Fumed Silica Market Size By Product (Hydrophilic, Hydrophobic), By Application (Pharmaceutical, Beauty & Personal Care, Silicone Elastomers, Paints, Coatings & Inks, UPR, Adhesives & Sealants, Food & Beverages), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook, Growth Potential, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2019 – 2025

Industry Trends

Fumed Silica Market size was valued at over USD 1 billion in 2018 and is estimated to exhibit over 4.5% CAGR from 2019 to 2025. positive outlook of drug manufacturing in the wake of rising concerns associated with prevalence of diseases are bound to trigger the market demand during the forecast time span.
 

Fumed silica is one of the most popular silica types used by many industries due to its versatile nature. It is commonly found in a wide range of products ranging from daily use items to major industrial formulations. It is denoted by CAS no. 112945-52-5 and known as pyrogenic silica. It is produced by flame pyrolysis technique, which includes vaporization of silicon tetrachloride or quartz in electric arc furnace, while maintaining temperatures around 3000°C.
 

The substance is available in particle form having size of 5 – 50 nm and enormous surface area of 50 – 600 m2/g. Additionally, these particles are non-porous and have low bulk density around 160 to190 kg/m3. This amorphous silica consists of three-dimensional secondary particles in the form of chain structure which are further agglomerated into tertiary particles.
 

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Pyrogenic silica is used by the pharmaceutical industry in drug manufacturing processes. It is used as a filler, lubricant, glidant, binding agent, disintegrant and sorbent during production of capsules, tablets and powders. Popularity of pyrogenic silica as a pharmaceutical excipient is growing rapidly as it enhances drug capabilities while maintaining cost efficiency and reliability within drug production processes.
 

Various issues such as compaction, tablet non-uniformity, & weight variation, unnecessary sticking, active or inactive ingredients’ segregation, chipping, tablet breakage, etc. are faced by many pharmaceutical manufacturers, and fumed silica is the perfect fit for resolving these issues. Technological progressions and necessity to achieve cost optimization will compel pharmaceutical producers to opt for the product owing to its astounding benefits.
 

In paints & coatings sector, the product is primarily used for inducing thixotropic behavior and viscosity adjustment. It offers excellent rheology control, better mechanical reinforcement and superior corrosion & chemical resistance. Its three-dimensional structure efficiently allows prevention of sagging within paints & coatings. In addition, it minimizes the possibility of fat edges & picture framing in coatings while helping pattern development. Increasing usages of paints & coatings by automotive & construction industries will positively influence the fumed silica market growth in future.
 

Pyrogenic silica is incorporated into high temperature vulcanized (HTV) silicone rubber and liquid silicone rubber (LSR) to promote mechanical reinforcement and haze reduction. Due to its high purity and low moisture content, it is widely preferred by many silicone elastomer manufacturers. It helps in improving tensile strength, tear strength and modulus properties of silicone elastomers. As silicone elastomers are durable, physiologically inert and can be used over wide range of temperatures, they offer excellent value proposition to automotive, aerospace, biotechnology, building & construction, medical, electronics, oil & gas and textile sectors. Promising trends associated with silicone elastomers will bolster the fumed silica market value in upcoming years.
 

Fumed silica market analysis may be affected by availability of cheaper substitutes such as precipitated silica. Precipitated silica offers better performance as matting agents and in achieving gloss reduction in paints as compared to fumed silica. It can reduce gloss by more than 60% with minimal amount of addition. Precautionary storage and handling measures must be taken while handling pyrogenic silica. It should be kept in dry condition and use of fine-dust filter respirator is recommended.
 

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Hydrophilic fumed silica holds significant share

Based on product, fumed silica market is classified into hydrophilic and hydrophobic segments. The difference between these two types is based on their ability to combine with water. Hydrophilic fumed silica displays strong affinity with water, on the contrary hydrophobic silica shows water repellent characteristics. Hydrophilic silica is untreated and relatively cheaper than hydrophobic silica which is treated with silane. Among these two segments, hydrophilic segment is likely to clutch the majority share within the forecast time span owing to wide range of applications.
 

Pharmaceutical, beauty & personal care products will lead the market

Based on application, fumed silica market share is segmented into pharmaceutical, beauty & personal care, silicone elastomer, paints, coatings & inks, unsaturated polyester resin (UPR), adhesives & sealants, food & beverages and others. Others segment includes electronics, defoamer, plastic, etc. Pharmaceutical, beauty & personal care segment will grow significantly within the forecast time span.
 

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The product is used as an anti-blocking and thixotropic agent in lipstick, foundations, color cosmetics, toothpaste, skin care, hair care, nail care products, etc. Rising disposable income levels coupled with lifestyle changes will catapult the growth of cosmetics sector and thereby result in growth of the fumed silica market sales. Adhesives & sealants sector exhibits prominent future trends as the product is used as an additive to impart effective rheological control. It increases viscosity and improve anti-settling & extrusion properties.
 

Asia Pacific is expected to dominate the market in upcoming years

Asia Pacific region consumed close to two-fifth of the global fumed silica produce in 2018, owing to huge presence of industries. The region’s booming real estate sector will potentially attract high consumer demand for paints & coatings. China and India are some of the leading consumers of unsaturated polyester resin (UPR) globally and regional UPR sector will continue to grow at solid pace in next few years.
 

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These trends will augment the fumed silica market growth within the projected time period. North America captured considerable market share owing to rapid development of pharmaceutical sector. Continuous research and development activities, huge government expenditures and favorable regulatory policies will bolster the pharmaceutical production in future.
 

Market is highly consolidated with few small players across the globe

Evonik Industries AG, Cabot Corporation and Wacker Chemie AG are the leading manufacturers. Other players in the fumed silica industry are OCI Company Ltd., Kemitura Group, Tokuyama Corporation, Orisil, Hubei Xingrui Silicon Materials Co., Ltd, Henan Xunyu Chemical Co., Ltd., China-Henan Huamei Chemical Co., Ltd., Cabot Sanmar Limited, etc. These companies are trying to increase profits by adopting various strategies such as production capacity expansion, product differentiation and mergers and acquisitions.
 

For instance, Evonik Industries AG expanded production capacity in Antwerp as a part of growth strategy for fumed silica business. Cabot Corporation recently announced opening of new production plant in Wuhai, Inner Mongolia, China in order to meet the rising need in China. This plant will be operated jointly by Inner Mongolia Hengyecheng Silicone Co. Ltd. (HYC) and Cabot Corporation.
 

Fumed silica market report includes in-depth coverage of the industry with estimates & forecast in terms of volume in kilo tons and revenue in USD million from 2014 to 2025, for the following segments:
 

By Product

• Hydrophilic
• Hydrophobic

By Application

• Pharmaceutical
• Beauty & Personal Care
• Silicone Elastomers
• Paints, Coatings & Inks
• UPR
• Adhesives & Sealants
• Food & Beverages

The above information is provided on a regional and country basis for the following:

By Region

• North America
  • U.S.
  • Canada
• Europe
  • Germany
  • U.K.
  • France
  • Italy
  • Spain
  • Russia
• Asia Pacific
  • China
  • India
  • Japan
  • Australia
  • Malaysia
  • Indonesia
  • South Korea
• Latin America
  • Brazil
  • Mexico
• Middle East & Africa
  • South Africa
  • Saudi Arabia
  • UAE 
  • Kuwait