Market Price Analysis Of Micro Silica Powder: How Much Is One Ton At Factory Price?

Micro silica powder, also known as silica fume or industrial volcanic ash, is a by-product of smelting industrial silicon and ferroalloys. Because its main component is SiO₂, it has the characteristics of safe, reliable and ultra-fine particle size (usually between 0.1-0.2 microns), and is widely used in concrete additives, refractories, chemical and building materials industries. As a sub-nanometer material, micro silica powder occupies an important position in the market for its affordable nature. The following will analyze the market price of micro silica powder in detail from three aspects: cost, market demand and supply status.

Price Composition and Fluctuation Factors of Micro silica Powder

Since micro silica powder/silica fume is an industrial by-product and a primary application product, the quality of each batch of micro silica powder/silica fume produced by the factory varies greatly, even at different times of the day for the same batch. This is especially obvious in the case of different smelting processes, furnace temperatures and raw materials. Currently, there are fewer companies in the industry that grade and operate in depth on micro silica powders, so the grading and pricing standards for the products are vague and prices vary widely. Having been in the industry for nearly five years, we have come into contact with silica fume/micro-silica powders that routinely sell for prices ranging from $500 to $6,000. In fact, there are three core factors affecting the price of micro silica powder: cost, demand and market supply.

1. Cost factor: the main cost factors of micro silica powder/silica ash are raw materials, transportation costs, and short-term fluctuations will not be very large, so the cost is relatively stable.

2. Market demand: The quality, function and application scenario of micro silica powder is the key to determine the demand. At present, the main domestic applications are concentrated in the field of concrete, refractory materials and rubber. Although the export demand is growing year by year, there are not many practitioners in the industry, and the further expansion of the export market still takes time, so it is difficult to form a significant impact on the overall price.

3. Market supply: low-grade micro silica powder is easy to obtain, from the price can reflect the scarcity of its supply, SiO2 content of 85%, with a certain degree of mobility, usually a few hundred dollars can be purchased. SiO2 content of more than 95% of the product, is considered a high grade, the price can be stabilized at less than 2,000. While white zirconium-based micro silica powder is widely used in refractory materials due to its high temperature resistance and good fluidity, it is less supplied in the market, and the price is usually more than 2,500 yuan/ton, and the export price even reaches more than 5,000 yuan.

Quality issues in the market of micro silica powder

Behind the supply price, it reflects the application value of micro silica powder. Only downstream customers with effective application are willing to purchase for a long time. Many of the projects that abandoned the use of micro silica powder were redeveloped into customers by us, and most of them had feedback that they had tested the application of micro silica powder before, but eventually ended in failure. Or, when the test, the effect is good, as soon as the mass production, there are all kinds of problems. The reason for this is that in many cases, the quality of micro silica powder products is unstable. The appearance of instability, there are usually two cases, one is the source of quality control capacity is weak, the other case is the trader to the second best. Discovered in the short term, it may only be immediate profit damage. If it is discovered after the application, it may produce potential risks to the infrastructure of bridges, tunnels, highways, buildings, and other applications. Therefore, the quality and consistency of Microsili powder products should be considered a higher priority than price.

Quality management measures of the Ewende team

Micro silica powder is produced as a by-product of smelting, and the production process has a significant impact on quality, which is usually not carefully graded at the plant. The quality of micro silica powders varies mainly due to the type of smelting furnace, furnace temperature distribution, raw material quality and the use of reducing agents. Furnace temperature and material volatility under different smelting conditions affect the particle size and impurity content, and differences in raw material composition and impurities also affect the purity, particle size and stability of micro silica powder.

In order to improve the stability of the quality of micro silica powder, Ewende team has invested a lot of energy in quality monitoring and testing. We have developed a variety of methods such as power monitoring at the low voltage end, infrared thermal imaging to record temperature, raw material testing data analysis, and working with a national CNAS lab to test batches to ensure that our products meet higher standards of stability and consistency. These measures have not added significant costs, but have been effective in quality improvement. We understand that leading companies in the industry, such as Aiken, are also implementing remote furnace temperature monitoring to further promote standardization and quality improvement in the production of micro silica powders.

Developments in the domestic and international markets for micro silica powders

As a latecomer in the field of micro silica powder applications, we still have a long way to go. Recently, the U.S. election has just come to an end, and the road to the U.S. export of micro silica powder will also usher in new opportunities and challenges. At present, the Ewende team has certain market advantages in both domestic trade and export, and is constantly strengthening quality control. In the future, we are very willing to share our experience with an open mind, and look forward to more industry partners to join us to promote the diversification of the application of micro silica powders, and bring better choices for the construction, refractory, and material fields.