Silicon is the second most common element in the Earth’s crust, although it is hard to find it in nature as a pure element. China is by far the world’s largest producer of silicon, including thereby silicon content for ferrosilicon and silicon metal. Around 4.6 million metric tons of silicon was produced in China in 2016 which accounted for about two-thirds of global production that year, which reached about 7.2 million metric tons. Other major producers are Russia, the United States, and Brazil.
The global silicone market was valued at USD 13.45 Billion in 2016 and is projected to reach USD 18.87 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of 5.85% between 2017 and 2022. In this study, 2016 has been considered the base year and 2022 as the forecast year to estimate the silicone market size.
Silicones, or polysiloxanes are high-performance oligomers or polymers with an alternating silicon oxygen backbone, formed with aliphatic or aromatic side groups. They are considered as a modern class of synthetic materials in which siloxane functional group forms the backbone and can take a variety of physical forms, such as solids, semi-viscous pastes, oils, and more. They are produced by reacting silicon with methyl chloride and a further reaction with water. Silicones are resistant to high & low temperatures and find applications in several products used across a wide range of end-user industries. Silicones are beneficial owing to their heat resistance and rubber-like quality.
The global silicones industry is segmented on the basis of type, end user, and geography. Based on different types, the market is classified into categories including elastomers, fluids, resins, and gels. Silicones find applications in various industries, such as building & construction, transportation, electronics, medical, textile & leather, and others
