(June 6, 2026) Recently, the domestic white carbon black market has shown significant structural differentiation. General precipitation method product prices remain stable, while orders for high-dispersion modified white carbon black and domestic gas-phase silica supporting new energy are tight and prices firm; Coupled with the implementation of new low-carbon circular processes, the public announcement of large-scale new projects in Shandong, and steadily rising overseas exports, the entire industry is accelerating its farewell to extensive production and deeply transforming towards greening and high-end import substitution.
From the spot price perspective, as of early June, the benchmark ex-factory price for mainstream rubber-grade precipitated silica in China remained at 5,800-6,000 yuan/ton, with stable quotes in Shandong production areas supported by the tire industry cluster; Lithium battery separators and ultrafine modified silica for silicone rubber are being driven by downstream stocking, with transaction prices 800-1200 yuan/ton higher than ordinary products. Short-term supply is tight, and companies' order scheduling cycles have been extended to 15-25 days. Benefiting from the surge in demand for new energy vehicles such as low rolling resistance tires and photovoltaic packaging materials, the consumption share of white carbon black in the non-rubber sector continues to climb, gradually breaking the constraint of single demand in the tire industry.
On the capacity side, there was major news of landing: on June 5, the Shandong Changle Zhongke Fu Hydrogen 200,000 tons/year carbon dioxide acidification silica project completed the pre-approval land planning public notice, with a total investment of 1.02 billion yuan, built in three phases, with Phase I's 60,000-ton capacity being the first to be launched. This project innovatively uses industrial by-product CO₂ to replace traditional sulfuric acid feedstock, significantly reducing the three wastes emissions. It is a landmark low-carbon silica mass production project in China, leveraging surplus coke oven gas in the park to achieve energy circulation. Once operational, it will fill the gap in North China's high-end environmentally friendly silica production capacity. Meanwhile, the Jilin Rice Husk Ash resource resource project for 50,000 tons of recycled white carbon black has been implemented. Relying on the low-carbon route of producing silica from agricultural and forestry solid waste, the product can avoid EU carbon tariffs and become a main export category in foreign trade; Fujian Afu Silicon's 910 million yuan high-end silica technology renovation project is nearing completion, relying on the carbon recovery process of an all-oxygen kiln, with trial production expected early by the end of 2026, focusing on the toothpaste-grade and pharmaceutical-grade ultrafine silica markets.
On the technical side, the localization process of domestically produced fumed silica continues to make breakthroughs. The monopoly pattern of traditional gas-phase imports for high-end electronics and thermal conductive fillers is loosening, and leading domestic companies are gradually entering the domestic silicone and automotive electronics supply chains for mass-produced products. In June, imports of fumed silica fell 7.3% month-on-month, with import substitution dividends continuing to be released. Under the guidance of the dual-carbon policy, green processes such as rice husk ash recycling and CO₂ acidification are accelerating the industrialization. Regions are gradually phasing out high-water-consuming old-style sedimentation production lines, backward capacity in the industry continues to be cleared, and leading companies' profits continue to recover.
In terms of foreign trade data, domestic white carbon black exports rose 6.2% month-on-month in early June, with significant order growth in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Silica produced through low-carbon circular processes benefits from its carbon footprint advantage, resulting in significant overseas orders and becoming a new profit growth point for domestic companies. Industry institutions predict that in 2026, the year-on-year growth rate of functional silica will exceed 11%, industry concentration will continue to rise, small and medium-sized extensive capacity will be rapidly cleared, and high-end, refined, and green recycling will become the core development themes of the future silica industry.
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