Domestic policies for green tires keep being rolled out. Fuel‑saving performance, low rolling resistance and high wear resistance have become core development directions of the tire industry. Major tire manufacturers are accelerating product iteration and upgrading, and continuously increasing the proportion of high‑dispersion silica in formulas to reduce tire rolling resistance and improve wet‑grip performance. Against such backdrop, market demand for high‑dispersion silica is steadily released, and product‑structure adjustment within the industry speeds up further. Currently it is the traditional summer off‑season for chemical industry. High temperature affects the operating rhythm of tire enterprises. Transactions of ordinary‑grade silica remain sluggish, dominated by inventory consumption and on‑demand restocking. Nevertheless, demand for special high‑dispersion silica matching green‑tire formulas stays resilient, delivering market performance independent from the general trend and forming a vital growth track for the silica industry.

  From the perspective of downstream tire‑application scenarios, green tires impose strict requirements on three core indicators: rolling resistance, wear resistance and wet‑surface anti‑skid performance. Traditional carbon black fillers feature outstanding reinforcing effect yet show shortcomings in lowering rolling resistance. Ordinary silica suffers insufficient dispersion and tends to agglomerate during mixing, failing to give full play to reinforcing performance and hardly meeting production standards for new‑generation green tires. With specially‑tuned pore structure and particle morphology, high‑dispersion silica can disperse uniformly inside rubber systems. It effectively cuts tire rolling resistance and vehicle fuel consumption while balancing wear resistance and wet‑grip performance, helping tire manufacturers satisfy various specification requirements for green tires. Such products have been widely adopted in passenger‑car steel‑belted radial tires and are gradually penetrating commercial‑vehicle tires and new‑energy heavy‑duty tires. As domestic tire enterprises speed up deployment of green‑tire product lines, more factories adjust rubber formulas and raise the addition dosage of high‑dispersion silica. Downstream procurement modes also transform obviously. Large tire factories lock supply via long‑term agreements, while small‑and‑medium rubber enterprises adopt small‑batch and high‑frequency restocking. Extremely high standards are set for product dispersibility, oil‑absorption value and batch consistency, and inquiries and orders for premium high‑dispersion grades keep rising. By contrast, general‑purpose precipitated silica mainly serves ordinary rubber, shoe‑material and silicone‑product markets. Downstream operating rates are dragged down by summer heat. Supply is sufficient and inventory pressure accumulates. Large‑volume transactions are rare. Some manufacturers offer discounts to boost shipments, profit margins of general‑grade products keep being squeezed, and price gaps between high‑end and commodity‑grade products widen further.

  On the supply side, overall operation of domestic silica plants remains stable while inventories of general precipitated‑silica grades keep building. Many manufacturers take initiative to adjust production plans, moderately cut output of ordinary grades and divert equipment, manpower and raw‑material resources toward high‑dispersion silica. However, high‑dispersion silica has high technical barriers and cannot be mass‑produced simply by altering process parameters. Production demands precise control over reaction rate, particle growth and pore structure. Post‑treatment drying and modification also require meticulous management. Grade‑switching involves long commissioning cycles and heavy equipment‑renovation investment, making rapid large‑scale capacity expansion impossible. At present only a limited number of domestic enterprises can stably mass‑produce tire‑grade high‑dispersion silica. Orders for relevant grades from leading producers have been scheduled till mid‑to‑late September, and delivery cycles for some custom‑tailored specifications are further extended. Imported high‑dispersion silica still occupies part of high‑end tire‑market share, yet suffers unstable supply due to long sea‑transport and delivery cycles, leaving substitution space for domestic products. Prices of major raw materials including soda ash, sulfuric acid and silicate fluctuate, forming strong cost support for high‑dispersion silica and strengthening producers’ firm price sentiment. General precipitated silica gets weak cost backing and maintains weak‑volatile prices, and product‑segmentation pattern deepens continuously.

  Foreign‑trade markets also bring development opportunities. Tire‑label regulations are successively introduced across the globe. Overseas demand for low‑rolling‑resistance green tires keeps rising and drives steady export growth of domestic high‑dispersion silica, with particularly notable growth of tire‑supporting orders from Europe and Southeast Asia. Overseas tire manufacturers enforce strict control over filler indicators and complete testing standards for batch‑to‑batch consistency and processing performance, forcing domestic silica producers to continuously optimize synthesis processes, narrow performance gaps against international leading products and accelerate domestic substitution of tire‑grade high‑dispersion silica. Meanwhile export‑oriented business faces multiple practical challenges including international trade frictions, fluctuating ocean freight rates, competition from local overseas manufacturers and compliance reviews for chemical exports, which are real obstacles for Chinese enterprises going global.

  In the medium‑to‑long term, green tires represent an irreversible global trend for the tire industry. Relevant policies and standards will keep being implemented. Tire‑industry upgrading is no short‑term boom and will drive long‑term demand growth for high‑dispersion silica. In the short run, despite the ongoing summer off‑season, tire enterprises never suspend new‑product R&D and formula testing, so demand resilience for high‑dispersion silica can be maintained. When the traditional chemical peak season arrives in September, tire‑industry operating rates are expected to recover, and the silica market will receive dual positive drivers from traditional demand and incremental demand brought by green tires. Market practitioners shall keep tracking operating‑rate and production‑scheduling conditions of major domestic tire enterprises, price swings of upstream raw materials such as silicate and soda ash, as well as commissioning progress of new high‑dispersion silica capacity. Industry analysts point out that the silica industry has stepped away from the extensive development mode featured by sheer output expansion and price competition, and competition value of segmented tracks becomes increasingly prominent. Manufacturers shall pro‑actively optimize product portfolios, dig deep into the high‑quality track supporting green tires, polish synthesis technologies, strictly guarantee indicator stability and meet customized formula demands from tire customers, so as to fully seize huge market opportunities brought by tire‑industry upgrading.