After a fevered period of capacity increases, the speciality silicas industry is cooling off in the face of overcapacity and poor global economics, while China's influence grows. Todd Harris of MineSet Partners LLC explains. THE global speciality silicas industry generates over 2,000m dollars. annually and includes such sodium silicate-derived products as precipitated silicas and silicates; silica gels and colloidal silicas or silica sols; and other silicon tetrachloride-derived materials such as fumed or pyrogenic silicas. This is a mostly Western producer-dominated business and large multinational companies - including Degussa, Cabot, WR Grace, PPG, and Rhodia - currently account for the majority of worldwide sales. However; there is growing evidence of an Asian, specifically Chinese, producer-led surge in production and exports that could challenge the multinationals in key regional markets.
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