneously established, and A-level enterprises can enjoy a 15% income tax reduction and a 30% green credit increase. As of the first quarter of 2026, 22 companies have passed the A-level preliminary evaluation, covering a production capacity of 1.364 million tons, accounting for 45.5% of the country’s effective production capacity.
The implementation of green technology and production capacity is accelerating. Biomass silica has become a new track, using agricultural waste such as rice husks and straws as raw materials to achieve carbon-negative production, with energy consumption reduced by 45% and water consumption reduced by 40% compared with traditional processes. The bio-based nano-silica project with an investment of 800 million yuan in Rudong, Jiangsu is scheduled to be completed in October 2026. After completion, it will have an annual output of 100,000 tons and simultaneously produce nano-calcium carbonate and other products. It has already reached cooperation with international tire and sports brands. A breakthrough in the micro-reaction continuous process enables millisecond-level mixing heat transfer through micron-level channels to produce ultra-narrow distribution products with a particle size distribution coefficient (PDI) of less than 1.1. The proportion of global new production capacity will rise to 45% in 2028.
Domestic technological breakthroughs and high-end substitution break the monopoly of foreign capital
For a long time, high-end products such as highly dispersed, hydrophobically modified, and gas-phase silica have been monopolized by foreign-funded enterprises. In 2026, domestic companies will achieve breakthroughs in key processes such as hydrophobic modification, surface grafting, and nanodispersion, and the performance of high-end products will be comparable to the international first-class level.
Leading companies are accelerating the layout of high-end production capacity: Quechen Silicon Chemical, Lonstar Technology and other companies have continued to expand their highly dispersible silica production capacity, and their products have successfully entered international tire supply chains such as Bridgestone and Sumitomo Rubber; many companies have broken through the technical bottleneck of vapor-phase silica, and their product purity and dispersion meet the high-end needs of 3C electronics and new energy batteries, gradually replacing foreign products such as Evonik and Solvay. The logic of industry competition has shifted from price war to comprehensive competition in technology, quality, and service. Modified and customized products have become the key for companies to break through.
Industrial clusters are upgraded and the pattern is restructured towards high quality
Driven by factors such as raw materials, logistics, and foreign trade, the domestic silica industry is accelerating its concentration in the main sodium silicate/soda ash production areas and coastal port cities. Inland small and medium-sized dispersed production capacity has gradually shrunk, and clustering and intensification trends are significant. East China is still the center of the industry, accounting for 46.3% of production capacity in 2025; Shandong and Jiangsu have become core clusters relying on their raw material and port advantages; and the southwest region has seen steady growth in production capacity due to its energy cost advantages.
The global landscape is being restructured simultaneously: Foreign-funded companies such as Evonik and Solvay are optimizing global assets, closing inefficient production capacity, and focusing on high value-added areas; Chinese companies are accelerating their international layout and expanding their markets through overseas construction of factories and technology export. The global production capacity of highly dispersible silica is expected to reach 1.95 million tons in 2026, and China's share will rise to 42.5%, becoming the core of global supply.
Future Outlook: Challenges and Opportunities Coexist
Looking forward to 2026-2030, the silica industry will see both opportunities and challenges. In the short term, overcapacity of general products, price pressure, and rising environmental protection costs are still major challenges; in the long term, green and low-carbon policies, high-end domestic substitution, and emerging demand expansion will drive high-quality development of the industry. As technology continues to iterate and industry concentration increases, companies with green production capacity, high-end technology, and full industry chain advantages will dominate the market. China's silica industry is expected to achieve a leap from a "global production capacity power" to a "global technology power".
http://www.siliconeoil.net
