Automotive industry continues to drive rubber market, finds report

A new study of the global rubber market suggests that the automotive industry is still the biggest market for the materials, with a predicted growth of 2.4 percent per annum to 2022.

The findings, by research analysts, Ceresana, form part of a new paper, ‘Market Study: Synthetic Rubber (2nd Edition)’, which provides an overview of elastomer materials, markets and key drivers.

Key applications in the automotive industry are of course, tyres, which account for over 60 percent of all rubbers processed. In addition, however, there is an increase in their use for components such as hoses and cables, gaskets and profiles for windows and doors.

However, the study points out that, aside from automotive, demand within the industry and construction markets is set to grow, with consumption of rubbers for use in conveyor belts, roll coverings, hoses, profiles, gaskets, cables, mouldings, and roofing films, as well as others, predicted to grow by 2.9 percent per annum.

In terms of materials, the report finds that by far the most important type of products is SBR: more than 5.3 million tonnes were processed in 2014. SBR is produced by emulsion polymerisation (E-SBR) or solution polymerisation (S-SBR). While E-SBR accounts for 73 percent of total SBR demand, the market for S-SBR develops at significantly more dynamic growth rates of more than five percent per annum. The tyre industry is the dominating sales market for these two products, as well as for BR, IIR, and IR.

For industry and construction products as well as for the modification of materials, other types are preferred, for example ethylene propylene diene rubber (EPDM) or polychloroprene rubber (CR).