Synthetic Wet Silica Market - Forecast(2023 - 2028)

Synthetic Wet Silica Market size is forecast to reach $5,623.5 million by 2026, after growing at a CAGR of 6.4% during 2021-2026. Synthetic wet silica provides superior adsorption and high surface area properties due to which it is used in various end-use industries such as automotive, food and beverage, and personal care industry. The growth in the global market for synthetic wet silica is led by increased demand for high-quality cosmetic products with strong longevity and durability. Growing demand for nanostructured synthetic amorphous silica (SAS) as a food additive is further anticipated to create new opportunity for the growth of synthetic wet silica industry over the forecast period.

Due to the nationwide lockdown, suddenly all the consumer market have started showing zero interest in purchasing synthetic wet silica materials. The demand for synthetic wet silica in automotive and personal care and cosmetics has significantly decreased due to the lockdown and numerous other development problems in the year 2020 and is therefore anticipated to hinder the market growth in the forecast period 2021-2026.

The report “Synthetic Wet Silica Market– Forecast (2021-2026)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the synthetic wet silica market.

By Form: Powder, Granules, and Others.

By Product Type: Synthetic Amorphous Silica Gel, Colloidal Silica, and Precipitated Silica.

By Synthetic Amorphous Silica Gel Application: Consumer Application and Industrial Application

By Colloidal Silica Application: Paints & Coatings, Adhesives, Refractory Materials, Food & Beverages, Paper & Packaging, Textile & Fabrics, Water Treatment, Precision Investment Casting and Others.

By Precipitated Silica Application: Rubber (Reinforcement) Applications and Non-Rubber Applications.

By End Use Industry: Building and Construction, Agriculture, Chemical Industry, Oil & Gas, Automotive, Personal Care and Cosmetics, Medical & Pharmaceuticals, Food & Beverage Industry, Paper Industry, Packaging Industry and Others.

By Geography: North America, South America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of World.

Powder held the largest share in the synthetic wet silica market in 2020. Majorly, precipitated silica comes in the form of powder, which includes large surface area, higher adsorption value, low bulk density, and higher whiteness. Due to its powder form, it is majorly used as filler in the automotive tires, adsorbent and thickening agent in personal care and cosmetic products, used in pesticide, insecticide, herbicide across agricultural industry, and many others. The production of powder amorphous silica at global level is expanding rapidly with growing incentives from government and different support policies, along with swiftly increasing production capacities. Owing to the relatively low entry barriers and simple technology, the market is very competitive with a few players, of various sizes, consolidated around the world and across the value chain.

Precipitated Silica held the largest share in the synthetic wet silica market in 2020.Precipitated silica is widely used across various end use industries, which includes tire, industrial rubber, silicone rubber, footwear, food, feed, agricultural and industrial, coatings, paints and inks, adhesives and sealants, battery separator, and so on. Growing demand of precipitated silica for rubber and paints & coatings from construction, tire production for automotive, and cosmetics, tends to increase the growth of the market.For instance, in 2019, PPG industries signed an agreement with Whitford Worldwide Company to provide wide range of precipitated silica in order to produce nonstick and low-friction coatings used in consumer products and industrial applications. Thus, the increasing demand for precipitated silica in various applications has further increased the demand of synthetic wet silica market. 

Industrial applications held the largest share from the synthetic amorphous silica gel applications in the synthetic wet silica market in 2020. Synthetic amorphous silica gel is used in a variety of industrial applications from several years. According to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), with internal structures in the nanoscale size range, synthetic amorphous silica gels are typical examples of nanostructured materials that are recently defined. Synthetic amorphous silica gel products are not correlated with environmental or health hazards on the basis of comprehensive physical-chemical, ecotoxicological, toxicological, safe and epidemiological evidence, if processed and used in compliance with established hygiene requirements or guidelines. Thus, owing to its non-toxic effect the demand for synthetic amorphous silica gel in industrial applications is set to rise over the forecast period. 

Paints &Coatings held the largest share from the colloidal silica applications in the synthetic wet silica market in 2020.Colloidal silica lowers alkalinity, decreases pH and solubility of binding and thus increases paint weather tolerance.The use of colloidal silica as a dispersant can create pure inorganic dispersions without the use of surfactants or other organic compound that may influence paint properties. Consequently, colloidal silica is easy to use rather than shear sensitive. Well dispersed pigments and fillers bring colour strength and intensity to the paint and improve the cost-effectiveness. Elastomeric cool roof coatings, architectural coatings, wood coatings, metal coatings, industrial coatings and many others are the important applications of colloidal silica in paints and coatings.

Rubber (Reinforcement) applications held the largest share from the precipitated silica applications in the synthetic wet silica market in 2020.Precipitated silica is acting as an alternative for reinforcing filler for carbon black in tires from several years. For the use in rubber manufacturing, synthetic amorphous precipitated silica products is available in powder, pellet, granular and micro-granular forms. These highly engineered materials, manufactured in a number of particle sizes and surface areas, are designed to improve the strength and toughness of rubber for a wide range of uses, from motor mounts, belts and hoses in vehicles, to wire and cable coatings, printer rolls, conveyor belts, gaskets, syringe toppers, roofing systems, rubber gym floors and many more.

