36–43
Selected from International Polymer Science and Technology, 42, No. 8, 2014, reference KR 15/02/36; transl. serial no. 17428
Translated by P. Curtis
Styrene butadiene rubber (BSK, SBR) was one of the first In recent years, requirements laid down for
synthetic general-purpose rubbers. Owing to its universal automobile tyres have changed. Great importance
properties, it has hitherto occupied a leading place is given to the safety of travel, fuel economy, and
among all types of synthetic rubber, and its proportion ecological safety. One of the rubbers meeting the
in the general consumption of synthetic rubbers lies at necessary requirements is solution-polymerised SBR
the 36–37% level. with a medium and high content of 1,2-units. s-SBR
According to a forecast by Grand View Research gives tyres a unique combination of good wet road
(USA), the world SBR market by 2020 will reach $US holding and low rolling resistance. It is for this reason
23 144 billion (8.2 million t), with rates of growth in that s-SBR has gradually started to replace classic e-SBR
demand of 6.1% per year [1]. in tyre manufacture [6].
Increase in the demand for SBR in the tyre industry, Actual data on the volumes of production, and even
which covers about 74% of world consumption, has on capacities, are difficult to obtain because many
been stimulated by growth of the SBR market. Forecasts plants at which e-SBR and s-SBR are produced are
by analysts of the International Rubber Study Group multipurpose, and, besides these rubbers, depending
(IRSG) and the largest tyre manufacturers point to stable on the business conditions, other types of rubber can be
growth and a high demand for new automobiles and produced. At e-SBR enterprises, butadiene acrylonitrile
tyres. China accounts for a large proportion of growth rubbers (SKN) and epichlorohydrin rubbers (ECHRs)
in demand, and India for a lesser proportion, and in can be produced, and at s-SBR enterprises, butadiene
general outlook a period of great potential for all tyre rubber (PB) and styrene butadiene block copolymers
producers will extend to 2020 [2]. or thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs).
Microstructure of polymer
Styrene content (%) 15–40 23–40
Molecular weight distribution Narrow, controlled (Mw/Mn ~ 1.0–2.5) Wide (Mw/Mn > 3)
(MWD)
Introduction of functional groups Possible at end of reaction (Si and Sn branching agents Use of third monomer (unsaturated
or terminal functional groups) carboxylic acids)
According to data of the International Institute of • a fall in demand for e-SBR in the tyre industry in
Synthetic Rubber Producers (IISRP) and manufacturing connection with the switch to radial tyres, for the
companies, the world capacities for SBR production production of which other types of rubber are required;
amount to 7 250 000 t/year. The structure of the capacities
• competition from s-SBR, the demand for which in the
for SBR production by world regions is give in Table 2 [7].
production of “eco-tyres” (“green tyres”) is forecast
By regions, the SBR capacities are distributed in the to be at a level of 10% per year up to 2020;
following way (percentage of world capacities): Asia/
Oceania – 55%, Northern America – 15%, Western • increasing ecological requirements concerning the
Europe – 11%, Eastern and Central Europe – 10%, Latin cleanness of products and their possible recycling (e-SBRs
America – 7%, Africa – 2%. are produced on old units built in the 1950s–1970s,
and in the United States on units built at the beginning
The efficiency of e-SBR production capacities
of the 1940s, which require modernisation);
worldwide from the beginning of the 1990s to the present
day has been lower – at a level of 55–65%. This has • the steady stream of cheap Asian products onto the
been caused by the following: market, which have competed with local manufacturers.
T/36 International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2015
Table 2. The structure of capacities for SBR production by world region [7]
Capacity, 2014
including
SBR, total e-SBR s-SBR
thousand t/ thousand t/ thousand Planned before 2018
Region, country year % year % t/year % (thousand t/year)
United States 1160 620 490
North America 1160 15 620 12 490 21
Argentina 59 59
Brazil 216 196 20 110 s-SBR
Mexico 260 150 110
Latin America 535 7 405 9 130 6 110
Armenia + s-SBR
Hungary 60 s-SBR
Poland 130 130 90 s-SBR
Russia 473 383 90 110 s-SBR
Serbia 40 40
Czech Republic 90 90
Eastern and Central Europe 733 10 643 13 90 4 260
Iran 50 50 30 e-SBR
Saudi Arabia 100 s-SBR
South Africa 53 35 18
Africa and Middle East 103 2 85 2 18 1 130
Total worldwide 7251 100 4966 100 2285 100 960 = 210 e-SBR + 750
s-SBR
Certain producers of e-SBR have gone down the road of Data on the plants producing e- and s-SBR, with
closing plants (Huels in West Germany, Versalis in the indication of the owner companies, the location, the
United Kingdom) or reducing their production capacities capacity, the technologies used, and the trade names,
or converting them to the production of s-SBR (Goodyear and also capacities planned for opening or closure, are
in the United States, Petroflex/Lanxess in Brazil) [8]. given respectively in Table 3 [9–44] and Table 4 [9, 16,
T/38 International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2015
Table 3. Cont'd...
