(August 3, 2026) Global water-based coating and environmental paint manufacturers are stepping up raw material stock preparation for autumn construction projects, pushing up market demand for matting, anti-sagging and scratch-resistant modified white carbon black on August 3, while diversified downstream expansion gradually weakens the industry’s long-term dependence on the traditional tire market. Industry statistics released this morning show that the consumption growth of silica used in coatings, inks and daily chemicals has exceeded rubber-grade silica for the first time this quarter, marking a critical shift in the demand structure of the whole white carbon black industry. In European and American markets, strict volatile organic compound emission standards have accelerated the elimination of oil-based coatings, and water-based architectural coatings, automotive topcoat and industrial anti-corrosion coatings have become mainstream products. Modified precipitated silica and hydrophobic fumed silica serve as core rheology control additives, which can effectively prevent coating layering and sagging during construction, improve surface wear resistance and UV aging resistance. Major European paint groups have completed autumn procurement plans one after another, and orders for coating-specific silica have increased by nearly 27% compared with July. Many buyers have locked long-term supply contracts in advance to cope with tight supply of high-quality functional silica. IOTA Silicone released optimized coating-grade silica formulas on August 3, targeting architectural water paint, wood coating and radiation curing paint markets. The newly upgraded silica features fine particle size and excellent dispersion, which can significantly improve coating flatness while keeping high transparency, perfectly fitting the production needs of high-end environmental coatings. The enterprise revealed that the new materials have passed sample verification from many well-known international coating brands, and mass delivery will start in mid-August. In addition, the company adjusts partial production capacity to focus on customized silica for anti-fog coatings and electronic insulation coatings, further expanding its layout in non-rubber high-end markets. In domestic market, decoration peak season drives coating enterprises to increase operating rates continuously. Medium and low-end precipitated silica for conventional coatings maintains stable sales volume, but product profits are thin due to fierce competition. High-purity ultrafine silica remains in short supply, and manufacturers hold firm on quotations. Upstream sodium silicate raw material prices fluctuate slightly, bringing limited cost pressure to leading enterprises with self-owned raw material supporting production lines, while small factories without resource advantages face greater operating pressure. Industry analysts pointed out that non-rubber application fields including coatings, daily chemicals, electronic materials will become the stable growth engine of the silica industry in the next three years. In the second half of 2026, the market gap of coating special white carbon black will continue to expand, manufacturers focusing on surface modification technology will gain more pricing power, and low-end homogeneous silica will face continuous elimination under environmental protection and carbon tariff pressure. Meanwhile, Southeast Asian coating factories are rapidly expanding production capacity, which will bring lasting new export orders to Chinese silica manufacturers in the next 12 months.