The circular economy empowers industrial upgrading, and hydroxyl silicone oil initiates a new cycle of green development
               
1. Breakthroughs in recycling technology enable high-value utilization of waste silicon resources
Under the guidance of the dual carbon goals, the hydroxyl silicone oil industry has gradually completed the closed loop of "production - consumption - recycling - reuse", and the technology of cracking waste silicone rubber to recover hydroxyl silicone oil has achieved a major breakthrough. The new catalytic cracking process can increase the recovery rate of hydroxyl silicone oil in waste silicone rubber to over 92%, which is 18 percentage points higher than the traditional process. Moreover, the purity of the recovered product reaches 99.5%, and its performance indicators are basically the same as those of the original product. It can be directly used in medium and high-end scenarios such as silicone rubber and coatings. Data shows that the domestic recycling volume of hydroxyl silicone oil reached 12,000 tons in 2024, an increase of 45% compared with the previous year. It is expected that the recycling market size will exceed 500 million yuan in 2027, becoming a new fulcrum for green growth in the industry.


2. Deepen the synergy of the industrial chain and enhance the interaction between upstream and downstream to reduce costs and increase efficiency
The industry is accelerating the construction of an upstream and downstream coordinated development ecosystem. Silicone oil producers are establishing long-term cooperation mechanisms with silicone monomer factories and downstream application enterprises to achieve full-chain coordination from raw material supply, production and processing to terminal application. Through an integrated layout, the cost of raw material procurement has been reduced by 12% to 15%, and the production cycle has been shortened by 20%, effectively alleviating the operational pressure brought about by fluctuations in raw material prices. Meanwhile, upstream and downstream parties have jointly carried out technological research and development, customizing hydroxyl silicone oil products for specific application scenarios, promoting the upgrading of products from general-purpose to scenario-based and precise, and significantly enhancing the overall competitiveness of the industrial chain.


3. A complete standard system regulates the high-quality development of the industry
The industry standard system for hydroxyl silicone oil has been continuously improved. Recently, a number of group standards have been officially implemented, covering key areas such as quality requirements for recycled grade products, green production evaluation indicators, and safety norms for medical-grade products. Among them, the standard for recycled grade hydroxyl silicone oil clearly defines core indicators such as volatile matter, metal impurities, and molecular weight distribution, filling the gap in domestic standards in this field. The green production evaluation system sets thresholds from dimensions such as energy consumption, environmental protection, and resource utilization, forcing the exit of backward production capacity in the industry. The improvement of the standard system has charted a clear path for the high-quality development of the industry and promoted the transformation of market competition from price wars to value wars.


4. Cross-border integration accelerates the expansion of emerging application scenarios
Hydroxyl silicone oil is accelerating its cross-border integration with new materials, new energy and other fields, opening up brand-new application Spaces. In the field of 3D printing, modified hydroxyl silicone oil can be used as a crosslinking agent for photosensitive resins, enhancing the flexibility and heat resistance of printed products. It has been applied in small batches in the printing of precision components. In the field of energy storage, hydroxyl silicone oil-based composites are gradually replacing traditional materials for the encapsulation of energy storage battery casings due to their excellent insulation and flame retardancy. With the continuous deepening of cross-border technology integration, the application boundaries of hydroxyl silicone oil are constantly expanding, injecting diverse impetus into the growth of the industry.