Region, country, manufacturer, site of unit Capacity (thousand t/year) (year of Technology, Trade name
start-up) company
As of 2014 Planned
(year of closure)
Indian Synthetic Rubber Ltd (ISRL), Panipat 120 (2013) 100 (2016) TSRC Taipol™ SBR 1500, 1700
(SCs: Indian Oil, TSRC, and Marubeni
Corp, 50/30/20)
Indonesia, PT Sentra Sintetikajaya (Gadjha 60 (1998) Zeon SBR 1500, 1700
Tunggal), Merak
China 1340
Bridgestone (Huizhou) Synthetic Rubber 50 (2008) JSR SBR 1500, 1700
Co. Ltd (BSRC), Huizhou, Guangdong
Province
CNPC Fushun Petrochemical, Fushun, 200 (2012) SBR 1500, 1700
Liaoning Province
Fuxiang Chemical Co., Ltd (SCs: Fujian 100 (2011) SBR 1500, 1700
Petrochemical Ind., Corp., Meizhouwan
Chlor-Alkali Ind., and FujianXuaxing
Group), Quanzhou, Fujian Province
Jiangsu GPRO Chemical Corp. (CNPC), 150 (2008) YANGZI™ SBR 1500,
Lanzhou, Jiangsu Province 1502, 1712
Jilin Petrochemical Co., Ltd (Sinopec), Jilin 150 SBR 1500
Shen Hua Chemical Co., Ltd (SCs: 180 (1998) TSRC Taipol™ SBR 1500, 1700
TSRC, Marubeni Corp, and Nantong
Petro-Chemical Corp.), Nantong, Jiangsu
Province
Sinopec Baling Petrochemical Co. Ltd, (32 – closed in Converted to
Yueyang, Hunan Province 2014) s-SBR and TPEs
Sinopec Qilu Petrochemical Co., Ltd, Zibo, 250 (2009) Zeon Qilu™ 1500, 1502, 1712
Shandong Province
Sinopec Shanghai Gaoqiao Petrochemical 60 Zeon SBR 1500, 1700
Co. Ltd, Shanghai
Tianjin Lugang Petrochemical Rubber Co., 100 (2011) SBR 1500, 1700
Tianjin, Dagang Province
YPC-GPRO (Nanjing) Rubber Co., Ltd 100 (2007) YANGZI™ SBR 1500,
(SCs: Sinopec, Yangzi Petrochemical Co., 1502, 1712
and Jiangsu GPRO Group), Nanjing,
Jiangsu Province
Korea 675 80
Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd, Ulsan 480 (2007) 80 Kosyn™ SBR 1500, 1700
Hyundai Petrochemical, Daesan 60 Goodyear Seetec™ SBR 1500, 1700
LG Chemical, Daesan 135 SBR 1500, 1700
Thailand, BST Elastomers, Mab Ta Phut 70 (2013) JSR BSTE SBR 1500, 1700
Taiwan, Taiwan Synthetic Rubber Corp., 100 (1997) TSRC Taipol™ SBR 1500, 1700
Kaosun
Japan 385
Japan Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd (JSR), 255 (1960) JSR JSR SBR 1500, 1700
Yokkaichi
Mitsubishi Kasei, Yokkaichi 45 (65a) (1972) Mitsubishi Mitsui SBR
Zeon Chemicals LP
Tokuyama 60 (190a), Zeon Nipol™ SBR
Kawasaki 10 (30a)
Sumitomo Chemical, Chiba 15 (50a) (1970) Sumitomo Sumitomo SBR
Asia/Oceania 2900 180
Iran
Table 4. The s-SBR capacities by world regions and manufacturers [9, 16, 18, 19, 21, 28, 30, 34, 36, 38, 40, 41,
45–57]
Region, country, manufacturer, site of unit Capacity (thousand t/year) Technology, Trade name
(start-up year) company
In operation Planned
2014
USA 490
American Synthetic Rubber Co. (Michelin), Louisville, 200 Firestone ASR SBR
Kentucky
Firestone Polymers LLC, Lake Charles, Louisiana 130 (180a) Firestone Duradene™
Goodyear Chemical Co., Beaumont, Texas 135 a
Goodyear Solflex™
Lanxess AG, Orange, Texas 25 (75a) Lanxess Buna™ VSL, SL, BL
North America 490
Brazil Lanxess
Petroflex, Cabo 20 (130a) Buna™ SL
Triunfo 110 (2015) Buna™ VSL, SL, BL
Mexico, Dynasol Elastomers SA, Altamira 110a Philips, Dynasol Solprene™ S
Latin America 130 110
United Kingdom, Versalis SpA (EniChem) (Grangemouth) 30 (85a) 30 (2014) EniChem SOL R
Germany, Trinseo (Styron LLC) (Schkopau) 160 (2002) 50 (2015) Dow, JSR Sprintan® SLR
Spain, Dynasol Elastomers SA, Santander 120a Philips, Dynasol Solprene™ S
Italy, Versalis SpA, Ravenna 30 30 (2015– Philips, EniChem Europene™
2016)
France 120
Lanxess AG, La Wantzenau 40 Lanxess Buna VSL
Michelin, Bassan 80 Michelin
Western Europe 460 110
T/40 International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2015
Table 4. Cont'd...
