Environmental controversy and sustainable development path of silicone oil
The environmental impact of silicone oil mainly focuses on its non degradability and bioaccumulation. Traditional D4/D5 siloxanes have a half-life of several years in the environment and can be enriched through the food chain. In response, the EU has implemented strict restrictions, requiring cosmetics to have a D4 content of less than 0.1%. Enterprises reduce risks through structural modification, such as replacing cyclic structures with branched siloxanes, which increases the biodegradation rate to 60%.
The circular economy model has become the key to breaking through. Germany's Yingchuang has developed silicone oil recycling technology, which can extract high-purity silicone oil from waste photovoltaic panels; China Hesheng Silicon Industry has established a silicone oil silicone rubber closed-loop system, achieving a raw material utilization rate of 95%. These practices provide a model for the sustainable development of the industry.