(July 16, 2026) The domestic silicone deep processing field has ushered in key industrialization results: East China's leading silicon material company has completed the commissioning of a 10,000-ton continuous production line for solvent-free bio-based polyether silicone oil and put it into full production. The VOC content of new products is as low as 0.1%. The following can fully benchmark overseas high-end additive products, marking China's green polyether silicone oil has officially realized the full-chain domestic substitution, providing compliant and environmentally friendly new material solutions for the four major tracks of water-based coatings, daily chemical care, aviation defense, and high-end textiles.
According to industry data released by the China Fluorosilicone Organic Materials Industry Association in June, the domestic annual consumption of polyether modified silicone oil in 2025 will be 82,000 tons, and the market size will exceed 3.8 billion yuan; the agency predicts that the annual consumption will rise to 91,000 tons in 2026, with the total market size reaching 4.71 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 7.7%, and the growth rate will lead the silicone additives segment. From the perspective of demand structure, water-based coatings are the largest application field, accounting for 41.3% of the overall demand; pesticide flying prevention auxiliaries, textile printing and dyeing, and personal care are closely followed, and the four major sectors together absorb more than 90% of the production capacity.
The core innovations of this mass-produced bio-based polyether silicone oil focus on the two dimensions of synthesis process and molecular structure. Traditional polyether silicone oil production generally uses a solvent catalytic process, which consumes large amounts of organic solvents and exhaust gas emissions, and high-end products have long relied on imports. The new production line adopts EO/EO precise block controllable polymerization technology, and is equipped with a self-developed low-residue catalytic system. The entire process does not require organic solvents such as toluene and isopropyl alcohol. The organic exhaust gas emissions have dropped by 65% year-on-year, the comprehensive energy consumption per ton of products has been reduced by 12.3%, and the impurity content has been stably controlled at 50ppm. Within the range, it complies with multiple standards such as the EU eco-label, domestic ten-ring certification for water-based coatings, and cosmetics safety regulations.
In terms of product performance, the new polyether silicone oil has three major advantages: super wetting and spreading, long-lasting defoaming and foam suppression, and hydrophilic compatibility. In water-based industrial paints and wood paint systems, the addition of only 0.1%-0.3% can eliminate microbubbles produced by high-speed stirring without causing shrinkage or gloss loss in the paint film; when used as a plant protection flying control additive, it can greatly improve the foliar adhesion of the liquid and resist evaporation and rain erosion. In the first half of 2026, the export volume of polyether silicone oil synergists purchased by domestic agrochemical companies increased by 18% year-on-year, and Southeast Asia and North America became the core incremental markets. In the field of high-end textiles, the double-terminated active group modified model can be directly used for soft finishing of infant fabrics and medical fabrics. It has no solvent residue, makes the fabric smooth and washable, and can reduce the production cost of textile auxiliaries per ton by 22%.
In terms of market prices, in the first half of 2026, affected by the rising cost of upstream DMC silicone monomers, the market quotation of conventional general-purpose polyether silicone oil remained at 18,000-32,000 yuan/ton, and the price range of low-VOC bio-based high-end customized products was 40,000-65,000 yuan/ton. Industry analysts pointed out that with the release of this new 10,000-ton green production capacity, the tight supply situation of high-end polyether silicone oil will ease in the second half of 2026, prices will stabilize slightly, and the import procurement costs of downstream coatings and daily chemical companies will be significantly reduced.
From the perspective of industry development trends, the current domestic polyether silicone oil industry is accelerating the transformation from general-purpose raw materials to customized, green, and multi-functional compounds. Leading companies such as Blue Star Silicones, Xin'an Technology, and Real Madrid Technology continue to increase investment in R&D. In 2025, the industry's overall R&D investment intensity will reach 4.9%, focusing on the three major technical directions of bio-based modification, long-chain blocks, and low-volatility special polyether silicone oils. At the policy level, the "14th Five-Year Plan" special technical reform subsidies for the raw material industry continue to tilt towards green deep processing of organic silicon. During the year, 12 polyether silicone oil continuous upgrade production lines have received special funding support.
From the global market perspective, the global polyether silicone oil additives market will reach US$965 million in 2025, and is expected to exceed US$1.46 billion in 2032. The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 47% of global consumption, and China is the world's largest producer and exporter. The European and North American markets focus on high value-added scenarios such as pharmaceutical excipients and electronic packaging. Domestic companies have gradually completed certification for overseas high-end customers. In 2026, export orders for special polyether silicone oil increased by 24% year-on-year.
Industry experts said that water-based and low-carbonization are the long-term main themes of the downstream industry. The penetration rate of water-based coatings is expected to increase to 68.5% in 2026. Superimposed on the expansion of demand for green pesticides and sustainable cleaning and care products, the medium and long-term rigid demand for polyether silicone oil has grown steadily. In the next step, the core of industry competition will focus on the research and development of low-VOC, APEO-free, and PFAS-free environmentally friendly products. Local companies with continuous green production lines and customized formula service capabilities will continue to seize the import substitution market share.
Polyether silicone oil is an indispensable functional additive for water-based systems, and breakthroughs in green process mass production have filled the shortcomings of domestic high-end silicone materials. As environmental protection regulations continue to tighten and high-pollution traditional additives are being phased out at an accelerated pace, low-volatility bio-based polyether silicone oil will become the mainstream product in the market in the next 2-3 years, while promoting low-carbon upgrading of the entire industry chain of coatings, agrochemicals, and textiles.