Region, country, manufacturer, site of unit Capacity (thousand t/year) Technology, Trade name
(start-up year) company
In operation Planned
2014
OAO Voronezhsintezkauchuk (Sibur Holding PJSC) 40 60 DSSK 2542-M27,
2560-M27
ZAO Vostochnaya neftekhimicheskaya kompaniya (part + SSBR
of OAO NK Rosneft’), Nakhodka
Eastern Europe 90 260
China 410
Sinopec Beijing Yanha Petrochemical Co., Ltd, Beijing 80 Sinopec SSBR
Sinopec Maoming Petrochemical Co., Ltd, Maoming 30 (50a) Philips SSBR
Sinopec Gaoqiao Petrochemical Co. Ltd, Shanghai 100a Asahi SSBR
Industrial Park, Caojing
Liaoning North Dynasol Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd, 100 (2014) Dynasol Calprene™,
Pandjin, Liaoning Province Solprene™ S
Shandong Huamao New Materials Co. Ltd, Dongying, 100 (2012) Chinab SSBR
Shandong Province
Korea 144 60
Kumho Petrochemical Co. Ltd, Ulsan 84 60 (2014) Kumho Kumho SOL
LG Chem, Daesan 60 (2013) SSBR
Singapore 130 90
Asahi Kasei Co., Ltd, Jurong 50 (2013) 50 (2015) Asahi SSBR
Sumitomo Chemical Co., Ltd 40 (2014) Sumitomo SSBR/BR
Zeon Corp. 40a (2013) 40 (2015– Zeon SSBR
2016)
Thailand, JSR BST Elastomer Co., Ltd, Bangkok 50 (2013) 50 JSR SSBR
Taiwan 40
Taiwan Synthetic Rubber Corp., Kaosun 30 TSRC Taipol™ SBR
Chi Mei Industry 10 Chi Mei Kibipol™ S SBR
Japan 323 20
Asahi Kasei Chemicals
Oita 52 (1972) 10 (2014) Philips Asaprene™
Kawasaki 84 (1964) 10 (2014) Firestone Tafden™
Japan Elastomer Co. (Asahi/Showa Denko 75/25), 62 Philips Asaprene™,
Oita Tafden™
Japan Synthetic Rubber Co., Ltd, Yokkaichi 70 JSR JSR SL
Zeon Chemical LP, Tokuyama 55 (78 ) a
Zeon Nipol NS
Asia/Oceania 920 250
Saudi Arabia (SCs: Saudi Basic Industries Corp. (Sabic) 100a SSBR/BR
and ExxonMobil Chemical Co. 50/50)
South Africa, Karbochem Pty (Ltd), Sasolburg 18 (36a) Goodyear Afsol™
Middle East/Africa 18 100
T/42 International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2015
were constructed at the start of the 1940s. Russia is the largest SBR producer in the region.
s-SBR is being produced by four companies – e-SBR is being produced by four companies: OAO
American Synthetic Rubber Co. (owned by Michelin), Voronezhsintezkauchuk, OAO Omskii kauchuk, OOO
Firestone Polymers LLC, Goodyear Chemical Co., and Tol’yattikauchuk, and OAO Sterlitamakskii NKhZ. The
Lanxess AG (multipurpose plant, only PB was produced total capacity of plants is 473 000 t/year. s-SBR is being
in 2012). The total capacity is 490 000 t/year. produced by two companies (OAO Nizhnekamskneftekhim
and OAO Voronezhsintezkauchuk), with a capacity
ASRC is the last company in the United States to use
toluene as a solvent. The company is planning to replace of 90 000 t/year. Increase in s-SBR capacities by
it with cyclohexane or methylcyclohexane, but precisely 110 000 t/year is planned.
