Silica market demand is strong and industry development prospects are good

Silicon dioxide, also known as silica and quartz, has the chemical formula SiO2. It is widely distributed in nature and mainly appears in clastic rocks and siliceous rocks. It is an important inorganic salt industrial product. Silica appears as a colorless and transparent solid, insoluble in water, but slightly soluble in acid, and can react with molten alkali in its granular state. Silica has the characteristics of chemical stability, high insulation, high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance, etc., and can be used to make glass, enamel, pottery, refractory materials, etc.

According to different production processes, silica can be divided into two types: precipitated silica and fumed silica. Precipitated silica, that is, white carbon black, is heated with fuel to react sodium silicate and soda ash to form silica precipitate, which is then washed, filtered, dried, pulverized and other steps to obtain silica products. The production process of precipitated silica is simple and widely used in our country. Fumed silica refers to burning silicon tetrachloride and dimethyl trioxide in a hydrogen-oxygen flame to obtain amorphous silica powder. The production process is complex and the cost of raw materials is high, but it is in high demand in the high-end manufacturing field.

According to the “2022-2027 Silica Industry Investment Environment and Investment Prospects Forecast Analysis Report released by the Industrial Research Center, two Silicon oxide raw materials include sodium silicate, sulfuric acid, soda ash and silicon chloride. Soda ash is an important raw material for making silica. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, my country’s soda ash (sodium carbonate) output reached 29.133 million tons in 2021, a year-on-year increase of 3.4%. The sufficient supply of raw materials has led to the continuous increase in my country’s silica production. In 2021, my country’s silica production reached 1.916 million tons, a year-on-year increase of 2.3%. As my country’s silica production technology continues to improve, the fumed silica market space continues to expand, and output shows a steady growth trend. In 2021, my country’s fumed silica output will reach 156,000 tons, a year-on-year increase of 10.6%.

Silica is widely used in toothpaste, tires, feed, coatings, optical instruments and other industries. In recent years, green tires have achieved industrial development and are widely used in Europe, America and the Asia-Pacific region due to their advantages such as good elasticity, low fuel consumption, small rolling resistance, energy conservation and environmental protection. Against this background, the application of silica in tire tread compounds and high-end tire products continues to grow. In the field of toothpaste, silica can be used as a toothpaste abrasive and thickener and is widely used in mid-to-high-end toothpaste brands.

Industry analysts said that as an inorganic substance, silica has the advantages of high temperature resistance, corrosion resistance and strong chemical stability. It is widely used in industry, agriculture, daily necessities, instrumentation and other fields. Precipitated silica has a simple production process and low raw material costs, and it occupies a dominant position in my country’s silica market. In recent years, fumed silica production technology has continued to make breakthroughs, gaining broad market space in the high-end manufacturing field.