Research and Analysis on the Development of the Rubber Additives Industry in China in 2012

With the recovery of the global economy, the demand for rubber products has greatly increased, and the demand for rubber additives has also risen accordingly. The rubber additive industry in China is thriving, and China is gradually showing signs of becoming a major country in rubber additives.

Currently, there are more than 200 rubber additive production enterprises in China, with a production capacity of about 150,000 tons per year and an annual output of about 140,000 tons. There are about 60 enterprises with an annual production capacity of over 1,000 tons, and the total industrial output value of the entire industry is 2.2 billion yuan per year, with an export volume of about 10,000 tons per year. The main varieties include rubber antioxidants 4010, 4010NA, 4020, RD, DNP; rubber accelerators M, DM, CBS, NS, TMTD, NOBS, TETD, NA-22, and other processing aids. Among them, rubber antioxidants account for 50%, rubber accelerators account for 40%, and others account for 10%. The consumption structure ratio is 65% for tires, 18.5% for industrial products, 6% for footwear, 4.5% for latex, and 1% for wires and cables.

With the recovery of the global economy and the expansion of domestic production capacity, the net export volume of rubber additives in 2010 increased significantly, and the export unit price also saw a certain increase. According to relevant data, the total export volume of rubber antioxidants and rubber accelerators was 39,047 tons, an increase of 80.2% year-on-year, and the export unit price also increased to some extent, with the average export unit price of rubber antioxidants being 2,166 yuan per ton, a year-on-year increase of 29.2%; the average export unit price of rubber accelerators was 2,817 yuan per ton, a year-on-year increase of 12.1%. In 2011, China's rubber additive production increased by 140,000 tons per year, with a production growth rate of about 15%. Among them, the new production capacity of rubber antioxidant 4020 in 2011 was about 50,000 tons per year; rubber accelerator M was about 40,000 tons per year; sulfonamide rubber accelerators were about 30,000 tons per year; insoluble sulfur and anti-scorching agents were about 20,000 tons per year.

There are various means to enhance the competitiveness of rubber additives, such as scaling up production, strengthening after-sales service, improving synthesis technology, and developing new varieties. However, domestic enterprises still find it difficult to reach certain standards in some areas. Therefore, the synthesis technology of rubber additives and their intermediates has become the key to competition. Currently, the strong synthesis technologies in China's rubber additive field mainly include: the nitrobenzene method for synthesizing p-phenylenediamine, which is key to improving the quality of rubber antioxidants 4010NA and 4020; the synthesis technology of rubber antioxidant 4020, which improves quality while reducing costs, has become a focus of research for various enterprises in China; with the launch of the domestic rubber accelerator NS market, the improvement of tert-butylamine synthesis technology and the construction of facilities will again become a hotspot in the rubber additive industry, especially the advanced isobutylene amination method technology is expected to achieve breakthroughs; the introduction of acetone one-step synthesis of methyl isobutyl ketone production facilities will accelerate.

In the past 10 years, the domestic rubber additive industry has developed rapidly, with some larger production enterprises emerging, gradually forming a group of additive production companies with distinct characteristics, leading products, and certain influence. At the same time, the regional layout is becoming more reasonable, the supporting of raw materials is gradually improving, and competitiveness has significantly increased. The structural adjustment of the rubber additive industry is accelerating, and the survival of the fittest will be fully unfolded in the entire industry. The competitiveness of domestic rubber additives will further increase, their export volume will continue to grow, and their market share in the international market will significantly rise. The consumption of rubber antioxidant 4020 is expected to exceed that of rubber antioxidant 4010NA, which has always been in the lead; the demand for the main rubber accelerator NOBS, which is prone to produce carcinogens, will decrease, while the domestic rubber accelerator NS market is expected to start; some new types of rubber additives are expected to achieve industrialization.

In rubber antioxidants, the production capacity of p-phenylenediamine and quinoline varieties is growing rapidly, while traditional naphthylamine varieties are gradually shrinking; in rubber accelerators, the production capacity of CBS, which is not prone to produce nitrosamines, is growing rapidly, and the output of NS is steadily increasing.

In 2012, the main theme of China's rubber additive industry will be structural adjustment, and China will gradually develop from a major additive country to a strong additive country during this adjustment.