Published May 2022
Butyl rubber’s most outstanding characteristics are its low permeability to air, gases, and moisture; vibration damping; low glass transition temperature; low-modulus and low compression set; resistance to aging and weathering; wide vulcanization versatility; fast cure rates; and good adhesion to and compatibility with other rubbers. Some of butyl rubber’s disadvantages are low resilience, only fair physical strength, and limited resistance to hydrocarbon solvents. In the case of vibration damping, it is not the first choice because it is too expensive compared with natural rubber. It is good for body mounts and suspension bumpers. A major disadvantage of nonhalogenated butyl rubber is its inability to be blended and vulcanized with highly unsaturated elastomers such as styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR), polybutadiene, and natural rubber; as a result, the majority of butyl rubber consumption is for halogenated products.
The following chart shows world consumption of butyl elastomers:
Tires, tubes, and tire products remain the major end uses for butyl elastomers and are estimated to account for about 80–85% of total consumption. The remainder is consumed in the production of adhesives and sealants, pharmaceutical products, automotive mechanical goods, and other end uses. This is not likely to change in the future, as tire industries, especially in the developing regions, remain the main driver behind global butyl elastomer consumption growth.
Northeast Asia is the largest producing region in the world; in 2021 the region accounted for more than onefourth of the global capacity, followed by North America. In addition, Western Europe, which ranked third in 2015, was surpassed by Russia in 2016, following the closure of the ExxonMobil plant in France in late 2015.
In 2021, as the global economy recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase of 5.6% in the global consumption of butyl elastomers was recorded from the 2020 level. Mainland China represented more than one-third of total global consumption in 2021. Exceptional consumption growth of over 7% annually was registered in the Indian Subcontinent during 2016–21; the Middle East also experienced very large consumption growth during the same period.
During 2021–26, the highest average annual growth rates are projected for Southeast Asia, South Korea, the Indian Subcontinent, the Middle East, Africa, and the CIS and Baltics States region. This growth will be driven primarily by the recovery of the regions from the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing demand from the developing tire industries.
For more detailed information, see the table of contents, shown below.
S&P Global’s Chemical Economics Handbook – Butyl Elastomers is the comprehensive and trusted guide for anyone seeking information on this industry. This latest report details global and regional information, including
Key benefits
S&P Global’s Chemical Economics Handbook – Butyl Elastomers has been compiled using primary interviews with key suppliers and organizations, and leading representatives from the industry in combination with S&P Global’s unparalleled access to upstream and downstream market intelligence and expert insights into industry dynamics, trade, and economics.
This report can help you
- Identify trends and driving forces influencing chemical markets
- Forecast and plan for future demand
- Understand the impact of competing materials
- Identify and evaluate potential customers and competitors
- Evaluate producers
- Track changing prices and trade movements
- Analyze the impact of feedstocks, regulations, and other factors on chemical profitability
