Tetramethyl silicate (methyl orthosilicate) has broad application prospects and high technical barriers to the industry
Tetramethyl silicate (TMOS), also known as methyl orthosilicate and tetramethoxysilane, has the chemical formula C4H12O4Si and is an organic compound. Tetramethyl silicate appears as a colorless liquid with a pungent odor. It is easily deliquescent and flammable. It is miscible in most organic solvents and insoluble in water. Tetramethylsilicate is an organic silicon source and is widely used in optical glass, electronic and electrical, organic silicon synthesis, precision casting and other fields.
The main preparation methods of tetramethyl silicate include silicon powder direct method, silicon tetrachloride method, alkoxysilane esterification method and sodium fluorosilicate method. The silicon powder direct method refers to using methanol and silicon powder as the main raw materials, and reacting the two directly to produce tetramethyl silicate. This method has the advantages of good finished product quality and high production efficiency, and is suitable for continuous production. However, at present, overseas companies have a technical monopoly on the direct preparation of tetramethyl silicate from silicon powder, which has restricted the development of my country’s tetramethyl silicate industry.
According to the “2023-2028 China tetramethyl silicate (methyl orthosilicate) industry market in-depth research and development prospect forecast report strong>》 shows that tetramethyl silicate is an organic silicon source. Compared with inorganic silicon sources, it has the advantages of good process adaptability and high purity, and has good industry development prospects. However, due to factors such as high technical barriers and high production costs, my country’s production of tetramethyl silicate is low and demand is highly dependent on imports. South Korea, Japan, the United States and Germany are my country’s main importing countries. Against this background, the market price of tetramethyl silicate in my country continues to rise, reaching 30 yuan/kg in 2022.
Tetramethyl silicate has broad application prospects in the fields of optical glass, electronic and electrical, construction, silicone synthesis, precision casting and other fields. In the field of optical glass, tetramethyl silicate can be used to produce coagulants and treatment agents; in the field of electronics and electrical appliances, tetramethyl silicate can be used to prepare silicone adhesives, which are widely used in the manufacturing process of electronic components; in the construction field , tetramethyl silicate can be used to produce silicone aerogels, insulation boards, insulated pipes, etc. as its end products.
The global tetramethyl silicate market is mainly concentrated in European, American, Japanese and Korean countries. Representative companies include Dow Corning of the United States, Fuso Chemical Company of Japan, Evonik of Germany, Lotte Chemical Company of South Korea, etc. In recent years, attracted by market prospects, the number of companies in my country’s tetramethyl silicate industry has continued to grow, including Chenguang New Materials, Sanfu Co., Ltd., China Catalyst, etc.
Industry analysts said that tetramethyl silicate has excellent performance and is widely used in many fields. In the future, with the gradual release of downstream demand, its The speed of industry development will be accelerated. At present, due to factors such as high technical barriers and high production costs, my country’s production of tetramethyl silicate is low, demand is highly dependent on imports, and market prices continue to run at high levels. In the future, with the technological progress of local enterprises, my country’s tetramethyl silicate production capacity and output are expected to increase.