In September 2025, the ethyl silicone oil industry will experience a dual breakthrough of technological upgrading and domestic substitution. Data shows that in the first half of 2025, the production of high-end ethyl silicone oil in China increased by 25% year-on-year, the import dependence decreased from 45% in 2020 to 38%, and the localization rate exceeded 60% for the first time. This transformation is due to the continuous investment of domestic enterprises in areas such as material modification and process optimization.


Technological Breakthrough: From "Following" to "Running Together"
Traditional ethyl silicone oil has defects such as poor temperature resistance and insufficient compatibility due to its single molecular structure. In 2025, a research team developed a fluorosilicone copolymer oil that can withstand high temperatures of 300 ℃ by introducing modified groups such as fluorine and phenyl groups. Its flash point is 100 ℃ higher than conventional products and has been applied to aviation engine seals. Another company has successfully entered the high-end bearing lubrication market by using nano dispersion technology to uniformly embed silica fillers into the molecular chains of silicone oil, thereby increasing the wear resistance of the product by three times.


Diversified expansion of application scenarios
Technological upgrades promote the boundary extension of ethyl silicone oil applications. In the medical field, a biocompatible ethyl silicone oil developed by a certain enterprise has passed ISO 10993 biosafety certification and become the core component of artificial joint lubricants; In the field of electronics, low volatility silicone oil replaces traditional mineral oil and is used as a photoresist developer in chip manufacturing, reducing the defect rate from 0.5% to 0.02%. In addition, the application of ethyl silicone oil in the cosmetics industry is also growing rapidly. By 2025, the market share of silicone oil-based hair conditioners will reach 28%, and their smoothness will increase by 40% compared to traditional products.


Collaborative innovation in the industrial chain has become a trend
To break through technological barriers, cooperation between enterprises and research institutions is becoming increasingly close. In 2025, a State Key Laboratory will unite with 10 enterprises to establish the "Organic Silicon Functional Material Innovation Alliance", focusing on material stability research in extreme environments. The extremely cold ethyl silicone oil jointly developed by alliance member units can maintain fluidity at -70 ℃ and has been equipped in Antarctic scientific research station equipment. Industry analysts point out that the deep integration of industry, academia, and research will shorten the technology conversion cycle. It is expected that by 2028, the localization rate of high-end ethyl silicone oil will exceed 80%.


Challenges and opportunities coexist
Despite significant progress, the industry still faces challenges. On the one hand, high-end products rely on imported core catalysts. In 2025, the import price of a key catalyst will increase by 20% year-on-year, compressing the profit margin of enterprises; On the other hand, the industry standard system is not perfect, and some enterprises pass off inferior products as good, disrupting market order. In response, industry associations are promoting the development of group standards such as "Classification and Testing Methods for Modified Silicone Oil", which are expected to regulate market competition after implementation in 2026.