Silica fume provides valuable benefits for the building construction, marinier, and oil and gas sectors across the globe.
It is obtained as a by-product during the manufacture of silicon metal and ferrosilicon alloys and presents mainly pure silica in a non-crystalline form. While silicon itself is produced by heating quartz and carbon in a smelting furnace, silica fume that is released during the process is collected in a baghouse filter. It appears as a fine spherical particle that consists of amorphous silicon dioxide in high concentrations.
Bij HSA, the leading provider of silica fume in China, we took a close look at the present situation in the global silicon fume market. Continue reading our silica fume industry report to learn more about silica fume market distribution, its applications, and outlook for the future.
Waarom is Silica Fume belangrijk?
Silica fume is a fine pozzolanic material produced as a by-product while manufacturing silicon metal or ferrosilicon alloys. It presents one of the key materials used in the manufacture of concrete and refractories, – the material is added to concrete in order to augment its mechanical properties and achieve increased abrasion resistance, better corrosive strength, and superior sulphate resistance. The addition of silica fume also reduces the permeability of the concrete mixture and improves its durability to a certain extent.
Silica fume is a truly versatile material that can be used to produce nearly all grades of concrete. Verder, it significantly improves the high-temperature performance and strength of refractories. In addition to being used in concretes, cement, and refractories, silica fume finds applications in the water glass industry and rubber industry.
The Present Situation in the Silica Fume Industry
In de afgelopen jaren, the demand for densified silica fume has experienced extensive growth.
Silica fume finds its main use in concrete production: when added to concrete, the material effectively enhances concrete’s durability and mechanical properties. Als zodanig, the rapid growth of the silica fume industry can be attributed to the product’s high strength, quality, and massive resistance to erosion when applied to the construction and building industries.
Vandaag, silica fume is commonly used in marine structure construction, constructie bouwen, nuclear plant construction, oil and gas well grouting, and the construction of chemical production facilities. Verder, it presents excellent material for bridges, metro lines, and rapid-rise structures.
Eindelijk, the growing demand for silicon in the electricity sector is another driving force on the market, as silica fume production is directly related to silicone manufacturing.
Key Silica Fume Suppliers
The key suppliers and manufacturers within the silica fume market include Norchem Inc., Dow Corning Corporation (U.S.), Elkem (Noorwegen), SIKA, Cement Industries Inc., and Henan Superior Abrasives Import & Export Co., Ltd (HSA).
Opgericht in 2001, HSA remains a leading supplier of premium-quality silica fume products in China, with an annual export value of over 9,300,000 USD to the markets of the U.S., Canada, Rusland, Spanje, the Middle East, Zuid-Afrika, Zuid-Oost Azië, en meer.
Market Distribution and Applications
Regional Distribution of the Silica Fume Market
When talking about the regional distribution of the silica fume market, we are going to be focusing on the following regions:
- North America, which includes U.S., Canada, and other countries.
- Asia-Pacific, which includes India, China, Japan, Australië, and other countries.
- Europa, which includes U.K., Frankrijk, Rusland, and other countries.
- South America, which includes Brazil and other countries.
- The Middle East and Africa.
Each region’s performance was evaluated and ranked based on the revenue, volume, growth, uitdagingen, and opportunities associated with the global and regional key players:
The Middle East and Africa
The regions of the Middle East and Africa have shown the fastest-growing market share for silica fume, and the positive trend is expected to continue. The main driving factors behind the rapid growth include increasing construction and developing economies like Saudi Arabia and UAE.
China and the United States
The United States and China are calculated to be the next major silica fume producers. The two countries are expected to retain a significant market share, as the government’s servicing and infrastructure spending increase in the coming years.
Henan Superior Abrasives Import & Export Co., Ltd (HSA) remains among the leading providers of silica fume in the Chinese market, with significant export output to large multinational corporations in the United States, Canada, Rusland, Middle-East, en meer.
Asia-Pacific and Latin America
The demand for silica fume is also expected to grow in economies in the Asia Pacific and the Latin American regions. Emerging economies like Brazil, Indië, Malaysia, and Indonesia are expected to augment the demand for silica fume due to rapid urbanization and industrialization to support their demand for silica fume.
Toepassingen van silicadamp
We have also segmented and ranked the global silica fume market into several categories, based on the application sector. Such categories include building construction, marine structure construction, oil and gas well grouting, chemical production facilities construction, nuclear power plant construction, en anderen.
- Building Construction (35%-40%)
The use of silica fume in concrete is one of the key emerging trends driving the global silica fume market.
Due to physical and chemical properties specific to silica fumes, such as a highly reactive nature and large surface area, the material is most widely used as a pozzolan in concrete applications. These properties allow silica fume to be used in mammoth construction structures, where silica fume is added to concrete in the required proportion.
When talking about applications of silica fume to concrete, it is worth mentioning that Henan Superior Abrasives Import & Export Co., Ltd. also remains the premium source of high-performance silica fume products for concrete and refractory industries.
- Marine Sector (20%-30%)
The second-largest end-user of silica fume is the marine sector. Due to its anti-permeable and anti-abrasive characteristics, silica fume is used along with concrete for the construction of bridges, ports, and shipyards in order to increase the resistance to the aggressive salt environment.
- Olie en gas industrie (10%-15%)
The oil and gas industry is the third-largest consumer of silica fume.
Due to its efficient provision of durability to concrete, silica fume is effectively utilized in the construction of pipelines for the easy flow of gas and lubricants in boring and drilling wells.
Silica fume is also used extensively in both primary oil well grouting and secondary grouting, as the ability of silica fume to decrease the permeability of the grout slows or even stops gas leakage from the well.
- Others (Fertilizers, Rubber) (10%-20%)
The rest of the silica fume market share is comprised of other industries, such as fertilizers and rubber production.
When used in fertilizers, silica fume effectively aids in the pelletizing process. Rubber industries also consume silica fume, as the material improves the tensile strength and elongation of the rubber products.
What to Expect in the Coming Years?
The size of the global Silica Fume market is projected to reach USD 541.5 million by the year 2026, increasing from USD 469.9 miljoen binnen 2020.
The demand from end-use applications, especially in the construction, marinier, and oil and gas sectors is expected to increase in the coming years.
When talking about the regional distribution, we can expect to see the following trends:
- Approximately 15%-20% of the silica fume market growth is anticipated to come from the North American region.
- Around 45%-50% of the silica market growth is expected to come from the Asia-Pacific region. Hier, the construction industry is expected to grow at a faster rate due to increasing residential and commercial projects, as well as rising investments in high-quality infrastructure. Vervolgens, the demand for silica fume in the construction industry is expected to drive the growth of the silica fume market.
The Effect of the Global Pandemic on Silica Fume Industry
The suspension of construction activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic is the major contributing reason for the temporary downfall in the silica fume market, as over 60% of construction and industrial activities are at a halt in a pandemic situation.
Verder, the lack of demand for bricks, soil, cement, and roadways will severely affect the market. Eindelijk, insufficiency in raw material supply is expected to hamper the production rate, thus affecting the market growth.
Final Note
Silica fume offers unique benefits for building construction, olie en gas, and marine sectors around the world, as the addition of silica fume to concrete allows increasing its strength, duurzaamheid, and resistance to erosion.
Due to the anticipated growth in the construction industry, North-American and Asian-Pacific regions are expected to see an increased demand for silica fume in the upcoming years, despite the temporary setback due to the pandemic-related halt in construction and industrial activities.
Eindelijk, among other key silica fume suppliers in the Asian-Pacific region, it is worth noting the increasing role of HSA as a premier supplier of silica fume products for concrete and refractory industries.
