Connecting Elements: Silane Market Trends and Versatile Applications

Posted by Pramod Arya on September 14th, 2023

Owing to the increasing usage of silane in the manufacturing of paints and coatings, on account of its numerous useful features, such as the ability to provide high resistance to ultraviolet (UV) rays, water, and chemicals and excellent adhesion, the demand for it is set to increase in the coming years. In addition to this, the flourishing automobile manufacturing industry in India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Brazil is creating a huge demand for paints and coatings, for use in the automobile manufacturing process, which is also contributing toward the increasing demand for the compound across the world.

Silane is a metallic compound of silicon, with the formula SiH4 and a strong odor akin to acetic acid. The other major factor responsible for the surge in the demand for silane across the world is the soaring global population. The rise in the global population level has caused a huge surge in the demand for better housing, civic infrastructure, and transportation facilities.

As SiH4 is commonly used as a raw material in the production of paints, which are required in the construction processes of residential and commercial buildings, these surging construction activities are expected to boost the demand for the compound across the world. Apart from paints and coatings, it is widely used in the manufacturing of rubber and plastics and adhesives and sealants and in the fiber treatment process. Amongst these, the highest usage of silane is expected to be observed in the manufacturing of paints and coatings during the forecast period, owing to the above-mentioned reasons.

The silane market is currently witnessing an increasing number of mergers and acquisitions amongst the major companies offering this compound. For instance, Momentive Performance Materials Inc., a manufacturer of silane products, acquired another such company, Sea Lion Technology Inc., in 2017, in order to expand its product line and meet the rising demands of the tire manufacturing companies, by adding Sea Lion Technology’s NXT silane. Similarly, in August 2016, KRAHN Chemie Deutschland GmbH signed an agreement with SiSiB SILANES, owned by Power Chemical Corporation, for distributing the organofunctional silanes produced by SiSiB SILANES, in Europe.

Globally, the highest demand for silane was observed in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region in 2017. This region is also predicted to record significant growth in the usage of this compound in the next few years, owing to the ballooning need for silane-containing products from the construction sector in the region. In addition to this, the thriving automobile manufacturing sector in the emerging economies of APAC, such as India and China, is expected to further boost the demand for it in the region.