(July 07, 2026) Report from this newspaper (New Materials Industry Reporter): Recently, leading domestic silicone companies, in collaboration with university material laboratories, have announced that their continuous production line for ultra-high purity phenylsilicone oil with a high phenyl content has achieved full-load and stable mass production. The core performance of the product matches that of international top brands, completely breaking the decades-long technological monopoly held by foreign companies. This development provides domestically sourced key foundational materials for strategic industries such as semiconductors, aerospace, new energy, and high-end optics, marking a window for structural transformation within the industry.
Phenylsilicone oil is an irreplaceable specialty silicone oil in the field of high-end manufacturing due to its unique properties such as wide temperature tolerance, high refractive index, radiation resistance, low volatility, and high insulation, all of which are derived from its phenyl modification. Ultra-high phenylsilicone oil with a phenyl content of 45%–60% has long been monopolized by companies like Dow in the United States, Shin-Etsu in Japan, and Wacker in Germany. Domestic high-end manufacturing enterprises faced long procurement cycles, significant price fluctuations, and security risks in their supply chains. Previously, only low-phenyl general-purpose models could be produced in large quantities domestically, leaving a heavy reliance on imported products with high purity and high phenyl content.
The new mass production line utilizes a solid acid-catalyzed coupled three-stage molecular distillation process to overcome three major industry challenges: precise synthesis with a narrow molecular weight distribution, removal of trace metal impurities, and control of color variation in high-phenyl products.The test data shows that the purity of the new product monomer reaches 99.99%, the total content of metal ions is below 1ppb, the volatile content is as low as 0.3%, the thermal decomposition temperature stably exceeds 380°C, the refractive index range covers 1.52–1.58, and the light transmittance is over 92%. It can be used stably for long periods in a temperature range from -70°C to 320°C. Its resistance to high-energy radiation meets the standards for use in nuclear power and aviation equipment, making it perfectly suitable for high-precision applications such as semiconductor packaging liquid cooling for Mini/Micro LED optical encapsulation, thermal management of new energy vehicle batteries, and sealing lubrication for large aircraft engines.
From the perspective of the supply chain market, in the first half of 2026, overseas chemical giants simultaneously increased the price of electronic-grade phenyl silicone oil by 15%. The lead time for production at overseas factories has been extended to more than three months, leading to a significant increase in supply pressure for domestic downstream companies involved in electronic adhesives, thermal conductive materials, and precision lubricants. After the mass production of domestically produced ultra-high phenyl silicone oil began, the delivery cycle was reduced to 7–15 days for small sample orders and 30 days for stable batch deliveries. The comprehensive procurement cost of products with comparable performance has decreased by more than 20%. Several semiconductor-related companies in East and South China have completed the verification process of replacing all imported materials with domestically produced alternatives.
Industry research data indicates that by 2026, the total domestic phenylsilicone oil market size is expected to exceed 16.5 billion yuan, representing a year-on-year growth of 10.2%. The demand in two key sectors—semiconductor packaging and new energy vehicles—is expected to grow by more than 10%. With the mass production of domestically produced high-purity phenylsilicone oil, the self-sufficiency rate of high-end phenylsilicone oil in China has increased from 72% in 2024 to 93% in the second quarter of 2026. Import volumes have decreased by nearly 9% year-on-year, further reducing the country's dependence on imports, and the process of domestically replacing high-end silicone materials has accelerated significantly.
At the policy level, the "Advanced Silicone Functional Materials Industrialization Action Plan (2025-2027)" has identified ultra-high purity phenylsilicone oil as a strategic key material, offering support in the form of research and development subsidies and tax incentives for green production technology upgrades. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has also updated the green manufacturing standards for silicone materials, requiring that new special silicone oil production lines have an energy consumption of no more than 1.8 tons of standard coal per ton of product and VOCs emissions controlled within 50mg/m³. The production line put into operation this time utilizes a solvent-free continuous flow micro-reaction process, which reduces energy consumption by 32% compared to traditional batch production methods. It meets the national standards for green manufacturing plants and serves as a benchmark project for intelligent and sustainable industrial development in this industry.
In terms of application development, domestically produced phenyl silicone oil has obtained comprehensive compliance certifications from SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), FDA (Food and Drug Administration), and the EU's REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) regulations. In the first quarter of 2026, the export volume of high-end silicone oil in China increased by 72.4% year-on-year, with products being sold to markets in Southeast Asia, Europe, as well as in the fields of new energy and precision manufacturing. In addition to traditional industrial lubrication and thermal conductivity applications, the market penetration of high-purity, low-cyclophenyl silicone oil is continuing to rise in the areas of luxury skincare products and medical syringe coatings. This is due to its advantages of minimal irritation and high compatibility, which meet the high-standard development needs of China's medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical industries.
Industry experts analyze that the mass production of ultra-high phenyl silicone oil marks a significant milestone for China's silicone industry, as it signifies a transition from the production of general-purpose materials to the stage of advanced fine synthesis. Next, domestic companies will focus on developing new products such as long-chain modified phenyl silicone oils and high thermal conductivity-filled composite phenyl silicone oils, aiming to expand into cutting-edge application areas such as deep-sea exploration, superconducting equipment, and hydraulic media for photolithography machines. With the deepening collaboration between upstream and downstream industrial chains in research and development, phenyl silicone oil is expected to continue to benefit from the growth of new energy sectors, artificial intelligence computing power, and the aerospace industry, becoming a segment with long-term high growth potential within the new materials sector.
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