Specialty Silica Market Size, Share, Opportunities, COVID-19 Impact, And Trends By Type Of Product (Precipitated Silica, Fumed Silica, Silica Gel, Others), By Application (Rubber Goods, Heat Stability, Anticaking, Others), By End User Industry (Manufacturing, Chemicals, Personal Care & Cosmetics, Others), And By Geography - Forecasts From 2022 To 2027

The specialty silica market was valued at US$3.716 billion in 2020 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 9.37% over the forecast period to reach US$6.958 billion by 2027. Increasing adoption of packaging materials in the automotive, food and beverage, and other industries, along with lower consumption costs and greater capacity utilization rates, is the major factor that is driving the specialty silica market growth.

Specialty silica is extensively used in several applications such as rubber, paints & coating, agriculture, personal care, food & beverages, etc. due to its ability to absorb moisture and keep things dry. Its demand has increased in personal care and cosmetics owing to its unique properties such as anti-caking, UV protection, and dispersion. Rising environmental concerns and the need to use environmentally friendly products will further boost the market’s growth. However, the high cost of specialty silica and the availability of low-cost substitutes will restrain the market’s growth.

By Type of Product

By the type of product, the specialty silica market has been segmented into precipitated silica, fumed silica, silica gel, and others. Others include hydrophilic silica, hydrophobic silica, and silicates. Silica Gel is dominating the market as it is extensively used as a drying agent in industries such as painting and coating, plastic, food, pharmaceutical, and personal care industries.

By Application

By application, the specialty silica market has been segmented into rubber goods, heat stability, anti-caking, printing sharpness, and others. Specialty silica is widely used as an anti-caking and carrying agent in cosmetics, fertilizers, and synthetic detergents as it allows the products to freely flow when they are being used. They are often used in products that are prone to clumping.

By End-User Industry

By the end-user industry, the specialty silica market has been segmented into manufacturing, chemicals, electronics, personal care and cosmetics, and others. Others include mining, oil & gas, and pharmaceuticals. Due to its high tensile strength and abrasion resistance, specialty silica is widely used in the rubber industry.

By Geography

Geographically, the specialty silica market has been segmented into the following:  North America, Europe, Middle East & Africa, Asia-Pacific, and South America region. Asia Pacific region will grow at an impressive rate over the forecast period owing to the booming automotive industry in terms of demand for vehicles as well as the production of tires which will impact the specialty silica market growth in a positive manner.

Covid-19 Impact on Specialty Silica Market:

The outbreak of the Covid-19 Pandemic severely impacted the specialty silica market growth in 2020 due to the sharp decline in manufacturing activities. The key end user of synthetic silica, the automotive industry reported a reduction in sales in 2020 which has decreased the demand for specialty silica across the industry. Moreover, massive disruptions in the supply chain, the shutdown of various industries, lack of skilled workforce have further impacted the overall market growth. However, specialty silica sales are anticipated to rise between 2020 to 2027 due to the expansion and advancements in end-user industries.

Key Developments:

• Nov 2021: Nouryon announced its plans to expand the capacity of its Levasil colloidal silica manufacturing plant in the U.S. With the help of this expansion plant the company will meet the increasing demand from the packaging and construction industry.
• May 2021: Lion Electric announced its new project under which the company will construct the largest medium and heavy-duty EV plant in the U.S. the company has invested USD 70 million over the period of the last three years. This project is projected to drive the demand for specialty silica across the automotive sector of the country.
• May 2021: W. R. Grace and Co. announced that it has completed the expansion of its manufacturing plant of silica gel in Kuantan, Malaysia. The plant will cater to the growing demand from various industries such as biofuel, purification anti-blocking in plastic films and bags, leather, and coils.

Specialty Silica Market Scope:

Market Segmentation

• By Type of Product
  • Precipitated Silica
  • Fumed Silica
  • Silica Gel
  • Others
• By Application
  • Rubber Goods
  • Heat Stability
  • Anti caking
  • Others
• By End User Industry
  • Manufacturing
  • Chemicals
  • Personal Care & Cosmetics
  • Others
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Others
  • Europe
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • United Kingdom
    • Others
  • Middle East and Africa
    • Israel
    • Saudi Arabia
    • Others
  • Asia Pacific
    • Japan
    • China
    • India
    • South Korea
    • Taiwan
    • Indonesia
    • Thailand
    • South Korea
    • Others