(June 1, 2026) Since 2026, the domestic white carbon black industry has moved away from traditional scale expansion models. Driven by the implementation of new environmental protection policies, pressure from EU carbon tariffs, and new material technology iterations, it has fully entered a new stage of low-carbon, circular, and high-end transformation. Traditional high-energy-consuming processes are rapidly being phased out, green production technologies such as bio-based and carbonization methods are being implemented on a large scale, and domestic green silica products break overseas technology monopolies, becoming the core growth point for high-quality industry development. The landscape of green transformation is becoming increasingly clear.

The policy system continues to tighten, building a hard barrier for the industry's green transformation. Starting in June, the new version of the "Industrial Silicon-Based Materials Clean Production Evaluation Index System" was officially implemented, significantly raising the environmental protection access standards for the white carbon dioxide industry, raising the benchmark reuse rate of production wastewater to 85%, strictly tightening emission limits for pollutants such as ammonia nitrogen, and completely phasing out extensive production models. Meanwhile, the EU's CBAM carbon tariff policy has been fully implemented, and silica is clearly included in the high energy-consuming taxable category. Products made by traditional processes have a high carbon footprint, resulting in significantly increased export costs. Under dual policy pressures, the pace of clearing outdated domestic small and medium-sized capacity has accelerated significantly, industry reshuffling continues to deepen, and it is expected that by 2026, the market concentration of the top five companies in the industry will rise to 43.2%, with the clustering effect becoming increasingly prominent.

Green production technologies have achieved breakthrough mass production, restructuring the industry's production system. For a long time, the mainstream sulfuric acid process for silica in China has been a major pain point for industry emission reduction. By 2026, domestic enterprises will fully industrialize the green processes of carbon sedimentation and carbonization independently developed by enterprises, completely overturning traditional production paths. Leading industry companies have innovatively launched a new "carbon control with carbon" process, extracting raw materials from agricultural waste such as rice husks and recycling carbon dioxide to replace traditional sulfuric acid raw materials. Compared to traditional methods, it can achieve a 60% reduction in carbon emissions, with significant improvements in product purity and dispersibility. Some enterprises have implemented rice husk ash recycling projects, creating a negative carbon production model. A single kilogram of silica can achieve carbon absorption, with significant advantages in the full lifecycle carbon footprint.

International competition in green technology is becoming increasingly fierce, and domestic technology has achieved a leapfrog overtake. At the beginning of the year, Solvay Europe launched its first bio-based recyclable silica production unit, achieving a 35% carbon reduction by relying on rice husk ash raw materials, seizing the overseas green tire market. Facing international competition, domestic companies have quickly caught up and achieved technological breakthroughs. Domestically produced material-based and carbonized silica not only outperform overseas counterparts in emission reduction but also precisely regulate specific surface area, adapting to high-end scenarios such as new energy tires and high-end sealants. Currently, highly dispersed silica produced by green processes has successfully entered the supply chains of mainstream domestic and international tire companies, breaking the long-standing monopoly of high-end overseas products, and accelerating the pace of import substitution.

Downstream green demand is exploding, driving rigid demand for green silica to expand. With the rapid development of new energy vehicles and green tire industries, downstream markets continue to upgrade their requirements for low-carbon attributes in materials. New energy tires meet the demands of low rolling resistance, high wear resistance, and long driving range, requiring strict dispersibility and stability of silica. At the same time, vehicle manufacturers have full lifecycle carbon accounting mechanisms, forcing tire companies to fully switch to low-carbon fillers. Besides the tire sector, emerging sectors such as photovoltaic encapsulation adhesives, electronic flame-retardant materials, and high-end silicone rubber have also fully prioritized the use of green process white carbon black, driving continuous fulfillment of high-end green product orders. Leading companies now have green capacity scheduling cycles exceeding 30 days.

Industry insiders analyze that the white carbon black sector has now completed its transformation from "price competition" to "technology and low-carbon competition." In the next six months, environmental inspections and carbon cost control will continue to be core industry thresholds, and the survival space for traditional high-energy-consuming ordinary production capacity will continue to shrink. In the medium to long term, bio-based circular production and low-carbon carbonization processes will become the mainstream production methods in the industry. Green silica with high performance, low energy consumption, and a low carbon footprint will become the core products supporting industry growth and enhancing international competitiveness, driving the domestic silica industry to completely overcome the problem of low-end overcapacity and enter a new stage of high-quality green development.