Silicones: Feedstocks
Why power-hungry silicon metal sets the cost
What this tab covers What it is made from and what it feeds: the raw materials and energy per tonne with their share of cost (linked to the commodity table), who is low-cost and why, and the chemicals made from it.Silicones are made from silicon metal and methanol, with chlorine circulating as HCl and methyl chloride. Silicon metal is about 40-50% of DMC cash cost, and it is energy-intensive to make (11-13 MWh per t, silicon tile). Producers integrated into their own silicon metal on cheap power, mostly in China, are lowest cost.
Inputs per tonne
| Input | Quantity per tonne | Role | Share of cost | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Si Silicon | about 0.42-0.45 t per t siloxane (stoichiometric 0.38 t plus yield losses, indicative) | silicon backbone | about 40-50% of DMC cash cost (indicative) | silicon tile (USGS MCS 2026); some Chinese monomer makers bought 421 silicon below CNY8,500/t in June 2025 (SMM) |
| Methanol (chemical tile: methanol) | about 0.95 t per t siloxane (indicative) | methyl groups via methyl chloride | about 20-25% (indicative) | indicative; $246.5/t CFR China, Dec 2025 (S&P Global via methanol tile) |
| Hydrogen chloride and chlorine (chemical tiles: hydrochloric_acid, chlorine) | recycled; small make-up (indicative) | carrier for methyl chloride | small | indicative |
| Cu Copper | kilograms per t (indicative) | direct-process catalyst | small | indicative |
| Pt Platinum | ppm levels (indicative) | curing catalyst | small but notable for LSR | indicative |
Who is low-cost, and why
Chinese producers integrated into silicon metal in Xinjiang, Yunnan and Sichuan are lowest cost. Wacker, Elkem and Shin-Etsu are mid-curve with specialty mix. Small non-integrated Western monomer plants such as Barry are highest cost and are closing.
Raw materials on the commodity table
Si SiliconWhat it is made into
| Product | Note |
|---|---|
| Con Construction chemicals | silicone sealants and water repellents |
| Add Polymer additives | silanes and silicone process aids |