when has not been announced [45]. In Russia, the possibility of building a new s-SBR
In Latin America, Petroflex (Brazil) (in 2008, Lanxess plant is being considered by ZAO Vostochnaya
acquired 70% shares of the company) is the largest neftekhimicheskaya kompaniya (OAO NK Rosneft’)
producer in the region, its two plants having a total together with Pirelli & C. SpA in Nakhodka [52].
capacity of 300 000 t/year. According to the results of In Armenia, in December 2013, Rosneft’, Pirelli Tire
a technical and economic survey, Lanxess has decided Armenia, and Rosneft’-Armenia signed a memorandum
to convert e-SBR production in Triunfo with a capacity of on the creation of a supply company (SC) based on the
110 000 t/year to s-SBR production of the same capacity. Nairit plant for the production of s-SBR [49].
Investments in reconstruction will amount to €80 million, The Polish company Synthos Dwory SA has two plants
and start-up is planned for 2015 [12]. producing e-SBR in Poland and the Czech Republic with
Other e-SBR producers include Industries Negromex a total capacity of 220 000 t/year. The company is
SA (INSA) (Mexico) – plant capacity 150 000 t/year, building its own first plant for the production of s-SBR with
producing rubber by their own technology [15], and a capacity of 100 000 t/year, not far from Krakow. The
Petrobras Argentina SA, Argentina – plant capacity cost of the project is €135 million, the plant will come
60 000 t/year [13]. on stream in 2015, and the rubber will be produced
s-SBR is being produced by the Spanish company by Goodyear technology.
Dynasol Elastomers SA in Altamir, Mexico – plant capacity s-SBR will be used for the production of high-quality
110 000 t/year (depending on demand, besides s-SBR, “green” summer and winter tyres, the demand for which
styrene butadiene TPEs or PB are produced), and by in Europe will in the next few years grow more rapidly
Petroflex, Brazil (at a multipurpose plant in Cabo) – than the demand worldwide, which is due to the policy
capacity of s-SBR production 20 000 t/year. of the EU aimed at reducing energy consumption and
The SBR production capacity of plants in Western cutting carbon dioxide emissions [21].
Europe amounts to 773 000 t/year: 313 000 t of e-SBR In Hungary, the Japanese company JSR and the
per year, 460 000 t of s-SBR per year. Hungarian petrochemical company MOL Group have
Western Europe is the only region in the world where set up a supply company for the construction of an s-SBR
the proportion of s-SBR in the total SBR capacities amounts plant to meet the growing demand from the European
to 60%. By 2018, s-SBR capacities in the region will tyre industry.
increase by 110 000 t/year. The plant, which will be built on land belonging to
Thus, the company Versalis (ENI) is doubling the MOL, in Tiszaújváros in eastern Hungary, should be
capacities of its two plants producing s-SBR in the United commissioned in 2017, and its planned capacity will
Kingdom and Italy. Investments in expanding the plants amount to 60 000 t/year. The precise scheduled volumes
will amount to €200 million ($US 240 million) [16, 17]. of investments and the anticipated profit are not available.
Trinseo (Styron LLC) is planning to commission a fourth A new supply company, 51% of which belongs to
line for s-SBR production in Schkopau, Germany, with a JSR, should provide partners with access to Western
capacity of 50 000 t/year in 2015 (in 2012, the company Europe, where the concentration of tyre enterprises is
put into service a third line of the same capacity, with high, and also to Central and Eastern Europe, Russia,
investments of $US 125 million). At present, in Schkopau, and Turkey, where tyre companies are now actively
eight lines are producing all types of rubber, with a total increasing their capacities.
capacity of 350 000 t/year [18, 19]. MOL will be responsible for the infrastructure of
In the Eastern Europe region, the producers of SBR the new enterprise, while JSR will supply their s-SBR
are Russia, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Serbia. The production technology and provide market access. MOL
total capacity of plants with respect to e-SBR amounts to is also bound through its daughter company TVK to
733 000 t/year, and with respect to s-SBR to 90 000 construct and commission in 2015 a butadiene extraction
t/year. By 2018, considerable expansion of s-SBR complex of 130 000 t/year capacity, sited close to the
capacities is planned – by 260 000 t/year. s-SBR plant [28, 50].
T/44 International Polymer Science and Technology, Vol. 42, No. 10, 2015