SAS on the market
Synthetic Amorphous Silica (SAS) such as precipitated silica, silica gels, and pyrogenic (fumed) silica are produced by the members of ASASP in a total volume of about 800,000 tons per year. The European industry is a global leader in the production of SAS and a net exporter of SAS. The silica industry is strategically important for the European market and vice versa the European market represents a considerable portion globally (20% of the world’s production of SAS is originated from the EEA).
SAS as white dry powders or dispersions are used in a multitude of industrial and consumer applications.
- For instance, its properties help reinforce rubber, prevent plastic film from sticking and functions as filter aid in food production.
- It is approved in consumer applications such as food (e.g. to avoid that salt clumping), cosmetics (e.g. to facilitate spreading a cream) and pharmaceutical applications (e.g. as a carrier).
SAS powders are placed on the market as micron-sized agglomerates with an internal structure in the nanoscale. This is true for all currently known SAS products in powder form, independent of manufacturer, process and trade name. The only exception is colloidal silica, which is traded as aqueous preparations of nanostructured material.
