Rubber Auxiliaries Develop Rapidly

By Xu Chunhua

1. Stable increase of output

According to the statistics made by the Rubber Auxiliary Committee of China Rubber Industry Association, the total output of rubber auxiliaries in China was 107 200 tons in 2000 and reached 298 000 tons in 2005 with an average annual growth of 22.7%.   China has already a rubber auxiliary capacity of 550 000 t/a in 2005. Both the output and the quality of major products can basically meet the need in the rubber industry. Most varieties are in short demand, but some special varieties including rubber leveling agents (such as Struktol 40MS 60NS), high-effect anchoring resins (such as Koresin), cobalt salt rubber adhesion accelerators (such as cobalt-boron complex and cobalt caprate) and high heat-stability insoluble sulfur still need to be imported from abroad.

2. Major achievement in product distribution readjustment

Excellent antioxidant varieties such as 4020, 4010NA and RD have become leading products and their output accounts for more than 80% of the total. The output of 4020 with the best property in 2004, in particular, was twice the output in 2003. The output of antioxidant D that is generally regarded by the international community to have carcinogenic risks is however still as high as 1 000 tons.     In accelerators, the output of NOBS (N-oxydiethylene-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide) that can generate carcinogenic substance nitrosamine is basically controlled. The output of NS (N-tert-butyl-2-benzothiazole sulfenamide), the choice variety to replace NOBS, reached 7 200 tons in 2004, which is exceeding the NOBS output of 6 100 tons for the first time in history. The output proportion of NOBS is expected to reduce to less than 5%-10% of the total output of similar products at the end of the Eleventh Five-year Program period (2006-2010).    The rapid output increase of radial tires in China will lead to a consumption growth of processing rubber auxiliaries. The consumption of processing rubber auxiliaries already reached around 50 thousand tons from 2002.

3. Rapid growth of export

The consumption of rubber antioxidants and accelerators in the world was around 900 thousand tons in 2005. The consumption in China was 162 500 tons, accounting for 21.5% of the world total. The export amount of rubber auxiliaries in China was small before 2002. It reached 40 thousand-50 thousand tons in both 2003 and 2004, accounting for around 20% of the total output. The export amount was around 90 thousand tons in 2005, accounting for around 30% of the total output. The export value was RMB1.8 billion in 2005, representing a trend of constant increase.   The rubber auxiliary industry in China has paid great attention to the development of famous-brand products in recent years. Silane coupling agent Si-69, antioxidant 4020 and anti-scorching agent CTP already hold a considerable share in the international market.

4. Scale expansion in domestic enterprises

China has more than 200 rubber auxiliary manufacturers and over 60 of them have a scale of around 1 000 t/a. Local manufacturers hold a leading position in the rubber auxiliary industry. 18 rubber auxiliary manufacturers each have annual sales revenue of over RMB100 million and their sales revenue accounts for more than 70% of the national total. The highest sales revenue has reached RMB1.0 billion.

5. Entry of foreign companies into the Chinese market

Owing to the sustained stable growth of the rubber industry, foreign companies have been attracted by the rubber auxiliary market in China and there is an upsurge of establishing sales companies and production plants in China. Well-known large rubber auxiliary producers such as Flexsy, Lanxess and Rhein of Germany and Krompt of the United States have all established production bases, joint venture enterprises, sales companies or offices in China and some of them are actively seeking partners for cooperation.    The entry of foreign companies will surely increase the competition pressure on China's rubber auxiliary manufacturers, but also play a positive role in promoting the upgrading of the rubber auxiliary industry in China.

6. Sustained rapid development during the Eleventh Five-year Plan period

The consumption of rubber auxiliaries in the world is expected to reach 980 thousand tons in 2010 with an average annual growth of 3.8%. The consumption in China will be 330 thousand tons, including 120 thousand tons of accelerators, 120 thousand tons of antioxidants and 90 thousand tons of processing auxiliaries and special-functional auxiliaries (including insoluble sulfur). The average annual growth of the consumption will be 10%-15%. The rubber auxiliary industry in China will maintain a sustained development during the Eleventh Five-year Program period.     (1) 4020 and RD will become major antioxidant varieties. Antioxidants with no color change will have a considerable development space.     (2) The output proportion of sulfonamide accelerators will reach more than 50%, and NS and accelerator CZ will become majority products. The output proportion of NOBS that can generate nitrosamine will hopefully be reduced to less than 10%.      (3) The consumption of processing rubber auxiliaries and special-functional rubber auxiliaries such as adhesives, coupling agents and insoluble sulfur will increase stably.     (4) The clean production of rubber auxiliaries will be further promoted and the production of the substances with great toxic hazards will be banned by law.     (5) The development of new products will be focused on clean production. More efforts will be made to develop high heat-stability insoluble sulfur, anchoring resins, leveling agents and cobalt salt adhesion accelerators being imported in great quantities today. Renovation to formulations of rubber auxiliaries will be intensified.

Output of Major Rubber Auxiliaries in China in Recent Years      (thousand tons)Year            2000    2001    2002    2003    2004    2005Antioxidants    34.8    38.0    41.0    62.5    69.5    82.6Accelerators    46.4    71.0    66.0    83.5    93.0        138.0Insoluble sulfur        6.0     8.6     16.3    11.2    18.0    17.2Processing auxiliaries and others                20.0    19.0    56.7    48.8    65.5    60.2Total           107.2   136.6   180.0   206.0   246.0        298.0Source: CNCIC Chemdata



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