01 Increasing Demand from the Construction Sector The construction industry is one of the most significant users of silicone adhesives and sealants worldwide. In both commercial and residential construction, silicone sealant or adhesive is frequently used on materials that could be exposed to harsh weather conditions like direct sunlight, rain, strong winds, or freezing temperatures. Elastomeric sealants with excellent durability, weather resistance, and adhesion are silicone sealants. For example, silicone sealants are flexible enough to move with buildings and structures during earthquakes and typhoons. They are thus frequently employed in sealing applications, such as high-rise structures and housing, civil engineering, clean rooms, and aquarium joints. Due to their benefits, including long-lasting performance, UV stability, weather resistance, and flexibility over a wide temperature range, silicone adhesives are highly favored in the construction industry.
01 Impaired Situations as A Result The construction sector in emerging markets like China, India, Russia, and Brazil experienced a combined decline of 2.4% in 2020. The demand for silicone adhesives and sealants has decreased overall due to lower demand across end-user industries, including the construction industry's intensified growth decline and the automotive industry's slowdown. Therefore, during the first few months of the forecast period, the impact and uncertainties caused by the COVID-19 outbreak in various sectors could hinder demand for and growth of the silicone adhesives and sealants market.
01 Growing Demand from Global Electronics Market Silicone compounds offer more advantages and benefits than any other organic rubber compound because they possess organic and inorganic materials properties. These compounds are widely used in electrical appliances because of their excellent electrical characteristics. These characteristics unequivocally demonstrate silicone's significance in electronic applications. Future demand for silicone could increase due to growth in the global electronics market, representing a significant business opportunity. Medical adhesive applications involving silicones are numerous. These include ostomy bags, transdermal patches, tapes, dressings, and bandages.Medical industry uses these adhesives more frequently because drugs can easily pass through them. They can quickly be removed without leaving any residue, inflicting pain, or harming the skin. Tapes are another item that uses silicone adhesives in medical devices. Recently, 3M introduced a new generation of silicone adhesive in the form of adhesive tape to assist patients using wearable medical devices. These are specifically made to increase comfort and the time these medical wearables can be worn. Particularly during the global pandemic, the healthcare sector is expanding quickly. The use of silicone adhesives is anticipated to rise with the expansion of healthcare opportunities.
June 2026 Dow announced a series of targeted investments totaling approximately USD 100 million to expand its global specialty silicones manufacturing and innovation capabilities. The expansion includes increased production capacity for advanced silicone materials in the United States, China, and Japan, supporting applications across electronics, mobility, healthcare, and other high-performance industries. The initiative also includes expanded innovation capabilities to accelerate commercialization of next-generation silicone solutions.
March 2026 WACKER expanded its specialty silicone development strategy through continued investments in production facilities and downstream silicone technologies. The company focused on increasing specialty silicone capacity, including projects supporting advanced silicone materials for healthcare, energy transition, electromobility, and industrial applications.
January 2026 Henkel continued the rollout of its redesigned sustainable cartridge technology across its adhesives and sealants portfolio. The company expanded implementation of its improved packaging solution, initially introduced for silicone sealants, to enhance user convenience, reduce plastic waste, and improve sustainability performance across construction adhesive and sealant applications.