(July 21, 2026) The domestic specialty silicone field has ushered in a key industrialization breakthrough: Domestic silicon material companies have completed a new generation of carbon hydroxyl-terminated silicone oil continuous production line 72 It has been put into stable production at full capacity within hours. The product's hydroxyl functional group purity and low small molecule volatility indicators are fully aligned with high-end overseas imported models, completely breaking the industry pattern of long-term dependence on imports of high-end modified hydroxyl silicone oil, and providing localized high-performance modification solutions for polyurethane, electronic packaging, power battery coatings, wind power composite materials and other tracks.
Carbon hydroxyl silicone oil (carbon hydroxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane) is different from traditional silicone hydroxyl silicone oil. The end of the molecular chain is a stable C-OH carbon hydroxyl reactive group, which can undergo stable chemical reactions with organic groups such as epoxy, isocyanate, and acid anhydride. Si-C chemical bonds are used to connect the siloxane chain segments to the organic resin system. Traditional silicone hydroxyl silicone oil reacts to form Si-O-C weak bonds, which are easily hydrolyzed and cracked in high-humidity and high-temperature environments, and the material properties decay rapidly. However, the mass-produced domestic hydrocarbon hydroxyl silicone oil relies on Si-C to stabilize the skeleton. After the modified resin is subjected to moist heat aging at 85°C and 85RH for 1,000 hours, the mechanical property retention rate exceeds 80%, and the hydrolysis resistance and weather resistance have been greatly improved.
According to the technical person in charge of the production company, the mass-produced product adopts a one-step hydrosilylation synthesis process, and the whole process is closed distillation and purification. The finished product is a colorless and transparent homogeneous oil. The core indicators are accurately adjustable: viscosity range 30–50mm²/s, stable hydroxyl value 1.6–2.0mmol/g, total volatile matter controlled within 20ppm, and parameter error control between batches. ±0.03mmol/g, meeting the stringent high-purity raw material standards of the electronics and new energy industries. The annual production capacity of a single production line reaches 12,000 tons. It is equipped with 200L food-grade internally coated iron barrels and standardized packaging in ton barrels. It can be supplied in batches to domestic and exported to the EU and Southeast Asian markets. The products have completed the EU REACH registration compliance filing.
Judging from feedback from the downstream application market, the demand for hydrocarbon silicone oil is entering a rapid growth channel.
High-end resin modification field: modified epoxy resin is used in the underfill glue of AI computing chips and power device packaging to reduce curing internal stress and improve the reliability of hot and cold cycles; modified polyurethane is used in new energy vehicle interior leather and waterproof membrane coatings to greatly improve softness and washability; modified polyester resin is suitable for wind turbine blade protective topcoats to enhance the coating's resistance to ultraviolet rays and rain erosion.
Coating and ink industry: As a special leveling modifier for water-based industrial paints and UV curing inks, adding only 0.5%–1% can eliminate orange peel and shrinkage cavity defects, improve the smoothness and anti-scratch effect of the paint film, and is suitable for photovoltaic backsheets and outdoor engineering machinery coating systems. In the first half of this year, the purchase volume of hydroxyl silicone oil by many leading coatings companies increased by 42% year-on-year.
Textile, rubber and plastic processing additives: used as hydrophilic smoothing agents and long-term release agents, plastic and rubber molding without silicone precipitation pollution, high-end textile fabrics have low yellowing after finishing and are resistant to multiple washings, in line with the development trend of environmentally friendly water-based additives.
Data from industry organizations show that the overall market size of domestic hydroxyl functional modified silicone oil is expected to exceed 13.5 billion yuan in 2026. As a high value-added segment, the growth rate of carbon hydroxyl silicone oil far exceeds the industry average, with a compound annual growth rate of over 26%. With the expansion of new energy vehicles, energy storage batteries, semiconductor packaging, and photovoltaic industries, the gap in high-end hydrolysis-resistant modified materials continues to expand. In the past, the unit price of imported high-end hydrocarbon silicone oils has remained at 42,000-48,000 yuan/ton for a long time. After the large-scale domestic production this time, the procurement cost of products with the same performance has dropped by more than 25%, effectively alleviating the cost pressure on downstream materials.
Experts in the silicone industry said that the domestic silicone industry is currently transforming from bulk general products to special and refined silicone oils. The mass production of hydrocarbon silicone oils has made up for the shortcomings of domestic high-performance organic polymer modified intermediates. Coupled with the dual benefits of industry-wide production cuts and price stabilization in 2026 and the decline in upstream industrial silicon costs, special silicone oil companies continue to increase investment in R&D. New generation improved products such as UV bifunctional hydroxyl silicone oil and low-ring high-purity hydroxyl silicone oil have entered the pilot stage and are expected to be launched on the market in the fourth quarter to further expand cutting-edge application scenarios such as 3D printing resins and biomedical polymers.
According to market analysts, the short-term domestic silicone monomer market remains volatile, but special functional silicone oils have independent rising logic, and high-end demand for new energy and electronics rigidly supports the medium- and long-term prosperity of hydrocarbon silicone oils. As domestic technology continues to iterate, hydroxyl silicone oil is expected to fully realize import substitution in the next 2-3 years and become a key supporting raw material for domestically produced high-end manufacturing new materials that can be independently controlled.
The stable operation of the 10,000-ton production line for carbon hydroxyl silicone oil marks my country's realization of technological independence in the three core links of carbon functional silicone synthesis, precision purification, and stable mass production. In the next step, the industry will continue to promote the research and development of low-VOC, bio-based modified hydrocarbon silicone oils, and simultaneously improve the export supporting testing and compliance certification systems to help domestic special silicone materials seize the global high-end fine chemical market share.
