Colloidal Silica Market

In Brief

• Global sales of colloidal silica were valued at over US$ 800 Mn in 2018, with gains primarily driven by growing applications in coatings, electronics, and construction industries.
• End-users continue to show a marked preference for colloidal silica of size up to 50 nm, in light of their clear dispersions and larger specific surface areas.

• East Asia will remain the leading market for colloidal silica, which can be attributed to the resurgence in construction activities that create a significant demand for coatings and paints.
• South Asia is expected to be the high-growth market for colloidal silica, with sales estimated to record a Y-o-Y growth at over 6% in 2019 over 2018.

What are the Key Growth Drivers of Colloidal Silica Market?

• Colloidal silica continues to gain high traction as the preferred abrasive in the chemical mechanical planarization (CMP) applications, in light of its key attributes that include good stability, and adjustable particle size distribution. Recent research efforts toward development of the colloidal products with tunable chemical and physical properties will pave lucrative avenues for the colloidal silica industry.
• There has been a marked rise in adoption of colloidal silica in the automotive industry, for manufacturing of automotive tires with decreased rolling resistance to improve vehicle handling and mileage. Additionally, the growing trend of green tires has augured well for sales of colloidal silica worldwide.
• Stringent government regulations on the use of protective coatings have fueled the use of green coatings in the automotive industry, which continues to favor the colloidal silica industry.
• Colloidal silica is witnessing increased traction from the electronics market, due to the accelerating growth in electronic component output, semiconductors to be specific for which silica is used as an abrasive polish.
• Growing use of levasil colloidal silica in the paper manufacturing industry, to enhance the frictional and printing properties of board stock, is a key aspect driving growth of the colloidal silica market.

Key Challenges Faced by Stakeholders in Colloidal Silica Market 

• High price volatility of the raw materials used in manufacturing colloidal silica continues to remain a key concern among the market players.
• The dependency of the colloidal silica industry on cyclical end-use industries, owing to standalone nature of the product, has confined growth of the market to a certain extent.

Colloidal Silica Market – Competitive Landscape

• In March 2019, a leading player in colloidal silica market, Nouryon (formerly AkzoNobel Specialty Chemicals) completed the expansion of colloidal silica in Sweden. The expansion has increased the production capacity of the surface-modified colloidal silica at the company’s Bohus site in Sweden.
• In February 2019, W. R. Grace & Co. started the construction of a novel colloidal silica plant at the company’s leading manufacturing and R&D center in Worms, Germany.
• In September 2018, a leading player in colloidal silica market, Evonik Industries, shared its plans to expand the company’s hydrophobic fumed silica capacities to cater to the growing demand for specialty silica varieties. The expansion aims at making 20% additional capacity for refinement hydrophilic silica available by the end of 2020.

Ecolab, Inc.

Established in 1923 and headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, the US, Ecolab, Inc. is a leading player in colloidal silica market, and provides products and services in the field of water, energy, and hygiene and operates in several segments, such as industrial, institutional, and energy.

Cabot Corporation

Founded in 1882 and based in Boston, MA, USA, Cabot Corporation (Cabot) is a specialty chemicals and performance materials company that primarily offers carbon black and rubber blacks.

Nissan Chemicals

Founded in 1921 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan a leading player in the colloidal silica market, Nissan Chemical Corp., engages in the manufacture and sale of industrial chemicals, and operates through segments, including Chemicals, Agrochemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Functional Materials, Wholesale Business, and Others.

PPG Industries, Inc.

Established in 1882 & based in Pittsburg, USA, PPG Industries, Inc. is a chemical manufacturer that produces and sells coatings, paints, specialty materials, and optical products.

W.R. Grace & Co.

Founded in 1854 and based in Columbia, USA, W. R. Grace & Co is a producer and marketer of specialty chemicals and materials. The product offerings of the company include catalysts, fine chemicals, molecular sieves, and synthetic silica.

End-User Preference Remains High for Smaller Size Colloidal Silica

Smaller particle size of colloidal silica is highly preferred by end-users, owing to comparatively more clear dispersions achieved. This study estimates that colloidal silica of up to 50 nm will continue to remain the top-selling category, with sales in 2018 accounting for over 50% market shares.

As the average particle size limits the weight fraction of colloidal silica, dispersions with smaller average diameters are associated with larger specific surface areas.

The property of colloidal silica of being modified to various configurations, such as surface modification, surface charge, and stabilization of ions, and adjustments to pH, is another key aspect driving the product’s development and sales worldwide.

Additionally, the environment-friendly nature of colloidal silica, in light of its integral constituents – amorphous silica and water – has added to their reputation as the rank-one industrial chemical products.

Research Methodology

A realistic methodology in tandem with holistic approach forms the base for the actionable insights provided in offered in the colloidal silica market for the study assessment period.

The Fact.MR report comprises of in-depth information on the growth prospects of colloidal silica industry along with enthralling insights into the forecast analysis of the market.

Extensive primary and secondary research are employed to garner valuable insights into the forecast analysis of colloidal silica market.

The report on colloidal silica market has further undergone cross-validation by the in-house professionals to make the colloidal silica market report one-of-its-kind with the highest credibility.

Colloidal Silica Market: Segmentation

• Formulation

  • Alkaline
  • Acidic

• Particle Size

  • Up to 50 nm
  • 51 to 100 nm
  • 51 to 100 nm

• Application

  • Coatings
  • Construction
  • Catalysts
  • Electronics
  • Other Application

• Region

  • North America
  • Latin America
  • Europe
  • East Asia
  • South Asia
  • Oceania
  • Middle East & Africa