In September 2026, the demand structure of China’s new material market keeps evolving, and the competition logic of the precipitated silica industry transforms further. Market focus has shifted from production capacity scale to product specialization and practical application performance. With the accelerated upgrading of downstream new material industries, sectors including tires, organosilicone, energy storage, photovoltaics and high-end composite materials put increasingly refined performance requirements on powder materials. General powder can hardly meet the demands of high-end formulations, and the market keeps tilting toward grade customization, surface modification and supporting technical services. Instead of merely competing on output, precipitated silica enterprises deeply address the pain points of downstream formulations, develop targeted special powder products, and widen industrial gaps by application technology capability.

　　The domestic spot market continues to show structural differentiation. General precipitated silica faces overcapacity with sufficient supply. Downstream manufacturers of ordinary rubber parts, civil coatings and low-end silicone fillers purchase cautiously, mostly adopting on-demand procurement with few large stockpiles. Prices of basic grades remain at low levels for a long time. Many small and medium-sized manufacturers suffer from severe product homogenization and lack capabilities for modification R&D and process optimization. They can only win orders by cutting prices, leaving slim profits that barely support investment in production line upgrading and quality inspection system construction. Coupled with tightened energy consumption control and environmental supervision, the phase-out of inefficient backward capacity speeds up. Survival pressure in low-end segments continues to rise, and industrial capacity elimination advances steadily.

　　Demand for high-end special precipitated silica rises steadily, with multiple downstream tracks driving order growth simultaneously. In the green tire sector, high-dispersion precipitated silica acts as a core filler to reduce rolling resistance and improve wet grip performance. With the rising ownership of new energy vehicles, tire manufacturers keep adjusting formulations and increasing the dosage of high-dispersion precipitated silica. Leading precipitated silica producers have full order books for relevant grades and extended delivery cycles. In the organosilicone industry, demand for hydrophobically modified precipitated silica used in sealants, liquid silicone rubber and thermally conductive silicone gel grows stably. Surface-modified precipitated silica can enhance the mechanical properties of silicone rubber, reduce system viscosity, and mitigate issues such as bubbles and powder precipitation. It serves as an essential reinforcing raw material for high-end organosilicone formulations. Meanwhile, demand for ultra-low impurity special precipitated silica for photovoltaic encapsulant and energy storage buffer materials continues to surge.

　　On the cost side, price fluctuations of upstream raw materials including sodium silicate, soda ash and sulfuric acid have narrowed, and the dominating impact of raw material costs on precipitated silica pricing keeps weakening. The premium capability of products mainly depends on the regulation of powder microstructure, surface modification technology and batch stability throughout the whole production process. Precipitated silica produced from identical basic raw materials can achieve several times higher added value after differentiated surface modification. A consensus has gradually formed within the industry: blind expansion of basic powder capacity will only intensify low-end market competition. Only by delving into powder modification technology and developing products tailored to different customer working conditions and formulation systems can enterprises build long-term, hard-to-replicate technical barriers.

　　Low-carbon certification and carbon footprint accounting have become essential qualifications for domestic precipitated silica to enter the global high-end supply chain. During supplier screening, overseas purchasers require carbon footprint reports, production traceability records and environmental compliance certificates, in addition to conventional physical and chemical test reports. Many leading domestic enterprises have deployed solid waste recycling processes, using rice husk ash and industrial solid by-products to produce precipitated silica, reducing consumption of mineral resources and cutting production carbon emissions. Enterprises equipped with low-carbon production lines boast outstanding competitiveness in overseas bidding, while factories failing to complete green production line transformation will gradually lose access to high-end markets in Europe and America.

　　The pattern of foreign trade exports continues to optimize, and exported products are upgrading toward high-end segments. Exports of ordinary general-purpose precipitated silica face fierce competition. Newly added production capacity in Southeast Asia keeps launching and occupying the low-end overseas powder market, putting pressure on exports of domestic basic grades and continuously squeezing profit margins. High-end modified, high-dispersion and fumed precipitated silica gain rising recognition year by year in Europe, America, Japan and South Korea with stable quality and supporting technical services, and export volume grows steadily. High-end overseas customers no longer simply compare unit prices; they attach greater importance to batch stability, on-site technical support and rapid customized development capability. The import substitution of domestic high-end precipitated silica keeps accelerating.

　　In terms of technological research and development, new progress is continuously achieved in the localization of fumed silica and nano-modified precipitated silica. Fields such as lithium battery diaphragm coating, thermally conductive composite materials, high-end cosmetic powder and pharmaceutical excipients once relied heavily on imported powder. Domestic enterprises keep overcoming key processes including ultra-high purification, surface activation and continuous synthesis, and have successively launched special grades suitable for various scenarios. The industry’s business model has also upgraded. Precipitated silica enterprises have transformed from powder suppliers into formulation partners for downstream new material manufacturers, deeply participating in product R&D and delivering complete powder application solutions.

　　Emerging application tracks keep expanding and continuously broaden the growth space of the industry. Apart from traditional markets such as tires, organosilicone and coatings, demand for precipitated silica rises rapidly in cutting-edge fields including hydrogen energy sealing elastomers, 6G high-frequency substrates, flexible sensing materials, elastomer matrices for wearable devices and biodegradable composite materials. These high-end scenarios impose strict standards on powder purity, aging resistance, low volatility and reinforcement efficiency, forcing powder enterprises to continuously iterate modification technology and develop exclusive grades. Emerging tracks will become the core growth source of the precipitated silica industry in the next few years.

　　Market forecast for Q4: The structural differentiation trend of the precipitated silica industry will continue. Prices of general filler-grade products remain under pressure, while demand for functional special precipitated silica stays robust. As downstream tire and organosilicone enterprises launch year-end stock preparation, orders for high-end modified grades are expected to see phased growth. In the medium and long term, market resources and high-quality customers will keep concentrating on leading enterprises with independent R&D, low-carbon production lines and customized technical service capabilities. Future industrial development focuses on three directions: powder functional modification, low-carbon circular manufacturing and supporting emerging tracks. Enterprises that can continuously tap the application value of powder and provide customized formulation solutions for downstream customers will maintain an advantageous position in long-term industry competition.