The Demand for Functional Silanes is Growing Rapidly in the Market

Functional silanes, together with silicone rubber, silicone oil and silicone, are called four major categories of silicone materials. Structurally, silicone small molecules whose main chain is a -Si-O-C- structure are generally referred to as functional silanes. Small molecule intermediates and polymer macromolecules having a main chain of -Si-O-Si- structure are referred to as siloxanes or polysiloxanes, i.e., silicone rubber, silicone oil, and silicone products. Functionally, functional silanes are mostly hybrid structures. Most products contain both polar and non-polar functional groups in the same molecule. They can serve as an interface between inorganic and organic materials or directly participate in the cross-linking reaction of organic polymeric materials, thereby greatly improving material properties. Functional silanes are a very important and very versatile additive.

In 2017, the global functional silanes production capacity was approximately 574,000 tons/year. The output is about 376,000 tons. The capacity utilization rate is 65.5%. Capacity and output increased by 6.1% and 7.1% respectively. The main growth driver is from China.

In 2017, China's functional silanes production enterprises have an effective total capacity of about 377,400 tons/year. The output is about 223,300 tons. The consumption is 153,600 tons. Compared with 2016, it increased by 7.5%, 11.5% and 11.3% respectively.

From the perspective of the downstream market, the currently growing market is followed by composite materials, coatings, metal surface treatment and building waterproofing, adhesives and others.

Functional silanes are growing rapidly in demand in the market due to their performance characteristics.

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