Silica Flour Market

Silica Flour Market Research, 2031

The global silica flour market size was valued at $520.0 million in 2021, and is projected to reach $876.3 million by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 5.5% from 2022 to 2031. 

The silica flour market faced several difficulties with material supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages in 2020.The demand for silica flour market has decreased amid the COVID-19 period owing to declining of oil & gas industry where silica flour are used for reducing the heat loss within high temperature streams

Silica flour is very fine material and purified form of crystalline silica that naturally occurs in different shapes. It has high mechanical strength and provides permeability in various end-use industries and it can withstand high temperatures that make them suitable for thermal insulation and heat stabilization applications in various end-use industries such as iron & steel, cement manufacturing, glass production, petrochemicals, and others. They are used as an abrasive additive in soaps, skin care products, paint & coatings, and others.

Rapid infrastructure development and increase in demand from the automotive sector has led to rise in iron & steel production in both developed and developing economies such as the U.S., China, and India where silica flour exhibits considerably low thermal expansion, high melting point, and resistance to metal deformation owing to which silica flour is used as coating material in iron & steel sector. In addition, the surge in modern theme-based building & construction sector has surged the demand for glass used in manufacturing windowpanes, doors, and other building parts where silica flour is used as glassifying agent owing to low thermal expansion capacity and high melting point. It is used predominantly in glass manufacturing units and is projected to experience a surge in demand. These are the major factors contributing toward silica flour market growth.

However, silica flour poses threat to humans if exposed beyond the maximum concentration limits. For instance, the prolonged exposure to ceramic fiber-based silica flour may cause skin and upper respiratory irritation. In addition, breathing very small (crystalline) silica particles may cause multiple health hazards such as silicosis or may even lead to death. This factors hampers the market growth.

On the contrary, increase in industrialization, surge in manufacturing industries, and rise in prices of crude oil has surged the demand for silica flour where it is used as an additive to standard cement (Oilwell Class G) to meet permeability and compressive strength requirements. It is a key factor that is anticipated to offer new opportunities in the global silica flour market.

The silica flour market forecast is analyzed on the basis of type, application, and region. Depending on type, the market is divided into quartz and cristobalite. On the basis of application, it is fragmented into fiberglass, glass and clay, oil well cement, ceramics and refractory, foundry and others. Region-wise, the market is analyzed across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and LAMEA.

The major companies profiled in the silica flour market analysis include AGSCO, Adwan Chemical Industries Co. Ltd, Delmon Group of Companies, Hoben International Limited, Opta Minerals Inc., SCR-SIBELCO NV, Sil industrial minerals, PolyOne Corporation, Sanitized AG, and BioCote Limited

In 2021, the quartz segment was the largest revenue generator, and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.8% during the forecast period. By type, the market is segregated into quartz and cristobalite. The quartz segment dominated the global market, in terms of revenue in 2021, with 66% of total share. This is attributed to rise in industrial sector, glass manufacturing units, ceramics, paints, and others where quartz are increasingly used for providing glossy finish to masonry walls, covering, and flooring in various residential and commercial building construction projects. This is anticipated to increase the demand for silica flour in the quartz segment.

By application, the fiberglass segment dominated the global market in 2021, and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 5.9% during forecast period. This is attributed to the extensive demand for fiberglass in building & construction has led the silica flour-based fiberglass manufacturers to produce highly efficient fiberglass used in wall coverings, fire protection, and other applications. These factors augment the growth of the fiberglass segment in the global silica flour market.

The Asia-Pacific silica flour market size is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 5.9% during the forecast period and accounted for 43% of silica flour market share in 2021. This is attributed to the proliferating demand for iron & steel from various end-use sectors such as industrial, construction infrastructure, automotive and others have led the iron & steel manufacturers to increase their production capacities where silica flours are widely used for temperature stability purposes. For instance, according to a report published by India Brands Equity Foundation, India’s finished steel consumption is anticipated to increase to 230 metric ton (MT) by 2030-31 from 93.43 metric ton (MT) in 2020-21. In addition, China's cement manufacturing sector is increasing rapidly which has forced the silica flour manufacturers to produce high quality silica flour for high temperature applications in kilns, furnaces, incinerators, and others. For instance, according to a report published by World Cement Association, China’s cement clinker production output was 1.579 billion ton in 2020 and is growing with a year-on-year growth of 3.07%.

IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE GLOBAL SILICA FLOUR MARKET

• The novel coronavirus is an incomparable global pandemic that has spread to over 180 countries and caused huge losses to lives and the economy around the globe.
• The silica flour market has faced negative impact due to the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to rise in cases of COVID-19, implementation of emergency protocols and shutdown of various operations and facilities.
• Due to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the manufacturers faced challenges in terms of operation and supply chain due to government restrictions during the lockdown. 
• The silica flour market faced several difficulties with material supply chain disruptions, and labor shortages, in 2020.
• Furthermore, to control the surge of novel coronavirus cases, there is a drastic shift of investments from other sectors toward paints and coatings sector. Also, several synthetic silica flour product manufacturing companies have either shut down or shrank their operations due to the risk of infection among the workforce.
• This has temporarily hampered the demand and supply chain of silica flour market. In addition, the decrease income of customers has led contraction in the demand for glasses, silica flour, and others during the COVID-19 period. 
• In the first quarter of 2021, the market for silica flour has experienced an increase in the demand for silica flour products worldwide, compared to that in 2020.
• However, the reduced demand was neglected by the expanded requirements for ceramics and glass in newly developed medical infrastructure across the globe.    
• The demand for silica flour market has decreased amid the COVID-19 period owing to declining of oil & gas industry where silica flour are used for reducing the heat loss within high temperature streams. For instance, according to a report published by Energy and Economic Growth Survey, the oil & gas sector is among the hardest hit sector with an average contraction of -2.8% in 2020.
• Several countries have temporarily stopped trade of unnecessary products, which has hampered the demand-supply chain of silica flour amid the COVID-19 situation.

Key Benefits For Stakeholders

• This report provides a quantitative analysis of the market segments, current trends, estimations, and dynamics of the silica flour market analysis from 2021 to 2031 to identify the prevailing silica flour market opportunities.
• The market research is offered along with information related to key drivers, restraints, and opportunities.
• Porter's five forces analysis highlights the potency of buyers and suppliers to enable stakeholders make profit-oriented business decisions and strengthen their supplier-buyer network.
• In-depth analysis of the silica flour market segmentation assists to determine the prevailing market opportunities.
• Major countries in each region are mapped according to their revenue contribution to the global market.
• Market player positioning facilitates benchmarking and provides a clear understanding of the present position of the market players.
• The report includes the analysis of the regional as well as global silica flour market trends, key players, market segments, application areas, and market growth strategies.

 Silica Flour Market Report Highlights