Automotive sector held the largest share in the synthetic wet silica market in 2020 and is expected to rise at a CAGR of 8.2% in terms of revenue during the forecast period from 2021-2026.In the automotive sector synthetic wet silica is widely used for tire formulations. In the automotive industry, synthetic wet silica is used in tyres to increase the tear resistance of vehicles, and heavy machinery tyres and also to improve adhesion between the metal reinforcement and the radial tyre rubber. Owing to the low rolling resistance and excellent dispersion capacity and improved adherence and longevity, the increasing use of precipitated silica in “green tyres“ is driving the demand for synthetic wet silica in automotive industry. According to the International Trade Administration (ITA), in 2018, Canadian imports of automotive parts, components, and systems totaled $20.5 billion. Thus, with the growing automotive industry the market for synthetic wet silica market is estimated to grow over the forecast period.

Asia Pacific dominated the synthetic wet silica market in 2020 in terms of revenue with a share of 45% and is projected to dominate the market during the forecast period (2021-2026).China, Japan, India, and South Korea are the major countries that are driving the market growth of synthetic wet silica in this region. In India and South Korea owing to the rising investments by government in the automotive and cosmetics industry is set to drive the market growth in this region. Also, in countries such as China and Japansynthetic wet silicais widely used in the food and beverage sectors. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Japanese food processing industry is one of the world’s most advanced and sophisticated, manufacturing $216.8 billion of food and beverage products in 2018, up from $211.5 billion in the previous year. Thus, the increasing demand for synthetic wet silica from various end use industries will drive the market in the forecast period.

Biogenic amorphous silica is isolated from rice husks of synthetic amorphous silica gels. Compared to clay minerals, the impact of biogenic amorphous silica on soil water retaining ability is exceptionally high, with biogenic amorphous silica rising WHC (water-holding capacity) substantially. A higher deposition of biogenic amorphous silica in soils would lead to higher water holding potential and more available soil water, thus reducing the stress of plant drought. In addition to the known effects of allophane, the large impact of the amorphous Si structures with high surface area and porosity has a very high water holding capacity. Increasing the biogenic amorphous silica content of soils may be a way to increase water holding capacity of soils in order to cope with the projected increased intensification of drought periods, potentially strongly affecting ecosystem performance. Thus, with the rising demand for biogenic amorphous silica the market is also anticipated to rise in the forecast period.

As a direct food additive, synthetic amorphous silica (SAS), also known as synthetic amorphous silicon dioxide (SiO2), has been used for decades. For industrial applications ranging from food (food additive E551) and cosmetics to pharmaceutical applications, SAS is commonly used. Because of their amorphous nature, SAS is traditionally considered as non-toxic, and several studies have argued that it is very unlikely that they pose health risks as they are aggregated in larger structures. Silicon dioxide was also previously measured as a food additive (E 551, INS 551) and identified an appropriate daily consumption (ADI) for substances of very low toxicity in general by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) and the EU Science Committee on Food (SCF, now EFSA). 

Every-industry from supermarkets to white goods, electronics, and automobiles has an adverse effect on increasing volatile raw material prices. A decisive role is played by the reduced accessibility of raw materials. The purchase of raw materials is under threat as trade restrictions continue to grow. Companies requiring industrial raw materials for Silica production, in particular, face major challenges. Silica, particularly in the automotive tyre industries, is considered one of the most important materials. However, issues such as the presence of impurities are faced by silica, which has led several companies either to buy carbon black or to find alternatives. High costs for silica acts as a market constraint. The price of silica begins at 5,000 dollars per ton and can sometimes be priced higher than 5,000 dollars per ton. Due to the above mentioned factors, silica is anticipated to get struggled to achieve widespread adoption.

Colloidal silica consists of a virtual colloidal dispersion of particles of silica in water. An ionic charge (sodium ion) that causes the particles to repel one another stabilizes the dispersion. Coherent gels in the slurry are formed through the concentration of the binder during shell mold preparation. Colloidal silica's main disadvantage is that its water base makes it slow to dry, particularly in inaccessible pockets or cores. This offers an unpredictable schedule for production. It is also possible to attribute the failure of the colloidal silica system to an insufficient level (10-15 percent) of the silica content in the binder to develop the optimum strength in the investment shell mold.

Technology launches, acquisitions, and R&D activities are key strategies adopted by players in the synthetic wet silica market. In 2020, the synthetic wet silica market share has been consolidated by the top ten players accounting for XX% of the share. Major players in the synthetic wet silica market are Cabot Corporation, Evonik Industries AG, W.R. Grace & Co., IQE Group, PQ Corporation, PPG Industries Inc., Solvay S.A., Zeochem AG, Makall Group Inc., Wacker Chemie AG, and others.