Global styrene butadiene rubber SBR market forecast at $44.3 billion by 2026

Dublin, Ireland – The global styrene butadiene rubber (sbr) market is expected to grow from $33.52 billion in 2021 to $35.59 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.2%. The market is expected to grow to $44.31 billion in 2026 at a CAGR of 5.6% according to Research and Markets.

The styrene-butadiene rubber market consists of sales of styrene-butadiene rubber and related services. Styrene-butadiene rubber is synthetic rubber derived from the co-polymers styrene and butadiene. These materials have good abrasion resistance and good aging stability when protected by additives.

The main product types of styrene-butadiene rubber are emulsion type, solution type. Emulsions are mixtures composed of two or more liquid types, where one is like droplets, of tiny or even ultramicroscopic size, distributed to each other. The various applications involved are automotive tires, footwear, polymer modification, adhesives, and other applications. The distribution channels are direct/institutional sales, retail sales, and other channel sales.

Asia Pacific was the largest region in the styrene-butadiene rubber market in 2021. Western Europe was the second-largest region in the styrene-butadiene rubber market. The regions covered in the styrene-butadiene rubber report are Asia-Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, and Africa.

Major players in the styrene-butadiene rubber market are Asahi Kasei, Lanxess, Bridgestone, Michelin, China Petroleum & Chemical, Jsr, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber, Sinopec, Eastman, and SIBUR.

Increased use of Styrene-butadiene rubber in tire manufacturing contributed to the growth of the SBR market. Styrene-butadiene rubber is one of the key elements in tire manufacturing. SBR is a combination of styrene and butadiene monomers, together they possess natural rubber-like characteristics. Along with that, they have unique characteristics such as abrasion resistance, perfect impact strength, good resilience, high tensile strength, which are permitting them to suitable for high-end tire manufacturing. Growing sales of automobiles in recent years have led to increased use of SBR by the automobile industry. According to TrueCar Inc., an automotive pricing and information website for new and used car buyers, indicated that in September 2020 sales of new vehicles reached 1,221,092 units. This has led to an increased demand for SBR from the end-use industry, thus driving the market.

Safety hazards have always been a major challenge in the styrene-butadiene rubber industry. Due to its potential hazards butadiene is not sold to customers directly, but it is used in the manufacture of polymers and elastomers. Butadiene is highly volatile and low-water soluble. Long-term exposure to butadiene is detrimental to human health. Exposure to high concentrations can result in damage to the central nervous system, blurred vision, nausea, headache, fatigue, decreased blood pressure, and coma. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer 1, 3-Butadiene has been listed as a possible carcinogen.

Major companies in the styrene-butadiene rubber industry are increasingly investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance decisions making abilities and thus drive profits. The companies in this industry gather huge amounts of raw data relating to the working of plants and other infrastructure through a large number of sensors placed across the production site. Using big data analytics the companies can detect sensible patterns which can allow them to quickly react to unwanted changes or potential defects, thus saving costs. AI allows companies to take better operational decisions. Companies such as Zhongce Rubber Group and Yokohama Rubber have been increasingly investing in AI technology to have a centralized method of data management and support data integration across multiple applications.

In January 2019, Saudi Aramco, a Saudi Arabia-based energy and chemical company acquired Arlanxeo from LANXESS AG for $1.67 billion. The acquisition is expected to help Saudi Aramco in improving the fuel efficiency-related to tire performance. Arlanxeo is a Netherlands-based synthetic rubber company that specializes in manufacturing synthetic rubbers and elastomer plastics such as polybutadiene/butadiene rubber (BR) that are supplied to tire manufacturers and automotive parts globally.

The countries covered in the styrene-butadiene rubber market are Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, South Korea, Russia, the UK, the USA, and Australia