Specialty Silicas

Specialty Silicas

Growth in the US specialty silicas market will total 4.7 percent annually through 2019 in value terms. Gains will be fueled by higher loadings and new formulations of precipitated silica in automotive tires, in addition to demand from continued strength in the housing and construction industry.

This report segments the specialty silicas market by product type and market. Data is provided in million pounds and million dollars.

Specialty silica product types include:
Precipitated silica
Fumed silica
Silica gel
Colloidal silica, or silica sol
Fused silica

Of these types, precipitated silica will maintain its spot as the largest product type in the specialty silicas market. In addition, it will be the fastest growing product through 2019, buoyed by its improvement of fuel efficiency and traction in green tires for motor vehicles.

Major markets for precipitated silicas include:
Rubber
Cosmetics & Toiletries
Chemicals
Coatings & Inks
Electrical & Electronic Equipment

Rubber was the leading outlet in 2014. Because of its importance in the tire market, rubber will also show the most rapid growth in demand through 2019. Coatings and inks will see similarly strong growth, where silicas are used in formulations that can reduce the emission of volatile organic compounds.

The US specialty films industry ranges from smaller, privately held firms to divisions of large, multinational conglomerates. The industry has seen few noteworthy acquisitions in recent years, in part due to its fairly concentrated industry structure. Leading suppliers include Air Products and Chemicals, Cabot, Evonik, Grace, Imerys, JM Huber, Pemco, PQ, PPG Industries, and Solvay.