In September 2025, with the relaxation of low altitude economic policies, the application of organic silicon materials in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles will rapidly rise. Data shows that in the first half of 2025, the penetration rate of silicon-based composite materials in drone structural components will reach 18%, an increase of 12 percentage points from 2022, becoming a key technological path to achieve lightweighting.


Silicon based materials solve the problem of lightweighting
Drones have strict requirements for material density and strength. The density of traditional aluminum alloy structural components is 2.7g/cm ³, while the density of silicon-based carbon fiber composite materials is only 1.6g/cm ³, and the specific strength is increased by three times. In 2025, a company developed a "siloxane carbon nanotube" hybrid material that reduces the weight of drone wings by 40% and extends the range by 25%. In addition, silicon modified epoxy resin is used for packaging drone battery compartments, which can increase the thermal conductivity to 2W/(m · K) and solve the heat dissipation problem of high-power batteries.


Rapid prototyping technology promotes large-scale applications
To meet the rapid iteration requirements of drones, the company has developed a silicon-based material 3D printing process. In 2025, a certain enterprise will shorten the production cycle of drone landing gear from 7 days to 12 hours and reduce costs by 60% through the integrated molding technology of "light cured silicone rubber+metal inserts". This technology has been applied to the mass production of unmanned aerial vehicles in a logistics enterprise, with a daily production capacity exceeding 200 aircraft.


Military civilian integration expands market space
The application of silicon-based materials in the field of military drones has also made progress. In 2025, a research team developed a "high-temperature resistant silicon ceramic coating" that can make drone engine blades withstand high temperatures of 1500 ℃, which is 300 ℃ higher than traditional nickel based alloys; Another company has developed stealth silicone, which reduces the radar cross section (RCS) of drones by 80% by absorbing radar waves, enhancing their battlefield survivability.


Positive policies stimulate a market worth billions of yuan
In 2025, the National Development and Reform Commission will include "silicon-based advanced structural materials" in the "Catalogue of Key Products for Strategic Emerging Industries" and provide a 30% research and development subsidy for related projects. At the local level, a province plans to build a "drone silicon-based material industrial park", introducing 10 upstream and downstream enterprises to form a complete chain from raw materials to complete machine manufacturing. Industry forecasts suggest that by 2028, the market size of silicon-based materials in the low altitude economy will reach 20 billion yuan, with a compound annual growth rate of over 35%.