Why do precipitated and fumed silica grades carry such different price tags in China?

Why do precipitated and fumed silica grades carry such different price tags in China?
China's silica market is split between precipitated and fumed routes, with precipitated silica holding over 90% domestic share due to clear cost advantages. Fumed silica, produced via high-temperature hydrolysis of halosilanes, reaches 99.8% purity but carries heavy energy and processing costs. The price gap within fumed grades is even wider: hydrophilic types like A200 only need flame hydrolysis and deacidification, while hydrophobic grades such as R972 or TS720 require additional silane modification, boosting production costs substantially. Buyers comparing only BET surface area miss hidden specs—carbon content, hard agglomeration, residual acid, and pH control—that determine real performance in coatings and sealants. These invisible quality parameters, not brand premiums, explain why similar-looking products can differ by thousands of yuan per ton.