Fumed Silica Production Capacity, Demand-Supply, Pricing and Market Outlook, 2032

Fumed Silica Introduction:

Fumed Silica (SiO₂) is a white and light fluffy powder with extremely small particles with size in the range of 5-50nm. It offers properties such as low bulk density, high surface area, high purity, non-porous, and the ability to form chains during the manufacturing process of chemicals. Fumed silica powder is produced by injecting chlorosilanes into the flame of hydrogen, and air at a temperature above 1500 °C.

The market of fumed silica is segmented into types which include, hydrophobic and hydrophilic fumed silica. It is used in various applications such as cosmetic & personal care, food additives, pharmaceuticals, paints & coatings, greases, printing, packaging etc.

The key players in the fumed silica market are Evonik, OCI, Cabot Corporation, Orisil, Wacker Chemie AG, Tokuyama, and Kemitura.

In cosmetics and personal care products, fumed silica is used in toothpaste, antiperspirants sunscreen, nail polishes, lipstick, powders, dental powders, creams, hair care products, fragrances, etc. Owing to its thixotropic shear thinning property, it performs various functions in cosmetic products such as anticaking agent, dispersants, thickeners, and stabilisers to improve the consistency and texture of the cosmetic products.

Fumed Silica Market Overview:

Asia-Pacific dominated the fumed silica market in 2023 on the back of demand in the cosmetics and personal care industry in Asia-Pacific. The growing cosmetic and skin care products industry in the APAC region on the back of growing disposable income, e-commerce, and social media influence is driving the market of fumed silica in skin and beauty care products in the region.

The construction industry is a significant consumer of fumed silica in paints & coatings and adhesives and sealants. In liquid paints, such as paints, enamels, and varnishes, fumed silica is used for pigment dispersion, prevention of solid phase sedimentation, and stabilization. Fumed silica is used in powder coatings to prevent caking and modify the electrostatic effect. Additionally, Fumed silica strengthens the adhesion of a coating to the applied surface and slows down the rate of aging.

In APAC, the market of fumed silica is also driven by the rapidly growing coatings industry in countries such as China and India. The paints and coatings industry of China was worth around USD 50 Billion in 2023 driven by demand from huge automotive production, manufacturing sector and rapid development in industries. China produced around 3 Million units of cars annually in 2023, a growth of 3.8% from production in 2020.

The rising market of architectural coatings on the back of high demand from the automotive industry, energy conservation, and emission reduction targets will increase the market of fumed silica in China. Additionally, rapid urbanization, growing and construction and building activities, and government incentives will drive the consumption of fumed silica in APAC. Moreover, capacity expansion in the countries of APAC is driving the market of fumed silica. For example, in 2016, Cabot and HYC invested approximately, USD 60 Million in constructing a fumed silica manufacturing facility in China. Cabot will provide production technology and HYC will provide feedstock. The production capacity is 8 Kiloton of fumed silica annually and it will cater to the growing automotive, construction, and renewable energy.  

Recent Developments in Fumed Silica:

• Evonik Wynca Silicone Material is a joint venture between Evonik and Wynca, started production of fumed silica in Zhenjiang New Material Industry Park, Jiangsu, China in October 2021. The raw material used for the production is methyltrichlorosilane and dichlorosilane and the produced by-product, hydrochloric acid will be utilized as raw material in the Wynca Zhenjiang site.
• Tokuyama Corporation, announced in May 2022 that it will expand the production capacity of hydrophobic grade fumed silica at Tokuyama Chemicals Co., Ltd in Zhejiang, China.